Former NPR Investigative Reporter Howard Berkes Reflects on Career, Early Challenges, and Evolution of Journalism
Howard Berkes, a long-time investigative reporter for NPR, reflected on his extensive career, including his early days as a volunteer at KLCC in Eugene, Oregon, and the significant challenges he faced as a remote correspondent. Berkes, who was born in Philadelphia in 1954, began his journalism journey after dabbling in radio and community organizing, including coordinating 'Hikes for Hunger.' He joined NPR as one of eight contractors hired in 1980 to build a national news staff, working remotely from locations like Salt Lake City. He detailed the exploitative conditions faced by these contractors, who received a fraction of staff pay, no benefits, and had higher quotas than staff reporters. This led to a collective lawsuit against NPR, resulting in the conversion of these contractors to full staff in 1982. Berkes also shared anecdotes about the primitive technology of early remote reporting, such as connecting tape recorders to payphones and air-freighting tapes, contrasting it with today's digital methods...
