Breaking news at The Tennessean is a daily occurrence, and while everyone on our staff is trained and ready to respond, most breaking stories are usually handled by one of two reporters, depending on when they happen.
Kirsten Fiscus works as our morning breaking news reporter from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. She's joined every day around noon by our afternoon breaking news reporter, Craig Shoup, who usually finishes up around 8 p.m.
A native of Ohio, Fiscus grew up in Northern Alabama and is a 2014 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she earned a degree in visual journalism and a master's degree in community journalism. She joined The Tennessean in 2022 after working at the Montgomery Advertiser.
Shoup, also an Ohio native — "To some in the office, I am known as 'Mr. Ohio,'" he says — is a 2009 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he earned his degree in broadcast journalism. He joined The Tennessean in 2022 from The Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville.
We talked to Fiscus and Shoup more about their jobs and journalism.
Why did you get into journalism? Or what influenced you to take this path?
Fiscus : My interest in journalism began in high school when the newspaper needed a photographer. I worked closely with another classmate on an exposé of some students’ abuse of the co-op work program and I was hooked from then on. Though, if you ask my mother, she’ll tell you I was destined to become a journalist because I was always nosy. She’s not wrong.
Shoup : I have always had an interest in journalism because everyone has a unique and inspiring story to tell.
What is your favorite part about being a journalist in Middle Tennessee?
Fiscus : Middle Tennessee — and the South really — are ripe for fantastic journalism. There are infinite opportunities to report on the clashing of political ideologies, food and health care deserts, inequities in education, and public safety policy. Most importantly within those stories are countless, complex characters who all have a deep passion for the place they called home.
Shoup : My favorite part about being a journalist in Middle Tennessee is being able to wake up and tell stories of the people in the community. To me, a journalist is a voice for the public, holding those in power accountable. Every day in breaking news is an adventure. It’s the best type of adventure, though, because I get to inform readers of public safety issues.
What is one of the most memorable stories you have covered for The Tennessean since you started?
Fiscus : There’s not one story in particular that is the most memorable, but the Covenant shooting and the subsequent fallout at the legislature will stay with me for the rest of my life. I can’t claim sole responsibility for any of those articles, but that’s what is the most memorable for me. It was an entire team effort through and through. It was one example of our newsroom at our best.
Shoup : The most memorable story I’ve covered at The Tennessean was working on a domestic violence series with my teammates on the breaking and suburbs team. The series allowed me to tell an important story through the eyes of women who experienced domestic violence and shine a light on the growing number of domestic violence cases in our area.
If you could interview one person on the planet, who would it be?
Fiscus : Tom Hanks. I know. I should probably pick someone more influential in other fields. I grew up with a deep love of movies thanks to my parents, so much of my childhood was spent watching Tom Hanks on the screen. I think he’d be one of the most delightful people to chat with.
Shoup : My dream interview would have to be with my film director Quentin Tarantino. “Pulp Fiction” is my favorite movie of all time.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Meet The Tennessean breaking news team: Kirsten Fiscus and Craig Shoup
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