Phoebe Martel
WUSF Rush Family Radio News internI’m one of WUSF’s summer radio news interns, reporting on all things Tampa Bay for the next few months.
In May, I graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where I studied Communications and English. My introduction to journalism came through The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s independent student newspaper, where I covered arts and culture, affordable housing and university governance.
Writing was my first love, and it shaped my path into reporting.
Outside the Tar Heel, I worked for a campus literary magazine and a local lifestyle publication. While I still love writing album reviews, community journalism is where I’m focusing my energy these days.
As an “NPR baby,” I grew up listening to Baltimore affiliate WYPR on car rides home, and my inner theater kid always secretly wanted to be on air. I first got my radio feet wet during a collegiate internship at Vatican Media in Rome, where I produced web stories and broadcast segments on human rights and migration policy — while also managing to meet Pope Francis and befriending several nuns.
In every place I’ve lived, storytelling has been my way of feeling connected to something larger than myself. Now back stateside, I’m excited to channel my curiosity into stories that reflect Tampa Bay in all its fascinating complexity.
In my free time, I do very amateur boxing and dance, write equally amateur screenplays and obsessively curate Spotify playlists.
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The Cemetery Society, residents and other lawmakers are calling on city officials to safeguard potential unmarked graves on an adjacent property where an architect wants to build single-family homes. -
Since 1991, the University of South Florida College of Marine Science has hosted the Oceanography Camp — Especially for Girls. Every summer, 30 eighth-grade graduates have the chance to go on a research expedition and do what marine scientists do. -
City government officials, local breweries, Celtic arts organizations and eager residents hoped the hard-partying but well-behaved Tartan Army would make a pit stop in Dunedin this weekend. -
The Safe Summer Series hopes to promote safe and structured fun as the Tampa Bay area sees a spike in "teen takeover" gatherings, a number of which have ended in shootings and arrests. -
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count report shows that young Floridians' economic health plummeted between 2019 and 2024. As in 2025, Florida ranks 35th for overall child well-being. -
After 30 years with the Tampa Police Department, Chief Lee Bercaw is stepping down to teach criminology at USF. During his tenure, the city saw a significant reduction in violent crime. -
With a 3-2 Clearwater City Council vote approving a street handover, the Church of Scientology's Flag Services Organization won a tentative victory in its downtown expansion efforts. -
E-bike and e-scooter injuries and fatalities have increased across Tampa Bay. AAA's "E-Ride Ready" campaign urges young riders to wear helmets and stick to safe speeds. -
Florida DMV system outages are creating massive headaches for county tax collectors. Launched in January, the network was supposed to modernize motor vehicle services. -
A poco más de dos meses de que se celebren las elecciones primarias, los defensores de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad y de la tercera edad temen que muchos electores de Florida no renueven sus solicitudes de votación a tiempo para votar desde sus hogares.
