Tucson, Arizona – June 9, 2014 – Using his experience at Arizona Public Media as a student editor, Matt Ehrichs has joined the national PBS NewsHour team as a Student Reporting Labs Reporter/Producer in the Online Education Department. In this position Ehrichs will produce broadcast and online video and multimedia features from material sourced from PBS NewsHour Reporting Labs around the country.
Ehrichs graduated from the University of Arizona in May of 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television Studies.
Here is a Q&A with Matt Ehrichs:
How long have you lived in Tucson? I have lived in Tucson for almost 9 years now.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Peoria, AZ but spent a lot of time growing up in Summerville, South Carolina.
Why did you attend the University of Arizona? When I was little, my family and I would visit my grandmother often after she moved to Tucson due to health reasons. On one such visit, she drove me by the UA campus and said, “That’s where I want you to go when you get older. It’s one of the best schools in the U.S.” At that time in my life the school looked enormous and I couldn’t even imagine attending a school of that size. However, when I moved back to Tucson after attending high school in South Carolina, I knew immediately that I wanted to be a Wildcat because of what my grandmother said when I was just a boy.
How long have you volunteered/interned at AZPM?
I worked as a student employee for almost 3 years.
What was your favorite memory working at AZPM?
My favorite memory of working for AZPM is more of a sequence of events for me. It was when I was approached by Post Production Manager, Ian Hubbell, and asked if I would be interested in editing the Level One Trauma documentary side by side with Senior Editor, Steve Bayless. The next few months were exciting, challenging and educational, all rolled up in a giant experience that I feel that I couldn’t have received anywhere else.
What skills did you learn at AZPM that helped you land the job at PBS NewsHour?
I learned a great many things with my time at AZPM, but the most important skill set I learned that helped me with my new position with PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs, was the ability to collaborate with my co-workers. I would not have received this opportunity if it wasn’t for staff members such as Mitch Riley, Bob Lindberg, Steve Riggs, Steve Bayless and Andrea Kelly, just to name a few, that took me under their wings and gave me the guidance and advice needed in order to survive in this competitive business.
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