What would be like to have an all-access pass to the White House? To report from the Press Briefing Room? Listen in as White House correspondent Laura Figueroa Hernandez from Newsday shares her experience covering the White House!
What is it like to be a White House reporter?
Welcome to the third episode of The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast! In this episode, Ashley interviews her longest journalist friend Laura Figueroa Hernandez, a White House correspondent for News Day. Listen in as Laura recounts what led her to pursue a career in journalism and why politics became her focus.
During the interview, she takes us through a typical day in her work life, revealing the challenges and rewards of covering the highest levels of government. Laura also shares her most memorable moments on the job and describes how she has not only survived, but thrived through the economic changes that have rocked the news industry. For aspiring independent journalists and writers, Laura gives valuable advice on how to break into political reporting and writing, including the importance of fact-checking and uncovering unique story angles in their local communities. Don’t miss this insightful and informative podcast episode with Laura!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Laura’s flexibility and willingness to take advantage of new opportunities contributed to her success in journalism.
- How noticing hidden details can help you uncover unique story ideas.
- Why you should follow your curiosity and pursue stories that interest you, even if they may seem unconventional.
- Why fact-checking is crucial to maintaining your credibility.
- How you can overcome writer’s block.
Time Stamps
9:11 What it’s like to be a White House correspondent
13:02 Some of Laura’s most memorable moments from reporting from the White House
17:01 How Laura has weathered many challenging economic times in the news industry
20:52 Laura’s advice for writers who want to report on politics
24:18 Why fact-checking is essential for any writer
27:06 How to uncover unique story angles
31:03 How Laura kicks writer’s block to the curb
About Laura Figueroa Hernandez
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is a White House Correspondent for Newsday, a New York-based news outlet. She has covered both the Trump and Biden White Houses. Before joining Newsday’s Washington Bureau, Laura worked as a political reporter for the outlet for five years covering everything from state to congressional races, New York City Hall, and the 2016 presidential campaign. Prior to Newsday, Laura worked as a staff reporter for The Miami Herald, which she dreamed of working for since high school. At the Herald, Laura started off as a local government reporter but her reporting also took her to Haiti, Honduras, Cuba, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Laura’s first job in journalism was as a reporter for The Bradenton Herald in Southwest Florida. Her work covering the area’s migrant farmworker community was awarded by The Florida Press Club and the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. She is a proud graduate of the University of Florida’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications and currently resides in Washington D.C., with her husband and their two children.
Connect with Laura
Read Laura’s reporting:
https://www.newsday.com/people/laura-figueroa
Follow Laura on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Laura_Figueroa
Follow Laura on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laurafigueroanyc/
Noteworthy Quotes from this Episode
“I genuinely do think that a lot of people get into politics because they want to help people. You don’t just throw yourself into the public sphere and put all your business out there if you don’t have some sort of underlying desire to help your community or help your state. … also what drew me to politics is that politics is government. When you’re looking at how this world works, and how people get help, it’s through their government most of the time. Who are the people who are controlling the purse strings of these programs that help people? Who are the people that are making the decisions that can help or hinder people?”
“Your credibility is everything … one piece of bad information in your story weighs heavily on your credibility moving forward. … Nowadays, there is so much misinformation with pseudo blogs and pseudo websites … be cautious of your sources. Do your due diligence.”
Listen Now
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Watch This Interview on YouTube! Subscribe here!
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