Joseph Leahy produces and anchors local newscasts weekdays during “Morning Edition.” He began his career in broadcast journalism as a reporter for St. Louis Public Radio in 2011. Moving to Delaware the following year to help launch the state’s first NPR station, WDDE. He returned to Missouri in 2013 to anchor St. Louis Public Radio’s local newscasts during “All Things Considered” and produce news on local and regional issues, including the aftermath of Michael Brown’s fatal police shooting in Ferguson in 2014.
Leahy has a master’s degree in journalism from Emerson College and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri. He grew up migrating almost annually with his parents and four siblings between rural Missouri and the suburbs of Los Angeles.
Follow Joseph on Twitter @JoeMikeLeahy
What are you listening to these days?
I just signed up for The Economist’s digital edition, which features an audio version of each week’s issue recited in splendid English accents. It’s an excellent source for in-depth global news when my hands and eyes are busy driving, cooking or washing dishes. I’m signed up for the publication’s introductory offer of 12 weeks for US$12 so it’s hard to say how long I’ll keep my subscription once it jumps to US$45 per quarter. For now, it’s a cheap way to cram more news and information into my brain without much additional effort. (If anyone wants to pitch in and share an account, hit me up on Twitter: @joemikeleahy.)
Read anything interesting lately?
Everyone should read “Don Quixote de La Mancha,” if they haven’t already. I just finished Thomas Shelton's 1612 translation and feel like a giant blind spot in my understanding of Western civilization has finally been lifted. As an English major, I’m somewhat ashamed it’s taken me so long. The satire is hilarious and profound, driving home many relevant themes today, including the clash of Islam and Christianity, the role of firearms in society and the power of stories to willfully blind ourselves from reality. I finally get why “Don Quixote” is regarded as the first modern novel.
What are you loving about the ATX lately?
Three things I’ve loved about Austin since moving here about six months ago: 1. Reading poolside in mid-November; 2. Texas BBQ (which is not easy for me to admit as a brisket snob from Kansas City); 3.) Unlimited access to Capital Metro’s bus system with my UT staff ID card.
