Our Team
Northeastern University Professors Mike Beaudet and John Wihbey head our project team, which includes current and former Northeastern students along with an advisory group of industry professionals.
Our research is made possible through generous funding from The Stanton Foundation.
Mike Beaudet
Professor of the Practice in Video Innovation
Mike Beaudet is an investigative reporter who has worked in television for more than 30 years. He is a Multimedia Investigative Journalist at WCVB-TV in Boston where he works as part of the “5 Investigates” team. Beaudet started his career in radio covering politics at the Massachusetts State House and also made stops at television stations in Bangor, Maine and Manchester, New Hampshire. Before joining WCVB he was an investigative reporter and anchor at WFXT-TV in Boston. Beaudet has won numerous awards, including 21 New England Emmy Awards. His research at Northeastern focuses on the future of video news storytelling with an emphasis on engaging younger audiences on streaming and digital platforms to help strengthen democracy.
John P. Wihbey
Associate Professor & Graduate Programs Director
Dr. John P. Wihbey is an associate professor of media innovation and technology in the College of Arts, Media and Design at Northeastern University. He directs the graduate programs in Media Innovation and Data Communication, Journalism, and Media Advocacy, and he is a faculty researcher at Northeastern’s Ethics Institute. He is the author of The Social Fact: News and Knowledge in a Networked World (MIT Press, 2019), and he has served as a research consultant for Twitter, Inc., and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Anna Marie Campbell
Project Coordinator
Anna Marie Campbell, founder of environmental media agency Solarpunk Studio, merges expertise in science education, digital media production, experience design, and data visualization to craft engaging and informative narratives that stick. As Project Coordinator for the Reinventing Local TV News Project, she’s at the heart of transforming digital news delivery for the modern viewer. With a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, Anna translates complex concepts into accessible content, seeking to spark curiosity and create a deeper understanding of the systems that shape our world.
Gabrielle Aidam
Visual Content Producer/Animator
Gabrielle Aidam, or Gabby, is a Visual Content Producer/Animator part of the Reinventing Local TV News team. She graduated from Northeastern University with a combined degree in Game Arts and Animation and a minor in Immersive Media. During her University career, Gabby has worked at multiple placements throughout Northeastern University, including the Immersive Media Lab, 3D Printing Studio, and as an XR (Extended Reality) Assistant. She was also a part of the Cadillac Interiors team at General Motors working as a Digital Sculpting Intern. In her free time she enjoys binging manga, catching up on her favorite podcasts, or singing and dancing her heart out at karaoke with her friends.
Angela Chen
OTT Streaming Content Producer
Angela Chen is currently an OTT Streaming Content Producer at ABC7 Chicago. Prior to this role, she worked for The Wall Street Journal’s Youtube team producing videos for their series. She did her Master’s at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism specializing in video journalism and her bachelor’s in film and television at Boston University. In her free time she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, finding the best restaurants in town, and creating fun social videos. Originally from Connecticut, she still thinks Connecticut pizza is the best pizza.
Maggie Cole
OTT Streaming Content Producer
Maggie Cole is a journalist, videographer, poet, and dog parent. They currently live in Brooklyn, New York and are a OTT Streaming Content Producer for CBS New York. Cole is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and hails from San Diego, California. They are passionate about creating work that challenges social norms and rejects stereotypes. You can contact Cole by email at Maggie.Cole@paramount.com
Leanna Scachetti
OTT Streaming Content Producer
Leanna Scachetti is a multimedia journalist serving as the OTT Streaming Content Producer for WCVB in Boston. Leanna most recently reported for WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia where she established a Digital News Desk and an award-winning podcast. She has experience reporting, anchoring, producing, boothing and editing shows. She’s worked to strategize streaming to taking on special projects, report for sister stations, present to students and mentor peers. She has earned an Emmy Award and three National Edward R. Murrow Awards for her work. Her career began in Panama City Beach, Florida where she reported and anchored at WJHG. Leanna graduated from the University of Florida with honors where she studied Broadcast Journalism. When not at work Leanna likes to travel, hike, kayak, ski, golf, fish, practice yoga and sip coffee with friends. She speaks Spanish and basic Portuguese. She’s been a bridesmaid five times and a best man once. There was also a brief stint on the local roller derby team…
Vivian Aviles
Researcher
Vivian Aviles is an undergraduate journalism student at Northeastern University with minors in Media and Screen Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She has written for multiple publications including The Chronicle, the magazine for Northeastern’s Interdiciplinary Women’s Council, and HerCampus, an online publication written by women, for women.
Lawrence Brown
Researcher
Lawrence Brown is a third-year journalism and media & screen studies combined major. He grew up in New York City and joined the Reinventing Local TV News Project in October 2024. He has worked at 7 News-WHDH TV, produced a documentary in Peru and serves as news staff for The Huntington News. He looks forward to discovering how local TV news can find a place within future generation’s living rooms.
Nick Cortese
Researcher
Nick Cortese is a first year Journalism and Marketing student at Northeastern University. He is from Long Island, New York and first started with the Reinventing Local TV News Project in January 2024 as a part of university coursework. He has a long history with sports journalism dating back to a tenure in 2016 working with Newsday, and he has further delved into stage sports journalism world with Storybench this past spring.
Kate Deskey
Researcher
Kate Deskey is a fourth-year journalism student at Northeastern University with minors in marketing and sports media. Her written work has appeared in Storybench, The Scope, and Huntington News. She previously interned at Fuseideas, a full-service advertising agency, where she strengthened her skills in video production, social media content creation, and copywriting.
Ruchika Erravandla
Researcher
Ruchika Erravandla is a graduate student in the Media Innovation and Data Communication program at Northeastern University. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Passionate about multimedia storytelling, Ruchika aims to craft narratives that educate and create meaningful impact.
Hannah Escandon
Researcher
Hannah Escandon is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in journalism and international affairs at Northeastern University. She is passionate about breaking stereotypes, accurately reflecting people around the globe through storytelling, and traveling. Hannah is also a two-time student Emmy award winner and has published articles for the Baha’i International Community United Nations Office.
Sangya Gupta
Researcher
Gya Gupta is a rising 4th year Journalism and Media Screen Studies major with a minor in law and public policy. She is currently the managing editor for the Northeastern Political Review, and has written for a variety of publications including the Bay State Banner, the Global Observer, and the Scope. Her research interests include gender bias on screen, and AI use in the media industry. In her free time, she loves to try new recipes!
Kylee Hendrie
Researcher and Website Designer
Kylee Hendrie is a fifth-year undergraduate journalism and media and screen studies student. She was born in Vietnam and raised with a keen passion for exploration. Kylee is a three-time student Emmy award winner that’s produced videos for The Scope, directed PSAs for NGO Education for Nature Vietnam, and designed Columbia Press award-winning magazines. Fueled by a love for existential literature, Wes Anderson films and squash (the sport not the vegetable), she seeks to carve out a creative space in the world around her.
Heidi Ho
Researcher
Heidi Ho is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a combined degree in Public Health and Journalism. She is a multimedia journalist who is passionate about science, storytelling, and social justice. In her free time, she can be seen at restaurants trying new cuisines, dancing, or reading.
Emily Niedermeyer
Researcher
Emily Niedermeyer is a journalism student at Northeastern University with a minor in Political Science. She has written and edited for a variety of publications and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Woof Magazine, Northeastern’s leading lifestyle magazine and a Senior Editor at Her Campus Northeastern. Emily has a passion for telling multimedia stories through data visualizations, video and audio.
Jeta Perjuci
Researcher
Jeta Perjuci is an undergraduate at Northeastern University studying Media and Screen Studies with a minor in Journalism Practice. She is passionate about multimedia storytelling and has experience depicting narratives through writing and editing for Woof Magazine, creating short-form video content for the Student Support Initiative and the Huntington News, and video production for the Reckonings Project.
Aiden Stein
Researcher
Aiden Stein is a journalism student at Northeastern University with minors in Art and Media and Screen Studies. He has written and edited for a variety of publications, including the Huntington News, Boston Scope, and Storybench. He is passionate about sharing colorful stories of resistance, creativity, and positive change. In his free time, he likes painting, playing music, and taking pictures.
Lisa Thalhamer
Video Innovation Scholar
Lisa Thalhamer is a graduate student studying Media Innovation and Data Communication at Northeastern University. She brings more than a 15 years of journalism experience to her studies, having worked as a newscast producer at WCVB in Boston, WMUR in Manchester, NH, and WMTW in Portland, Maine. Most recently, Thalhamer was a field producer for WCVB’s Chronicle, the nation’s longest running, locally produced news magazine. She has also received a New England Emmy award for her work at WCVB. Thalhamer’s graduate studies are focused on supporting the mental wellbeing of journalists, particularly those working for local television stations.
Legacy Members
Toyosi Ajisafe
Researcher
Omotoyosi Ajisafe (she/her) is a first-year graduate student in the Journalism program at Northeastern University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Babcock University’s undergraduate mass communication program. She has previously held internship programs as a producer and news writer in broadcast stations e.g PlusTV Africa, Smooth fm in Nigeria.
Quillan Anderson
Researcher
Quillan Anderson (she/her) is a graduate student in Northeastern University’s Media Advocacy Program. She graduated from Northeastern’s undergraduate program with a B.A. in journalism and political science and a minor in photojournalism. Quillan has previously worked in communications at MIT Solve and served as the photo editor at the Huntington News.
Gigi Barnett
Researcher
Gigi Barnett is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Journalism and Criminal Justice. She has previously interned at WHDH-TV in Boston and NBC Chicago, where she developed a passion for visual storytelling. She hopes to continue refining her journalistic skills in video and digital media by envisioning ideas that will help integrate news and social media in approachable ways.
