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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Challenges facing districts in the Tampa Bay area vary, but low pay and the rising cost of living are cited as factors making it harder to fill classrooms. Here's a breakdown by county. -
Each year, the Tampa-based credit union GTE Financial gives $3,000 to 27 high school graduates and continuing students pursuing vocational certificates or four-year degrees. Selection is based on community involvement, extracurriculars and academic growth. -
FDOT staff, local law enforcement officials and volunteers held a safety demonstration Wednesday to mark National Stop on Red Week. They held signs at a key intersection in Bartow. -
Several Sunshine State candidates are running as Democratic socialists, banking that their progressive, affordability-focused platform can reach voters they say mainstream Democrats have neglected. -
Manatee's Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a data center moratorium at a July 28 meeting. The move also directs county staff to potentially revise their land development code. -
Many SoHo business owners, concerned years construction could ruin their livelihoods, have sued the city, accusing it of withholding documents to “prevent public scrutiny” ahead of the city council's decision. -
The university Board of Trustees voted unanimously give Moez Limayem a 10% performance bonus. The president also presented his vision for the 2026-27 school year. -
With two departing incumbents, a crowded race is heating up to fill three Pasco County School Board seats. Some are veteran teachers, and others have business or political commentator backgrounds. -
The Clearwater City Council voted June 18 to hand over a downtown block to the Church of Scientology. Grassroots group Save the Garden is racing to collect 7,000 signatures in time to undo that decision. -
This year’s Florida Assessment of Student Thinking results show four Tampa-area districts received an A, but some parents and educators are not convinced the state’s standards encourage excellence.
