A little about me

(To read a more formal description of my work, start at LinkedIn.)

Hi there. I’m Liz Baier.

I’m a creative editorial leader with two decades of experience in multiplatform journalism. 

Basically what that means is I’ve spent half my life finding ways to tell stories: big, breaking stories unfolding in the moment; small stories that shed light on the lives of fascinating, ordinary people; explanatory stories that help illustrate complex systems and processes; and stories that are just delightful and fun.  

After graduating from college, I started working as a newspaper reporter in South Florida, where life is fast-paced and never dull. I learned how to interview, fact-check, and write while covering daily stories about crime, local government, race and demographics, and the identity of an ever-evolving region.

After a few years, I started craving more creativity and less breaking news, more storytelling and less cop chasing, but I had one big problem standing in my way. 

No formal training in anything other than print journalism. 

I knew I needed to make a change. But I wasn’t ready to leave without having a plan, so I needed to start my training on the side.

At the time, newspapers were just starting to embrace digital. So I watched a lot of Lynda tutorials, learned how to record and edit basic audio and video, and volunteered to be one of the first reporters to create digital content for the newspaper’s website. It was so fun to experiment with new storytelling styles and techniques. And I realized I was really good at working with sound. 

As a first-generation American, I didn’t grow up listening to public radio. But my single mom always played Caracol Radio, a Colombian station that broadcasts in Miami. I realized listening to stories had always been a part of my life.

So I did what I thought was the next logical thing: try to get my foot in the door at a public radio station. I had no contacts, no sample reel, no real understanding of how the system worked, no clear path in. After months of searching, I found a 10-month fellowship in Minnesota that promised to teach me how to become a radio reporter. I packed every piece of warm clothes I owned and headed north — way north— for a year. 

When I first started I didn’t know what to expect, but once I started watching and learning from some of the most brilliant radio journalists in the country, I realized pretty quickly that I was in the midst of a transformation: I was unlearning everything about being a print journalist and building myself back up, one audio interview at a time.

I kept showing up with one goal in mind: to learn how to become a better listener. 

It was perfect.

I loved listening to people tell their stories. I loved the sound of their voices. I loved recording and producing those stories. I loved sharing them for others to listen to. In this time, I also practiced finding my own storytelling voice. When the fellowship was over, I got lucky: there was an opening for a full-time reporting position. I accepted the job and ended up staying in Minnesota for nearly a decade. I told stories about dairy farmers struggling to survive droughts, immigrants carving out a new home in rural Minnesota, world-renowned researchers discovering health breakthroughs, scientists working to combat invasive species.

These storytelling years were golden. But I also knew I couldn’t get too comfortable with any one medium. Journalism kept changing.  

I came from the fractured newspaper world, and I needed to stay a step ahead in terms of technology. I had to keep growing. It helped that I’ve always thought of myself as a lifelong learner.

So I looked for another way to pivot. 

Packed with a reel from one of the flagship public radio stations in the country, I set off to spend some time exploring digital platforms. I accepted a job as a digital editor at a public radio station in North Carolina. The pivot was natural: it combined everything I had done until this point in the print and broadcast worlds. 

In my current role, I lead a small team in creating the station’s digital news content. I’ve helped pioneer the station’s digital strategy, revitalized and expanded its social media presence, and directed daily and long-form web and social content. On any given day, this might include a short video for Instagram, a special project for the website, a photo gallery from a freelancer, or an audience callout on Twitter.

As an editor and occasional adjunct university instructor, I now help other journalists and students tell stories of their own. I love mentoring younger reporters in the newsroom and teaching radio in a classroom setting. I also work to empower non-journalists to document and tell the most important stories of all — their own. 

What I’ve learned along the way

Every story you read online or listen to in a podcast or watch in a video is fundamentally the same. It involves someone doing something for a reason. Stories captivate our attention because they’re interesting and important. They involve people — human beings — living life, pushing against fears, showing up, and having the courage to keep going when things get hard. 

Every day, it’s an honor for me to help tell these stories.