Lauren Bavis, an investigative reporter for WFYI Public Media, had an intense project coming up. She and her co-host planned to investigate health care in the Indiana Women's Prison on the second season of the podcast, "Sick."

This was a new challenge for Bavis. Though she had done quick-turn, crime-focused stories as a reporter earlier in her career, she didn't have much experience with incarceration. When a colleague sent her information about Poynter, she decided to sign up for our local jails and justice workshop.

“While our focus was on prisons, I knew jails have similar mandates when it comes to providing health care for a challenging population," said Bavis. "This project and this workshop was like having to reprogram my journalistic brain to focus on a different aspect of criminal justice reporting.”

For her, the most valuable lesson was learning how to navigate interviews with incarcerated women about experiences including suicide watch and sexual abuse.

"I went back and looked at my notes, and I wrote down that formerly incarcerated people are ‘not looking for sympathy, but humanity’ in stories about their experiences. I took that with me into all my interviews.”

Do you have a project coming up and need some guidance? Are you looking to improve your interviewing skills? Poynter will give you the boost you need to succeed and make an impact. Keep scrolling to find the right opportunity for you.

— Andrew DeLong, director of teaching operations