Gail Ciampa, who covers food and dining, has spent years reporting on the restaurant industry, becoming one of the state’s most prominent voices on culinary news.

But that’s not how her career at the newspaper began.

“The day I arrived I was a fashion editor, of all things, which was one of my least favorite jobs,” she said, explaining that things changed after a conversation with the food editor.

“She said, ‘You’re Italian, you must love food, and you’re going to be one of my restaurant reviewers,'” Ciampa recalled. “I always filled in for her, and when she retired, I applied for the job. It’s been the job of a lifetime.”

Ciampa also discussed her recent reporting on the retirement of a public official who played an outsized role in Rhode Island agriculture. She reflected on the challenges restaurateurs have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic and explained how she decides which stories to pursue.

This week, Ciampa wrote about the surprising feedback she received from a reader in another state after publishing a story on presidential wines. (Spoiler: George Washington’s favorite was Madeira.)

“She saw the story and was thrilled with the idea of serving Madeira,” Ciampa said. “She called me the ‘instigator of her party,’ and she said she had to tell me about it.”

Later in the show, Kim and Eli discussed the “stories we wish we wrote,” including:

• One tiki bar, plenty of turbulence by Jim McGaw, EastBayRI
• Washington Bridge closure lengthened East Bay ambulance trips, study finds by Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

• A closer look at Foulkes’ record on opioids by Philip Eil, Rhode Island Current
• “We can’t keep doing this”: Mayor warns Attleboro fireworks may be a thing of the past by Rhianwen Watkins, The Attleboro Sun Chronicle

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of The Boston Globe.

Christopher Gavin, a reporter with the Globe’s Rhode Island bureau, has been covering the arrest of 70-year-old Ronald Fischer, who was on the run for more than 20 years. Fischer was found aboard a sailboat off the coast of New Jersey after disappearing just before a jury found him guilty of sexual assault in 2005.

“This is somebody who was convicted by a jury of his peers 20 years ago,” Gavin said. “There’s a family here that wants to see justice done. That’s what I’ll be looking for in that courtroom, because that’s what this comes down to.”

Target 12 Investigator Tim White, who co-hosted the show, reviewed federal documents detailing the steps Fischer allegedly took before fleeing in 2005. Those actions included transferring ownership of two vehicles to his daughters, selling a Jaguar, purchasing American Airlines tickets and researching ways to change his identity.

White said he’s closely watching what defense Fischer may mount now that so much time has passed since he was convicted in absentia.

“You have to think a defense attorney is going to make a very spirited argument that the whole trial has to get tossed out and we do the whole thing again,” White said. “It’s a long shot that they’ll retry the case — a jury has already spoken. It would take a lot to overturn that verdict. But we’re going to see those motions filed.”

Later in the show, Tim and Eli discussed the “stories we wish we wrote,” including:

• University report finds split AI adoption patterns, concerns of risks by Ivy Huang, The Brown Daily Herald

• One of RI’s most seasoned defense lawyer steps into infamous killer’s case by Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal
• New federal rule could put New Bedford’s piping plovers in harm’s way by Brooke Kushwaha, The New Bedford Light

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of The Boston Globe.

What's it like to cover a global tournament through a local lens?

12 News sports anchor Aniekan Okon joined this week's episode of "Behind the Story" to discuss his experience covering the FIFA World Cup, with international matches hosted at Gillette Stadium, which has been dubbed "Boston Stadium" for the tournament.

"These days where there are so many difference and it seems like we're kind of pulling as people in opposite directions, events like the World Cup remind you that we're a lot more similar than we are different," Okon said.

In addition to covering the matches, Okon spent several days reporting from the Fan Zone in Providence, where he delivered countless live shots for both local and national audiences. Okon said described it as an experience of a lifetime.

"It doesn't matter if you know your team is in it," he said. "Just a chance to watch some of the biggest stars in the world on your home soil is a gift."

Okon and his 12 News colleague, Melanie DaSilva, also launched a special digital TV show, "48 Nations," featuring interviews with soccer figures and discussions about all aspects of the tournament.

Later in the show, Dan and Eli discussed the "stories we wish we wrote," including:

• RI coastal regulators reluctant to shore up entire Newport Cliff Walk by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
• Family calls for transparency after Lincoln graduate’s diploma questioned by Rochelle Medeiros, The Valley Breeze

• Doctors hope to cut back on unnecessary C-sections by Kim Kalunian, 12 News anchor and "Behind the Story" cohost
• Is South Coast Rail bringing ‘a bunch of rich people’ to New Bedford? by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman, Kim Kalunian and Dan McGowan.