Between You and MEdia - Franki Rudnesky
Posted by [email protected] on Jul. 21, 2023 / Subscribe 0
Can you start by telling me a bit about yourself and your career in journalism?
I've always loved reading and writing, and dreamed of somehow honing those passions into a career. When I was little, I would create fantastical short stories and even my own little magazines out of construction paper and crayons, and I had the chance to continue pursuing my interest in words during my time as an undergrad at Saint Joseph's University, where I graduated in 2018. I studied English literature, with minors in Italian and journalism, was a cheerleader (THWND!), and worked as a writer and managing editor for The Hawk Newspaper, which gave me a real introduction to the world of journalism. In college, I interned for NBC10 in their digital department during an exciting Spring 2018 that saw the Eagles win the Super Bowl! I'll never forget being an intern and getting to travel around with the huge "Road to Victory Bus," which traversed the Philly area to bring hype to Eagles fans leading up to the big game. After graduation, I stayed at NBC10 as a production assistant, running the teleprompter for nightly newscasts. I then worked in local journalism as a copy editor and writer for "The Hammonton Gazette," a newspaper in my small hometown in South Jersey, and now I am a staff writer at PhillyVoice. I've also spent time working in public schools and higher education, substitute teaching, and working as a graduate assistant at Villanova while studying toward my Masters in English Lit, and with two parents who are educators, I am very passionate about that field as well!
Your recent articles in PhillyVoice cover various topics including entertainment, food & drink, social media, and arts & culture. How do you decide what stories to cover?
I'm always most excited to write stories when they deal with topics I'm interested in, so I usually gravitate toward topics involving pop culture, food/drink, pets/wildlife, entertainment and the arts! This being said, it's also interesting when I'm tasked with writing a story on a topic I know nothing about, because I love learning new things. To find stories, I'm constantly scouring social media for ideas or scrolling through my email to see what interesting pitches I receive, as I enjoy shining a light on unique people and businesses of Philly that people may not know about! I also come up with ideas through media I consume outside of work. For instance, I'm a huge "Jeopardy!" and "The Bachelor" fan, so it's always cool when I'm watching and see there's a local contestant on one of those shows... Plus it makes for a fun story to write!
Your career has stayed focused on the Greater Philadelphia area. What keeps you interested in your native South Jersey area?
While most of my coverage does involve the Philadelphia region, I love where I'm from (Hammonton, NJ, also known as "the blueberry capital of the world")! I find ways to incorporate South Jersey in my coverage, largely through highlighting new or unique businesses, restaurants, bars, attractions or pop culture connections. During the summer specifically, I always keep an eye out for news from the Jersey Shore. For instance, there's a ton of new and exciting things happening in Atlantic City recently, so I'm excited to continue covering that!
Can you share one of the most memorable events from your journalism career?
One of the most memorable events from my early journalism career was covering the Eagles' exciting 2018 Super Bowl run as a digital intern at NBC10, and all of the fun events and story ideas that came from that. But, a more recent memorable moment from my time at PhillyVoice involved a story about a dog named Lucky who was abandoned on SEPTA tracks, where he was seriously injured. I interviewed a kind rescuer who detailed the pup's rescue, recovery and his will to survive in such awful circumstances. In the end, Lucky recovered, now using an adorable wheeled cart to get around, and the rescuer adopted him! It was heartwarming to cover the story from start to finish, and see it come full-circle for a happy ending. Another funny moment was when a McGillin's patron posed as a famous singer, Lewis Capaldi, to try to cut the line during busy St. Paddy's Day festivities. I had a laugh interviewing the McGillin's team about the prankster, and one of my favorite articles came from it.
What type of stories are you looking for, right now?
I'm looking for feel-good, fun summer stories involving the Philly region or South Jersey! Could be a unique new business, a special pet looking for a home, a cool achievement by a local person; I'm open to all ideas in my quest to provide people with lighthearted (yet informative and interesting) beach reads this season!
Is there a particular story or subject that you’ve always wanted to cover but haven’t had the opportunity? (Or, perhaps just an area that you’d like to write about more).
I would love to write more about fashion and literature, two things that are so unique here in Philly but that I haven't gotten to cover too much yet!
Just for fun - we saw your recent article on Herr's new chip flavors which are inspired by Philly flair. Which one would you vote for: Korean BBQ, Roast Pork Sandwich or Tomato Pie?
I had the opportunity to try all three, and they were each delicious! I think my favorite would have to be the Korean BBQ; I loved the combo of sweetness and spice!
What is your contact information/preferred mode of contact?
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