Roxanne Scott lives in Queens, NY and is an audio producer at Futuro Media. Before that, she was a public radio reporter for more than five years. She’s produced stories on everything from bourbon to e-scooters to immigration detention centers. In her spare time she likes to read, visit different neighborhoods and sew.
Where is your work featured/what organizations are you affiliated with?
This year I started as a senior producer at Futuro Media’s new investigative unit. Prior to that, I worked at public radio station WABE News in Atlanta for almost three years and WFPL News in Louisville, Ky for about 2.5 years.
Before I worked in newsrooms I freelanced a bunch. I’ve worked on international stories for places such as the BBC and America Abroad. One of my favorite outlets to report for was a site called Voices of NY, which published stories about immigrant communities. I was also a producer on the first season of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History.
Where did you go to school?
For undergrad I went to Temple University and studied political science. I worked in social work for two years and then became a teacher. Much later I went to the CUNY School of Journalism in New York.
How many years have you been in journalism/related fields?
That depends on when I start the clock, lol. I started dipping into journalism in 2012; I was a sub-editor in Accra for a project called Ghana Decides during the country’s elections. I then moved back to NY and enrolled in J-School in 2013. I got my first newsroom job in Kentucky in 2016.
What are you doing now? (i.e. any projects you’re working on; partnerships; advancements; or noteworthy stories)
My new role at Futuro includes pitching stories, conducting interviews, reading reports, filing open records requests, and field recordings. I make sure I’m keeping track of it all via spreadsheets. Spreadsheets have become my happy place, lol.
One of the many things that has helped my career is getting fellowships/scholarships. It’s pushed me to do work that I normally wouldn’t do and I get to meet other journalists. Opportunities I was lucky enough to get include an International Women’s Media Foundation fellowship, a travel grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, and a data fellowship from the Education Writers Association. I’ve also gotten to travel to Europe and learn how the EU works through the program RIAS Berlin. I even got two opportunities to go to NICAR and IRE through the Ida B. Wells Society :-). This year I was part of a boot camp for journalists of color to attend the National Freedom of Information Summit.
For every opportunity I’ve received, there are probably five rejections. If you’re on the fence about applying for something, just submit your application anyway. The worst that can happen is that you get turned down. You can always apply again.
What pushes you to keep doing the work?
I really enjoy recording history as it happens through sound.
You can find Roxanne on Twitter @whosworld or contact her at roxanne@futuromediagroup.org.
