Burlington Free Press - Behind the Byline

Jake Rousseau, a sports reporter, is the seventh guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer.

Rousseau joined the Free Press in 2021 after receiving a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland. On this episode, Rousseau recounts how he got his start in journalism, what attracted him to the Vermont sports scene, and his e...

April Barton, the youth forward reporter, is the sixth guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer. 

Barton joined the Free Press in 2019 after stops in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia. On this episode, Barton describes her former career as a broadcast journalist, why she's welcomed the move to print journalism...

Dan D'Ambrosio, the business and health care reporter, is the fifth guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer. 

D'Ambrosio joined the Free Press in 2010 after decades of experience at other newspapers in New England and the northwest. On this episode, D'Ambrosio discusses his lifelong affinity for biking, an interview subject that stick...

April McCullum, the digital innovation editor, is the fourth guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer. 

McCullum joined the Free Press in 2013 and has covered multiple topics including Burlington, state government, and Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns. On this episode, McCullum describes her childhood in Vermont, why wo...

Brent Hallenbeck, the food, arts and entertainment reporter, is the third guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press, hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer. 

Hallenbeck joined the Free Press in 1999 after over a decade at newspapers in upstate New York. On this episode, Hallenbeck explains how he fell in love with language, what brought him to Burlington, and why the loca...

Elizabeth Murray, the former public safety reporter, is the second guest on Behind the Byline, a podcast telling the stories of the staff of the Burlington Free Press hosted by summer intern Blaise Siefer.

Murray joined the Free Press in 2013 after earning degrees in journalism and history from St. Michael's College in Colchester. On this episode, Murray explains how she discovered a passion for journalism, an average day in he...

On the first episode, Aki Soga, the newly appointed editor of the Free Press, joins the podcast. Aki has worked at the Free Press since 1991, having held multiple positions, including business editor, editorial page editor, and reader engagement editor. 

Host Blaise Siefer, a summer intern with the Free Press, asks reporters and editors questions such as:

• What was your childhood like?
• How did you discover a passion for jou...