Akela Lacy Alumni Insights

INMULA

Akela Lacy '15, Political Reporter, The Intercept

INSIGHTS

ALUMNI INSIGHTS

PAGE 1

INTERVIEW

CONNECTING COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICS THROUGH JOURNALISM AN INTERVIEW WITH AKELA LACY

BY EMILY HAYS AND JANE HANDA On D.C. Day at the Global Research Institute’s

That introduced me to the craft and I ended up

evening networking event, we asked Akela

interning for that organization after I left. So I worked

Lacy, William & Mary '15, about her career in

at the Pulitzer Center as a Project Coordinator for two

political journalism. She spoke about her

years working with students who were doing their first

experiences at William & Mary and the Institute that honed her writing chops, the excitement of talking to representatives on the Hill, and about

making

an

impact

through

communication.

Emily Hays: Can you describe what you do currently?

Akela Lacy: I am a political reporter covering Congress, which means that I spend a lot of time in the capital talking to lawmakers about policies that they are working on, intra-party drama, whether or not we are going to go to war with Iran, a lot of different things. I also cover a lot of state level politics, so I cover criminal justice, immigration, and

international reporting trips, as well as freelancing.

Then I went to Politico for a year where I did production and breaking news reporting, and I moved to The Intercept in September 2018.

EH: How did you get to where you are?

AL: I spent a lot of time in college thinking about what I wanted to do. In high school I think I wanted to be an activist, but I didn’t know how to do that or what that meant. So I just followed issues I was passionate about, and thought a lot about the ways I could impact people and the ways they thought about those issues.

My first job was as a Project Coordinator at the Pulitzer Center, so I helped undergraduate and graduate students. I was an editor on their reporting projects and helped them learn what to do when they first go

grassroots political movements.

into the field, and how to develop and pitch stories. As

EH: How did you get involved in this sector?

I explored those avenues, I started thinking more and

Akela Lacy: When I was at William & Mary, I worked for

more about media and how that is used to influence

the Dog Street Journal briefly as a junior, and after that

people's perceptions and educate people on certain

I did a journalism seminar, the Sharpe Seminar, run by

things, so I decided that that was the way I wanted to

the Pulitzer Center, since W&M doesn't have a

go.

journalism program.

ALUMNI INSIGHTS

PAGE 2

INTERVIEW

EH: Can you share some advice for undergrads in your field?

AL: Start writing for a college publication, whether it’s the Flat Hat or the Dog Street Journal. That was something I think that if I had started earlier and gotten more clips I would have been better positioned to go straight to a publication after I graduated. Not that what I did didn't work out for me, but I would say write as much as you can, and get to know people who are doing this. Get informational coffees with people, read a lot, and diversify your outlets, and find issues in the news you care about.

Lacy in the field.

"WILLIAM & MARY GAVE ME THE TOOLS TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE WORLD AND KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MANY WAYS TO MAKE AN IMPACT." EH: What’s your affiliation with the Global Research

EH: And how about some advice for a recent alum who

Institute?

is starting in your field during 2020?

AL: I worked at AidData when I was a junior, and I

AL: Get ready for the 2020 election! Prepare yourself to

worked with them for the summer and then the first

work hard, don't be afraid to ask questions, and don’t

semester of my senior year. I’ve stayed in touch since

pretend that you know everything.

I left, and I actually co-taught a data journalism class with Alex Wooley [AidData, Director of Partnerships & Communications] last summer and I came back when he and another instructor were teaching it last

EH: What is your favorite memory of undergrad?

The One Last Thing series was definitely my favorite.

The last couple weeks of school when we were so

winter on campus.

nostalgic and sad and having panic attacks every

EH: What is one thing W&M did to prepare you for the

having those moments to sit on the sunken gardens

professional world?

with my best friend and listen, it was super cathartic.

AL: William & Mary gave me the tools to think

Akela Lacy has made an impact in the field of

day about time slipping through our fingers, just

critically about the world and know that there's so many

ways

to

make

an

impact.

There’s

not

necessarily one set path, and you don’t have to go to business school or law school or become a CEO of a company to be successful, because there are many different definitions of success.

political journalism since she graduated 4 years ago.