Meet Our Reporters
Kimia Akbari
Kimia Akbari is a graduate student in Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. She grew up in Tehran, Iran and immigrated to the US as a teenager. Kimia has previously worked at KQED’s Forum, hosted Del-beh-Del podcast for the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies and founded the independent student magazine, Other Collective. In her free time, she enjoys making clay earrings and hosting community radio shows playing music from across the globe.
Trekking three continents and five cities for the love of Public Media
I was sitting around a table with my family having dinner in Izmir, Turkey when I got the email that I had made it into NPR’s NextGenRadio program with CapRadio. Halfway across the world, I knew I had to make it back to pursue this incredible opportunity and follow my...
Matthew Linder
Matthew Linder is a freelance audio editor and sound designer. He has a masters degree in Music History and Literature from Sacramento State University. He’s also written about the intersection of hip hop and religion in academic journals. He’s a proud father of boy/girl twins and twelve year old daughter. In his free time he enjoys running, gardening, and foraging.
I can do things scared and grow from it
Being a part of NPR’s Next Gen Radio program at CapRadio was an experience that stretched and grew me in ways I was not expecting. Prior to the program I was struggling to find an interviewee and a pitch. I found one but then was asked to explore climate change from a...
Ramon Castaños
Ramon Castaños is a student at California State University, Fresno. He is expected to earn a bachelor’s degree in Digital and Print Journalism. He is interested in this industry because journalists make history, as an example, Bob Woodward making history with the Watergate story. Ramon is currently doing an internship with EdSource and works for his school newspaper. In his free time, he enjoys watching anime and movies.
New skills learned and many paths in journalism to explore
I always remember what my community college photography professor said: I should expand my role as a journalist rather than just being a writer. So I took his advice and applied for NPR NextGenRadio at CapRadio because I wanted to learn how to do an audio story. To be...
Viviana Hinojos
Viviana Yvonne Hinojos is a journalism student at California State University Fresno. She is a reporter for the student-run newspaper, The Collegian, at Fresno State and has also been published with EdSource. She enjoys all journalism mediums and is open to pursuing careers in print, broadcast, and radio. She is most passionate about highlighting Latinx voices and issues. In her spare time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, taking care of her many plant and fur babies, and going to the beach.
Learning opportunities turned into skills
I came to Sacramento as a fangirl of NPR who always dreamed of one day having the opportunity to learn from some of the incredible audio storytellers who have worked there. When I received the email that I had secured a spot for the 2022 Next Gen Cap Radio project in...
Vivienne Aguilar
Vivienne Aguilar is a print journalist from Stockton, Calif. and a Cal State Monterey Bay graduate. She loves reporting on education and local government in her city. Her most recent news writing work has been published in The Sacramento Bee and Stocktonia News Service. Vivienne is part of the Asian American Journalism Association. She loves reading Psy-Changeling novels and hiking coastal trails.
Choosing creative collaboration
I’ve always wanted to work with NPR and Capital Public Radio. I am usually a print journalist, so I couldn’t figure out how to start working with a station that has been so influential in my life. I was lucky enough to be on the audio-storytelling team through the...