MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Readers and viewers of Alabama Daily News and Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal will soon have Alabama-focused coverage from the nation’s capital.
The two news organizations are again partnering to expand coverage with the hiring of Alex Angle, a multimedia journalist based in Washington, D.C. As Washington Correspondent, Angle will provide regular coverage of Alabama’s congressional delegation, including their priority bills and issues, plus their involvement in and reactions to major legislation.
Having an Alabama-focused reporter in D.C. has long been a goal of ADN owner and Publisher Todd Stacy.
“Years ago, just about every major outlet in Alabama had a reporter on Capitol Hill covering the delegation,” Stacy said. “That dwindled over the years to none, which isn’t good for our state. Since founding the Daily News almost seven years ago, my goal has been to hire a reporter based in Washington who can deliver on-the-ground reporting about what our delegation is doing. Now, we are going to have that in Alex Angle. And, through our partnership with APT, her valuable reporting will televised on Capitol Journal statewide.”
“Alex is a talented journalist who is perfectly suited for this unique role. Alabama has a lot going on in Washington and I can’t wait to have our reporter right there in the thick of it.”
Angle’s D.C. coverage begins in January.
Alabama Public Television Executive Director Wayne Reid said adding Angle to the team is part of a broader vision to bring quality reporting to APT viewers.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alex Angle to the APT Capitol Journal team as our Washington Correspondent,” Reid said. “Her presence on Capitol Hill will provide us with a direct line to the Alabama delegation’s work and ensure we deliver timely, accurate news on how federal actions impact Alabamians.
“This move underscores APT’s unwavering commitment to bringing critical news home to the people of Alabama.”
The ADN and APT position is attractive to Angle, she said, because it combines her love of local journalism and political reporting. It will let her use her video and other multimedia skills.
“I’m just a really curious person,” she said. “I love learning. And journalism is a learning job. You learn something new every day.
“I also love being able to break down things that are really complicated, a lot of minutia and detail, into stories that people are able to digest quickly and learn what they need to know and then move on with their lives. They don’t have to be overwhelmed with politics.”
Angle said she looks forward to reporting on the people behind the policies impacting Alabama.
“And Alabama doesn’t seem to have any problem getting big personalities,” she said.
The addition of Angle follows the October announcement that Trisha Powell Crain was joining the ADN and APT teams. Like Crain, Angle will report for both news services in the shared role.
Angle has a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs from American University and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri.
A Texas native, Angle was previously a multimedia reporter, producer and anchor for NBC and FOX affiliates in Missouri and Arkansas. Most recently, she was a presidential campaign research fellow for Roll Call Factba.se. Based in Washington, Angle researched and wrote data-based stories on the presidential election.
Along with Stacy and Crain, Angle joins ADN Reporter and Editor Mary Sell and Government and Politics Reporter Alexander Willis.
“Alabama Daily News has such a strong commitment to breaking down the inner workings of Alabama politics and government and I think that’s really exciting,” she said. “You have really straightforward news that gets to the point. And there is no shortage of the news coming out of Alabama. I look forward to finding the Alabama angle in the stories that come out of the Capitol.
“And with Alabama Public Television, as I was in TV and then thought I was going to go the digital route, having a job that can combine digital and TV together is a win-win for me and my desire to tell stories in different media.”