Amanda Lien has joined The Dispatch staff as local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
Lien, 20, is a Minnesota native who came to Columbus from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She started with The Dispatch on Monday.
In her role, Lien will cover public meetings in Lowndes County — including those of the Board of Supervisors and the Columbus City Council. She also will provide enterprise and investigative coverage on government issues and how public policy affects local citizens.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to be a reporter,” she said. “When I was younger, it was because I wanted to know everything about everything. I was very nosy. As I got older, I realized how important a free, ethical and fair press is to communities, and I wanted to be a part of that. I want to provide fair, unbiased reporting to the people in my community so they have the information they need to direct their lives.
“I’m excited to be in Columbus, a community where citizens are so engaged,” she added. “I want to be an informed citizen, myself, and so I take very seriously the responsibility of informing my fellow citizens as best I can.”
Lien graduated from Temple University in December with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. While completing her studies, she worked for a year at The Spirit newspaper in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, as public affairs reporter. She has also served internships with the New York Times and Philadelphia Enquirer.
“Amanda has an energy and enthusiasm that fits in very well in our newsroom,” Managing Editor Zack Plair said. “She’s smart and is willing to get out into the community and work hard. To have someone here with Amanda’s desire to produce strong community journalism is an asset not only to The Dispatch but to Columbus and Lowndes County citizens.”
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