Beyond the Headlines will take you inside the story and into the minds of our reporters, sharing insights beyond what shows up on our website and in our newsletters. Catch up on episodes from 2024. The podcast is hosted by David Stradley, Director of Community Engagement.
Beyond the Headlines: Reporter Favorites from 2024
(December 24, 2024)
If you’ve never listened to an episode of “Beyond the Headlines,” our last episode of 2024 is a great introduction to what you’ve been missing. Each member of Spotlight Delaware’s reporting team shares a few words about one of their stories that meant a lot to them — and why it captures the values of Spotlight journalism. That’s what we aim to do in each episode of “Beyond the Headlines” — let you in on the how and why of our reporters’ work. And we do that in multiple quick bites in this episode. Give a listen, and celebrate the first year of Spotlight Delaware reporting.
Articles connected to this episode:
Opioid grants mostly funded prevention, but also raised questions
LGBTQ+ students face a complicated system in Delaware
Edgemoor site ignites land use debate between county, state
A Dream Deferred: The Delawareans that DACA left behind
The uncertain future facing a post-DACA generation
‘The forgotten population’: Single women struggle in fight against homelessness
Physicians, insurers sit out debate over HB 350
Vermonters debate how well cost review board has worked
Beyond the Headlines: Inside the School Doors — Building Repair Needs
(December 11, 2024)
Go along with reporter Julia Merola as she explains her data research and field trips to Delaware public schools to shed light on the recently completed, first-of-its-kind statewide evaluation of school buildings. Learn why custodians are the heroes of this story, how schools in Indian River are collaborating to solve their storage needs, and which school Julia visited that she would most want to attend.
Articles connected to this episode:
Survey: Delaware schools face 1K+ repair needs
Delaware teachers, students impacted by building needs
Beyond the Headlines: General Election Reflection & Legislative Summit Preview
(November 27, 2024)
Editor-in-Chief Jacob Owens joins Beyond The Headlines to give his take on the local results from the November 5 general election. Find out why Jake thinks Democrats were not able to claim a supermajority in the Delaware House of Representatives, if he saw evidence in Delaware of the election coalition that returned Republicans to power nationally, and whether governor-elect Matt Meyers and Wilmington mayor-elect John Carney will get along. Jake also gives a preview of the Spotlight Delaware Legislative Summit to be held on January 8.
Article connected to this episode:
Democrats sweep statewide races, but GOP rebuts supermajority
Beyond the Headlines: Our Delaware — La Esperanza
(November 13, 2024)
Reporter José Ignacio Castañeda Perez goes deeper into his “Our Delaware” profile of La Esperanza, a community center in Georgetown, Delaware that serves southern Delaware’s immigrant populations. You’ll find out about a hidden domestic abuse shelter, how the current leaderships tries to build on the legacy of the three founding nuns, and which of those nuns had a reputation for late night vehicle speed with the area police.
“Our Delaware” is a monthly series by Spotlight Delaware that explores the history of communities and the institutions that serve them.
Article connected to this episode:
Our Delaware: La Esperanza
Beyond the Headlines: Delaware’s Opioid Fund — Investigated
(October 30, 2024)
Reporter Nick Stonesifer takes listeners inside his two-month process to make clear the inner workings of Delaware’s Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission. Discover what sparked Nick’s investigative journey, how he put together the puzzle revealed through hundreds of applications and grant reports, and which Delaware town ended up with a therapy dog.
Articles connected to this episode:
Delaware’s opioid fund differs from any other state
Delaware Opioid fund marked by rushed reviews, lenient oversight
Opioid grants mostly funded prevention, but also raised questions
As opioid funds flow, southern Delaware seeks more support
Beyond the Headlines: Julies Gets Schooled
(October 16, 2024)
Reporter Julia Merola shares her process behind the reporting for Spotlight’s first live journalism event “Get Schooled,” which provided attendees with step-by-step information on registering for school, engaging in school choice and applying for charter schools. She also gives listeners an insight into what she’s learned about the Delaware public school system in her first months as Spotlight’s education reporter. “Complicated” is a recurring theme that runs through Julia’s impressions as a newcomer to the learning landscape in the First State.
Articles connected to this episode:
Delaware Explained: How to register for public school
Delaware Explained: How to register for school choice
Delaware Explained: How to apply for charter schools
Beyond the Headlines: “It Means Everything to Her” — Kingswood Community Center
(October 1, 2024)
Brianna Hill goes in-depth on her reporting process for the first story in Spotlight Delaware’s new monthly series “Our Delaware” exploring the history of communities and the institutions that serve them around the state. The kick-off installment looks into Kingswood Community Center, and Brianna shares further insight into many of the people she interviewed for the article and illuminates more of what Kingswood means to the Riverside community in northeast Wilmington.
Article connected to this episode:
Our Delaware: Kingswood
Beyond the Headlines: Delaware Primary Reflections
(September 17, 2024)
Take a deep dive with Senior Reporter Karl Baker as he shares his thoughts and assessments on the 2024 Delaware Primary Election. Karl explores the see-saw in the minds of the electorate between establishment and upstart candidates, how development issues impacted races in Sussex County, and why lawn signs and who you went to high school with still matter in Delaware elections.
Beyond the Headlines: My Bay Is Dying
(September 3, 2024)
Nick Stonesifer takes you on board Lewes clammer Dirk Moore’s boat Lolo for a ride on Delaware’s inland bays as he got a first-person look into the health of these vital waters for his article published in August 2024.
Article connected to this episode:
‘My bay is dying’: Clammers worry about Inland Bays’ future
Beyond the Headlines: Hilltop Haven
(August 19, 2024)
José Ignacio Castañeda Perez takes you on a walk up the hill and into the neighborhood as he met residents of Hilltop for his two-part article published in July 2024.
Articles connected to this episode:
Wilmington’s West Side continues to be home for immigrants
Hilltop Haven Part 2: Some residents see hopeful future, others are wary