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In this episode of From the Paper to the Pod, Rough Draft Atlanta publisher Keith Pepper weighs in on the state of the media with some opinions that are a little spicy. Then, dining reporter Sarra Sedghi serves up her picks for fall comfort foods and go-to places around Atlanta. Finally, executive editor Collin Kelley takes us inside the High Museum of Art’s 100th anniversary, exploring its history and his personal connection to this Atlanta institution.

Go beyond the headlines and discover the people and perspectives behind the stories of Rough Draft Atlanta with From the Paper to the Pod.

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What makes a journalist stop scrolling and think, “Wait…there’s a story here”?

On this episode of From the Paper to the Pod, host Summer Evans goes behind the scenes with Rough Draft managing editor Cathy Cobbs and reporter Katie Burkholder to explore how curiosity, bias and accountability shape the stories we tell.

Editor-in-chief Beth McKibben joins Summer to talk about covering Atlanta’s ever-changing food scene. While she doesn’t review restaurants in the traditional sense, Beth and dining reporter Sarra Sedghi spotlight local restaurants, the industry, and food and dining trends shaping how Atlanta eats.

Then, Sammie Purcell pulls back the curtain on life as a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic and entertainment journalist. She talks about how she approaches film criticism and what goes into deciding which movies to cover.

Tune in for a conversation about following your curiosity, questioning your own biases and digging deeper to tell fair and balanced stories.

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Ep. 1: What Didn’t Make the Story

What really happens after a story lands in a reporter’s inbox, and before it lands in your news feed?

In the first episode of From the Paper to the Pod, host Summer Evans goes behind the scenes with the journalists and editors at Rough Draft Atlanta to explore the stories, decisions and conversations that happen beyond the published article.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The role of an editor-in-chief: Beth McKibben talks about what it means to lead a newsroom and what sparked Rough Draft’s recent coverage of the revival of Atlanta Chinatown in Chamblee.
• A neighborhood divided: Executive Editor Collin Kelley and reporter Logan C. Ritchie take us inside the fight over a proposed historic designation in Ansley Park, and the tensions it created among neighbors.
• A young boy’s big wish: Managing Editor Cathy Cobbs shares the story behind her reporting on a 4-year-old metro Atlanta boy awaiting a heart transplant and his wish to see Toy Story 5 in a local theater.
• What’s worth watching: Associate Editor and film critic Sammie Purcell offers her picks for what to watch, listen to and anticipate in theaters.

This is your “fly on the wall” look inside the Rough Draft newsroom, and the stories shaping metro Atlanta.

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