Audrey Henvey, 24

Reporter, Star Local Media

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Journalism and French, University of Texas at Arlington

What advice do you have for other young professionals in the news industry?

If you want to improve your writing, find writers, news publications, and stories you admire and learn from them. Make it a habit to read news stories from outlets you like and examine what makes those stories resonate with you. Also, look at writing

you don’t like as much and think critically about why that writing isn’t effective. If you can do that while reading, you’ll find yourself applying those ideas when writing your own stories, and you’ll see your writing style coming to life.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, my two favorite stories to study are both by Texas Monthly writer Skip Hollandsworth. Check out “Still life” and “Lights, Camera, Carthage!”

What do you think the news media landscape will look like in 10 years?

I hope the news landscape will continue to see local newspapers as a relevant and central hub for both important information and deep, nuanced and insightful storytelling. To do so, newsrooms need to build and maintain a sense of trust with their audiences. I think a large part of that trust in media should come from local newspapers being active in their communities and telling impactful stories on an up-close level. I believe investment in local newspapers across the country will be critical to the future of journalism and how it functions in our society a decade from now. Nothing can replace the power of good community storytelling.