Zach Ben-Amots
Contributor
Zach Ben-Amots is a video journalist and documentary filmmaker. He has worked as a multimedia journalist and producer at ABC 7 Chicago, CBS News New York and, most recently, Rocky Mountain PBS. His films and news stories have been featured on Hulu, Good Morning America, The Washington Post, and the Christian Science Monitor, as well as ABC, CBS, and PBS stations around the country. Ben-Amots first joined the Reinventing Local TV News research project as a graduate student at Northeastern University in 2017, and has been continuously involved in the project as a contributor and video producer since then. He is currently enrolled in the MFA program in documentary film and video at Stanford University.
Phil Butler
Machine Learning Research Engineer
Phil Butler holds a MS in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision Specialization from Khoury College of Northeastern University, and he is an incoming Software Engineer at Raytheon Missiles and Defense. He specializes in deep networks across the modalities of language, speech, and vision. He has worked as an NLP Software Engineer Co-op at Babel Street, and is working on ethical AI as a part of Khoury’s Civic AI Lab.
Kristina DaPonte
Researcher
Kristina DaPonte is a fourth-year journalism and communication studies student at Northeastern. Her written work has appeared in Boston.com, The Scope, and Storybench. She is currently serving as the lifestyle editor of The Huntington News and previously worked at CSSH on the Marketing and Communications team.
Michael Earls
Researcher
Michael Earls is an undergraduate student in Northeastern University’s Journalism program. He is experienced in video editing and visual storytelling. He currently writes for Tastemakers Magazine.
Aki Gaythwaite
Researcher
Aki Gaythwaite is an undergraduate student perusing a degree in Journalism and Media Screen Studies. Her passion for visual storytelling extends to working in documentary film production, broadcast radio, and the visual arts. She has previously worked as an intern at Red Summit Productions and is currently involved in Northeastern’s radio station WRBB and SCOUT design working to engage the student community through the arts.
Shuang Jing
Researcher
Shuang Jing is a graduate student of the Journalism school majoring in Media Innovation & Data Communication at Northeastern University. She dedicates her journalism to gender issues, social justice, and cultural contrasts. She is eager to use innovative storytelling forms to make facts more understandable and engaging. You can find her work on the Scope, where she report on Boston local community, the Global Observer, where she writes about cultural criticism.
Jade Khatib
Researcher
Jade Khatib is a fifth-year journalism and interaction design student at Northeastern University who has previously held data and graphics reporting internships at Bloomberg News, The Texas Tribune and The Seattle Times.
Clara McCourt
Researcher
Clara McCourt is a fourth-year at Northeastern University, where she has created everything from short news segments, to social media strategy, to long-form documentaries. Her visual and written work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Boston.com, and The Scope. She has also previously served as the managing editor of The Huntington News.
Isa Meyers
Researcher
Isa Meyers (she/her) is a graduate student in Northeastern’s Professional Journalism program. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University. Isa is from Seattle, Washington, and is a member of Northeastern’s varsity cross country and track teams. She is currently a reporting intern at The Christian Science Monitor.
Elijah Nicholson-Messmer
Researcher
Elijah is a graduate student at Northeastern University where he develops data analysis and visualization methods to aid reporting. A graduate of Berea College, he has recently written for Financial Planning, where he reported on the financial advisor industry, The Drive, where he reported on the automotive industry, and The Scope, where he reported on local Boston communities.
Kwadjo Otoo
Researcher
Kwadjo Otoo is a African Studies & Media Screen Studies student at Northeastern University with a minor in communication. He is passionate about telling stories that deal with the intersection of identity, the human spirit, and the local communities that are affected by the world at large. He has written for the Huntington News, directed and written short films, as well as produced content for local news in his hometown of Newark, NJ. In his free time, he enjoys reading, drawing, and learning recipes.
Ziyu Peng
Researcher
Ziyu Peng is a video producer and a first-year graduate student in Northeastern University’s Media Innovation program in the School of Journalism. His passion for media and creative art motivates him to learn more stories, exchange ideas, and share opinions that bond with a global audience. Peng is now training to be skillful at long-form storytelling and a storyteller with humanistic sight.
April Qian
Researcher
April Qian is a graduate student studying Information Design and Data Visualization at Northeastern. She has written and produced content for Vermont Public Radio and her local college paper, the Middlebury Campus. She is interested in the role of data in providing narrative context and highlighting marginalized voices both in journalism and in media at large. In her free time, she enjoys binge-listening to podcasts, distance running, and peppering her cat with kisses.
Pavithra Rajesh
Researcher
Pavithra Rajesh (she/her) is a graduate student in the Media Innovation and Data Communication program at Northeastern University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern’s undergraduate journalism program. She has previously held news internships at Bloomberg Industry Group, Detroit Free Press and The Christian Science Monitor.
