Tajha Chappellet-lanier, 30

Associate Editor, Monterey County Weekly Education: University College Roosevelt in Middelburg, Netherlands, bachelor of arts in politics, international law and philosophy

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

One of the best (but most challenging) things I have done is allow myself to leave a job in journalism that was no longer fulfilling to me — without having an exact plan in place for what would come next. It was scary to take this risk, but it ultimately led to new opportunities that are a much better fit for me and that I would have been very unlikely to encounter if not for my choice to leave. I’d encourage other young professionals to notice what’s no longer working for them and find a path to change it — even if that means taking a leap.

Also — and this is advice directed at me, too — I’m a huge believer that we need to foster better news media literacy and that at least part of the responsibility for this lies on the shoulders of journalists. Let’s get better at illuminating the journalistic process for our readers, listeners and viewers. It may seem obvious to those inside the industry, but the jargon and specific rules of the craft are not always self-evident. We need to get better at explaining why what we do is valuable.

How do you create compelling content that addresses the needs of a diverse audience?

For me, this is all about collaboration! One person can only know (or know about) so much, so we’re smarter together. I’m lucky to work with a diverse team, each member who brings their background, experiences, education, etc., to every story.

I’d also include our readers as important collaborative partners who help bring new questions and stories to our attention from their worlds and according to their own needs.