Please welcome/re-welcome Alexis to the WPLN News team. She was an intern in 2018 and rejoined this year as a producer. Life has been busy with our coverage of all things 2020 that we haven’t had a chance to get this to you until now.
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t know that anything ever really clicked as a kid. I was so interested in learning about everything that for a long time picking a career felt like pigeonholing myself. I think that’s why journalism made so much sense for me — I still get to learn something new every day.
2. What made you decide to consider a move to Nashville and to work for WPLN News?
I’ve been a lifelong Middle Tennessean, and actually interned at the station in the fall of 2018. I was living in Murfreesboro with my family at the beginning of the pandemic when I got the call to come be a producer at WPLN. I gave an emphatic “yes” on the spot. The opportunity to return to the newsroom that has always felt like home was as unexpected as it was exciting. As for my move to Nashville, that came a couple of months after starting my early morning shifts. Let’s just say I’m very happy to have reclaimed a couple hours of commute time.
3. What can listeners expect you to cover at WPLN News in the next year?
They can certainly expect more coverage on how the pandemic is affecting Tennessee workers. As for other coverage, I’m not quite sure. I don’t have a beat as a producer which gives me flexibility to cover a variety of topics. I’d love to see myself doing more investigative work and using my language skills to strengthen and diversify my reporting.
4. a) Do you consider yourself to be a foodie? b) Any favorite Nashville restaurants so far? c) Any places on your “must try” list?
a) I don’t know that I’d call myself a “foodie,” but I’m definitely an aficionada. b) Unfortunately, because of the pandemic I haven’t been able to try too many places, but I am a big fan of Riddim n’ Spice near Meharry and Fattoush Cafe. I still need to try Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish and House of Kabob.
5. What do you like to do for fun outside the office?
I love to cook. I had to look for new ways to entertain myself at home recently, and I’ve found the perfect outlet in baking and cooking new foods. I’m a big fan of Priya Krishna’s cookbook Indian-ish and recently tried the biscuits and gravy recipe from Snoop Dogg’s From Crook To Cook, all hits so far. When I’m not in my kitchen, I’ve been reading, watching old seasons of Love Island UK and doing an occasional socially-distanced outdoor hang with my friends.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM