WPR digital editor Liz Harter got her first byline in fifth grade, at 11. For her hometown paper, The Wausau Daily Herald, she reported on the Dream Flight USA program teaching students about science and technology. The reporter supervising her saw Liz’s potential as she took over his desk to type out her story.
“He said, ‘I don’t even have to use my notes,’ as he looked through my reporter notebook,” she recalled.
Pursuing a career in journalism gave Liz an excuse to ask questions. “I love talking to people, hearing their stories, what they’re doing, how they’re doing it,” she said.
Liz left Wausau to study print journalism — with a radio class as well — at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She keenly saw the importance of developing new digital spaces to showcase and share reporting, and began to focus on web design, even building a website for her college station.
After graduating, Liz reported for the The Chippewa Herald and the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, where her education stories won awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
Along the way, Liz has enjoyed being a teacher as well, bringing her colleagues up to speed about posting on social media. Since joining WPR in 2018, she’s endeavored to include infographics in more digital stories.
“To be able to see that content helps me digest it better,” Liz said. “And I think it encourages people to spend more time with our stories.”
Liz is also proud to represent “beautiful in all seasons” Eau Claire as one of WPR’s regional bureaus. Having local reporters and editors cover their own communities for statewide broadcast “helps us understand perspectives of people who live next to us, three hours away, in rural areas or the capital,” she said.
Offline, Liz loves spending time with her 4-year-old and 8-month-old sons. “Their curiosity is so refreshing — reminds me a lot of me as a child,” she said.
– Tim Peterson, managing editor of “Wisconsin Today”
