By Niki Acton '16

When Alex Keefe '06 arrived at Knox, he wanted to become a fiction writer. However, not long after graduating with a degree in creative writing, he felt himself being drawn to radio journalism.

"I was stressed out about going into radio because I'd always thought of myself as a writer," said Keefe. "I remember that Monica Berlin told me 'whichever way you choose to tell stories is the right way.'"

Inspired by Berlin's advice, Keefe decided to pursue a career in radio journalism. Despite his early misgivings, he has found great success. Most recently, his work has been recognized by the 81st National Headliner Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Awards. He has also been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists as one of the 2014 Sigma Delta Chi Award Winners and by the Illinois Associated Press.

The Headliner Awards honors the best journalism in newspapers, photography, radio, television, and online. Keefe and his collaborator Cate Cahan were awarded first place for their radio news series "Political Dark Arts," which aired on WBEZ-FM, Chicago Public Radio. The piece was also recognized by the Edward R. Murrow Awards, which honor outstanding achievements in electronic journalism, as the regional award recipient for Large Market Radio feature reporting. The series was also the winner of the Sigma Delta Chi Award for radio feature reporting, and it earned first place from the Illinois Associated Press for best series or documentary.

"Political Dark Arts" is a three-part series covering the underground industry of political professionals whose job it is to dig up dirt on the other candidate. Part I covers the art of researching the opposition; Part II investigates voice acting for political advertisements; and Part III explores political polling.

Keefe, who minored in journalism at Knox, credits his experiences of editing Catch and writing for The Knox Student with preparing him for professional journalism. "All the editors were instrumental in my ability to write and think like a journalist," said Keefe.

"I learned to be a storyteller at Knox," said Keefe. "There's no greater gift that I could have asked for from an education."

After graduating from Knox, Keefe earned a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism then became a reporter at WVIK-FM in Rock Island, Illinois. Keefe spent five years at WBEZ-FM in Chicago, most recently as a political reporter.

Keefe is now the local host of Vermont Public Radio's All Things Considered.