Wheeling Free Press expands team
With the addition of a Community Correspondent and Advice Columnist, the grassroots media organization is taking an exciting step forward.
WHEELING, W.Va. – On August 2, Wheeling Free Press expanded its team, adding two part-time writers. With their addition, this grassroots media organization can further its goal of providing free, unique, and nuanced coverage of stories impacting the City of Wheeling.
Since its founding in January 2023, Wheeling Free Press has covered city government and elections, investigative stories, and exclusive breaking news. Dotted between those traditionally newsworthy pieces are human interest stories.
Our community deserves a balance between hard-hitting reporting and more lighthearted pieces. The recruitment of new writers to Wheeling Free Press is our way of better striking that balance. Our work will not change; rather, stories focusing on culture and community will better provide relief between heavier topics.
Ella Jennings grew up in the rust belt town of Weirton. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and her Master of Science in Journalism in 2019. Upon graduation, Ella moved to Wheeling where she currently resides. She spends much of her time as a singer, songwriter, and musician for local bands Caseworker and Exit Angles.
In 2019, Ella, working with West Virginia Public Broadcasting, published What Happened to Weirton? – a five-part project that investigated de-industrialization in her hometown. Her reporting earned her the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Audio Reporting from the Radio Television Digital News Association.
Now, Ella is dusting off her notebook by joining the Wheeling Free Press team as our Community Correspondent. In this role, she will cover human interest stories featuring the many cool people and places that make up Wheeling.
Corbin Lanker hails from Wooster, Oh. They hold degrees from The Ohio State University in Earth System Sciences and Oceanographic and Marine Sciences. In 2021, Corbin moved to Wheeling where they work in the community as a Farm Educator.
When not on the farm, or in the classroom, Corbin is known as a tinkerer, wood-worker, artist, writer, and all-around creative. They often work on several different projects at once never disappointing with the end result. In many ways, Corbin is a modern day renaissance person incorporating many different skills into their life.
Corbin is joining Wheeling Free Press as our Advice Columnist. Inspired by their love for Ask Abby-style columns, Corbin will answer reader-submitted questions, offer advice, and help people with what ails them. You can submit a question at dearcorbie@gmail.com or, anonymously, by mailing your query to Corbin Lanker, P.O. Box 123, Wheeling, W.Va. 26003. There is no guarantee your advice will be featured on Ask Corbie.
I, Justice Hudson, was raised in Saint Albans. Writing has been a passion of mine since the time I was a young boy where, in the fourth grade, I won the West Virginia Young Writers Contest. In 2015, I moved to Morgantown to study History and Women and Gender Studies at West Virginia University. In 2020, I moved to Wheeling—a place I am proud to call home.
My time in Wheeling has seen me work in many different capacities. I’ve been an educator, farmer, paralegal, server, and media consultant, as well as assisting friends with their small businesses, animal and house sitting, and other odd jobs. To say less, I have made a name for myself as a well-connected person in Wheeling.
In January 2023, I launched Wheeling Free Press–previously The Hudson Editorial. Originally, my goal was to cover city council meetings, singularly. It didn’t take long for the project’s scope to expand to cover the whole of city government, social issues in the city, and regionally-relevant stories. If you’ve read one of the 120+ stories published on our site, I wrote it!
With this transition from a one-man band to a team project, I will officially assume the role of Editor-in-Chief. Aside from collaborating with and editing stories from Corbin and Ella, my role at Wheeling Free Press will largely remain the same.
When I started this project I never could have imagined it would become what it is today. To say I am welcoming two new writers to the organization is, in and of itself, mind-blowing. Were it not for you, the readers, subscribers, and supporters of Wheeling Free Press, I would not still be doing this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope we can make you proud!
Proud already! This is really exciting. Look forward to your reporting on intersectional issues.