Faces Of NPR is a weekly feature that showcases the people behind NPR, from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio. You'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. This week's post features Morning Edition's assistant producer, Ashley Westerman.
The Basics:
Name: Ashley Westerman
Twitter Handle: @NPRAshley
Job Title: Assistant Producer, Morning Edition
Where You're From: Born in Manila, Philippines — grew up in Western Kentucky
An Inside Look:
You're a Producer and Director for Morning Edition. What does that mean?
It means I wear lots of hats. Not only am I'm part of the production team that helps get the show on the air every morning, but I also help plan and execute projects in the field — such as reporting trips and hosting the show remotely. But above all, I am a journalist. I pitch stories, weigh in on treatment of coverage and even do some of my own reporting for radio and the web.
How did you get started here? What advice do you have for someone who wants a job like yours?
I was the intern for Morning Edition in the summer of 2011, that's how I got my foot in the door here at HQ. But my official first public radio gig was as a freelance reporter for my college member station, 91.3 WUKY-FM, at the University of Kentucky.
If I had any advice to give it would be to get involved in public radio immediately and in whatever capacity you can — whether it's applying for an internship, freelance reporting or even volunteering to help out a station on the weekends. Do it. Do it now. And keep doing whatever you can to gain a wide range of skills so you can make yourself indispensable.
What's your favorite #nprlife moment?
There's just too many. It'd be really unfair to choose just one.
What are some of the coolest things you've worked on?
I've had the opportunity to work on a lot of really cool stories and projects, from convincing ME host Steve Inskeep to take a trip to cover the closing of a coal mine in my hometown to the 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland. Most recently, I was in Bangladesh with reporter Michael Sullivan to cover the Rohingya refugee crisis on that country's border with Myanmar. It was an amazing, heavy, crazy, stressful, bonkers experience — but I learned so, so much.
What's on your desk?
I have lots of stuff at my desk: stuff I've picked up out in the field, a hedgehog pencil sharpener army and lots of photos of places I've been/people I care about. The most prominent thing at my desk is the giant laminated map of Southeast Asia. My favorite thing, though, is probably my coffee mug that says: "This might be bourbon."
Favorite places in Washington D.C.?
Just to name a few...My favorite restaurant is Compass Rose. My favorite froyo place is Mr. Yogato. My favorite place to get crabs is Quarterdeck. My favorite place to wander on the weekends is Eastern Market/Capitol Hill. And my favorite place to play some 9 ball is Buffalo Billiards.
What emoji best represents you?
The laugh-cry emoji.
What's your motto?
Life is nothing but timelines and workarounds.
First thing you do when you get to the office?
CAFFEINATE. But not with the stuff out of the machines. I make my own coffee at my desk.
What are you inspired by right now?
This may sound crazy, but recently I've been really inspired by the Rohingya refugees we spoke with in Bangladesh. Their lives are bleak and miserable. They have nothing, but they still managed to be kind and courteous to us when we came to interview them in the refugee camps. They welcomed us into their homes and were very open and honest about their horrific experiences. It really got me thinking...if they can act like this, despite all they've been through, I have no excuse. Since then, the hurdles in life don't seem to daunting and the little things I used to get caught up on don't seem like such a big deal. It's really opened up to a whole new approach to my life — both personally and professionally.
What do you love about public radio?
I'm an NPR-lifer — my parents would listen to Morning Edition every morning on the way to school and All Things Considered on the way home. The storytelling through sound — without the crutch of photos and videos — is so unique and powerful.
Throughout my life public radio has not only informed me, but it's also challenged me and made me feel such emotion that I couldn't get out of my car at the end of the day until a story is over. I attribute this to not just the highest standards of journalism, but also a commitment to powerful storytelling and a business model — meaning our member stations — that brings stories to our audience from across this country.
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