Emma VandenEinde, a graduate of the ASU Cronkite School of Journalism, is the recipient of the 2021 Don Bolles/Arizona Republic News21 Fellowship.
The fellowship was created in 2016 in memory of Don Bolles, a Republic investigative reporter who was gravely injured in 1976 when sticks of dynamite were placed under his car detonated in the parking lot of a central Phoenix hotel. He died 11 days later at age 47, leaving behind his wife Rosalie and seven children.
Bolles’ murder sent shock waves across Phoenix and the nation. Prominent figures expressed their horror over the crime, including then-President Gerald Ford. It galvanized the national media, which descended on Phoenix to investigate his death.
Just this year, Bolles was honored by the Phoenix City Council with memorial street signs near the Clarendon Hotel, which is where the explosion occurred.
The Don Bolles/Arizona Republic Fellowship for Investigative Reporting provides a $12,500-a-year stipend to cover travel and other expenses for a senior or graduate student to participate in a full-time investigative project. This summer’s topic: how COVID-19 affected different communities.
VandenEinde is a Minnesota native who received her bachelor’s degree from ASU.
Tell us about the project you’re working on with News21 team?
We are looking at the social, economic and financial disparities that were exacerbated by COVID-19 and how they might continue and worsen in the future. The team traveled all across the United States to urban and rural areas to capture these stories in various formats. We interviewed individuals who already knew what struggling looks like, as well as those who were recently pushed into that position. We also interviewed people who found ways to give back to their communities during this difficult time. We aim to show both stories of survival and resilience.
Why did you want to be a part of this fellowship?
I remember sitting in the First Amendment Forum (at ASU’s Cronkite School) as a freshman watching the 2018 News21 team share their project, “Hate In America.” I was so amazed by their in-depth reporting and research skills that I knew I had to join the team before the end of my time at Cronkite. The experience is just extremely immersive and the storytelling is more authentic. I also wanted to learn from all the other journalists joining us from across the country. There were so many diverse perspectives to editing and storytelling in one newsroom, I absolutely loved that. If I wanted to learn how to ask better questions, create powerful videos, and learn tips from other journalists, this was the program to join.
What does it mean to be working in the memory of Don Bolles?
I am originally from Minnesota, but even back in my high school journalism class I remember learning about his story. The most notable thing about Bolles to me is that he continued reporting even when the beat was difficult for him. Journalism in general asks a lot from you, and investigative journalism is just an extension of that. It requires a high level of patience, persistence and sacrifice. To work in his honor means to continue calling sources, continue researching, continue asking questions, even when you are on your last leg. I’ve often found during this project that the extra time spent asking “why” or sifting through articles leads to a much deeper story. Even through the difficulties, Bolles is remembered for being a driven reporter that exposed inequities and malpractices, and I hope that I can have that legacy, too.
Where do you hope your career will take you?
There are many aspects of journalism that interest me, and I am still in the process of figuring out where to start. I know that I find a lot of joy in producing radio stories and podcasts. I also have a huge heart for the Minneapolis community and culture, and I would love to come full circle and work as a journalist for the same news station I watched as a kid. Yet, no matter what the medium is, my main goal is to tell stories that keep the conversation going. I want to ask questions and hear from multiple perspectives so that my understanding is deepened, the facts are illuminated and the community is better connected.
Past Don Bolles Fellows, where are they now?
2020: Franco LaTona is a communications specialist at the University of Texas in Austin.
2019: Issac Windes is an early childhood education reporter at the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth.
2018: Kianna Gardner is a sustainability reporter and digital producer at Arizona PBS.
2017: Agnel Philip is a data reporter, first at The Arizona Republic, now at ProPublica in New York.
Reach the reporter at 480-253-8584 or rdelarosa@azcentral.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
