This investigative reporter is joining our team to guide the next generation of journalists of color.
By Ireashia Bennett
Portrait of Jerrel Floyd, taken by Ireashia Bennett
We are very pleased to welcome a new team member, Jerrel Floyd, to City Bureau as our Engagement Reporter.
Jerrel brings several years of experience as an investigative reporter and the intention to connect with communities of color through journalism. Previously, he was a ProPublica Illinois Fellow and a local government reporter with the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC. While there, he covered a wide range of topics from growth and development to education and health. As our Engagement Reporter, he will develop a beat exploring how the city uses its limited dollars to spur development, including public and affordable housing and food accessibility on the city’s West and South Sides. He will also mentor early-career reporters in our Civic Reporting fellowship program.
Here’s a little bit about Jerrel.
Can you share just a little bit about yourself and your career background?
When I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a writer.
In my church youth group, we did this exercise: Teachers gave us the average salary of our dream job and flooded us with all types of bills so that we could see how much money we'll have in this profession. So, I put down writing. I'm a little kid so I didn't clock the salary. I remember by the end of the exercise, I was $40,000 in the negative. And, everyone’s like teasing me saying “they’re struggling!”
The exercise ended up putting this weird scene in my head that writing isn’t something you can survive on. So, I shifted to being a lawyer. And after doing the exercise again, I had so much extra money and stability as a lawyer. Everyone was pushing that onto me and for the longest time, I thought that’s what I wanted to do.
I went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, and I met other people who wanted to go into law. And, I realized there was a personality and an interests clash. I was like, “this is not me.”
What was that transition from law school to journalism like and what do you want your pen to say?
I had to find a way to make being a lawyer a fun plan. I tried being a PR publicist/attorney. And, in doing that, I started to connect with other media outlets and began to like that side of the media conversation. We had a school paper at Morehouse called the Maroon Tiger and I originally signed on to be the advertising manager. I had no idea how doing that made sense at the time, but I was also taking writing and journalism classes. And being exposed to that made me realize that I was having a lot more fun telling stories and interviewing people than I was trying to be a PR person. So, I shifted to writing.
What drew me to journalism was—and probably will always be—the storytelling component. Also, being able to tell someone's story, whether it's to provide information or build empathy within the community, caused me to take it seriously. As a result, I started taking more journalism courses, did investigative journalism fellowships, interned at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and kept going until I landed here.
What do you most look forward to doing or experiencing and your role as engagement reporter at City Bureau?
I'm most excited about learning more about the South and West side communities of Chicago and getting to know the city even more. This is such a new city. There's so much going on.
I’m also looking forward to building off what I was doing in South Carolina, which was connecting with the community and letting them know, “I’m here to work for you. I'm a resource for you all to equip yourselves more to build the community that you deserve.”
Being a transplant in Chicago means I’ll spend time listening and talking to people who've been here for longer than I have. There’s such nuance to this city and so many different stories, little pieces of history, that exist in the city. I’m excited to eventually be able to contribute to those conversations fully.
As you continue to learn and listen, what values do you bring to your work as a journalist? And what perspectives do you bring?
I'm someone who likes to engage with folks. When I have conversations, even if it's not for a story but just me telling them about a resource, I’m also learning from them. I enjoy doing that. And, it’s something so necessary in journalism and requires some portion of rebuilding people’s relationship with journalists, especially given the history of distrust between media outlets and predominantly Black communities.
How do you want to grow and expand as a journalist in this role?
I am excited about being able to mentor and connect with young and aspiring journalists. I didn’t have an extensive opportunity to do that in the past. I’ve spoken to professors who asked me if I could speak to a class or ask how to develop a beat. So becoming a mentor is something I’m excited about growing into. I’m also excited to learn from them and have a reciprocal exchange. I feel like it’s going to be a huge, amazing experience.
Another thing that I’m excited about is being able to rethink and rebuild my relationship with journalism. I want to challenge myself to rethink some of the norms I’ve developed as a reporter in a traditional newsroom, which dictated what journalism should and shouldn't be but not so much what journalism can become.
So, I’m excited to be in a space where we’re rethinking, refocusing what journalism looks like for the people who can benefit from it the most.
What do you want people to know?
The biggest thing I want people to know is that I am a resource for them and their communities. If they have questions about reporting happening within their communities, they can reach out to me or my colleagues. We will educate ourselves on the issue and provide any information they can use to benefit their communities.
I'm a silly and approachable person. So don't be intimidated. I'm not here to judge. You can approach me to talk about the things you’re facing or dealing with.
To connect with Jerrel, reach out at jerrel@citybureau.org.
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