B&H Photography Podcast: Next Frame – “Reporting the News & Finding Your Visual Voice, with Keren Carrión”
Episode Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Derek Fassbender
Guest: Keren Carrión (Photojournalist, NPR Visuals Team)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of the B&H Photography Podcast’s “Next Frame” series, host Derek Fassbender sits down with photojournalist and video producer Keren Carrión. The conversation traces Keren’s journey from her first camera and high school newspaper to her current work on NPR’s Visuals Team, producing short-form video for social media. Rich with candid insights and practical advice, the episode explores the evolving nature of visual journalism, the importance of mentorship and field experience, and the challenges of telling human stories in underreported communities. