By: Cameron Pellegrino '27
Greta Jochem, The Springfield Republican’s investigations editor, took the Journalism Hub hotseat as a guest speaker on Thursday, Oct. 16. Jochem spent over an hour talking to UMass Journalism students and answering their wide range of questions about the industry.
“It’s always, first of all, really fun for me to get to share with other people who are really passionate about journalism, writing and reporting,” Jochem said. “It’s also great for the students to see and talk to someone who is in the field and can talk about their projects and give them advice.”
A 2017 graduate of Tufts University, a highly competitive school just outside of Boston, Jochem spent time writing at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and The Berkshire Eagle prior to landing her current role with The Republican in August 2023.
Much of her work involves uncovering hidden truths and challenging authority. She investigates government secrets and brings them to light for the public interest. In September, Jochem won a Publick Occurrences award in collaboration with UMass Journalism lecturer Dusty Christensen.
“It was really exciting to win that award recently with [Christensen],” Jochem said. “We did a joint project on civil asset forfeiture, that’s basically how police can take your property when you’re accused of a crime … Looking at how the money goes to district attorney’s offices and police departments and how they’re able to spend that money. So, that was really exciting to win that award.”
Jochem gave the students invaluable insight into the life of a journalist and some of the situations she deals with on a daily basis. In the investigative reporting business, it takes persistence and patience to unveil the truth. She discussed the importance of not being afraid to be a pain in the neck and keep pursuing stories by continually reaching out to sources.
Western Massachusetts certainly isn’t for everyone, but it’s become home for Jochem. Having spent time interning for NPR in Washington D.C., she much prefers the atmosphere of the Springfield area. There isn’t an abundance of news coverage across the region because of the rural nature of the area, giving each journalist’s voice that much more weight.
“It speaks to how important local news is when there’s fewer reporters and newspapers get physically thinner,” Jochem said. “It’s even more important to support the journalists that we do have, as there’s fewer of them, but they’re still strong in their efforts.”
With the divisive state of the world and the mental toll of covering emotional stories, Jochem urges aspiring journalists to find something they enjoy outside of reporting. In her case, she loves running in her free time and even ran a marathon. While she tries to leave work at the door when she clocks out, journalism naturally doesn’t always allow for that sometimes. A source may come calling at any time, and those opportunities don’t always strike twice.
Jochem also emphasized the significance of fairly representing the people in her stories. Everyone deserves the chance to offer their perspective and say their peace. In sharing her journalistic experiences, Jochem not only reflected the resilience that keeps local journalism alive, but also helped inspire the next generation of UMass journalists to carry it forward.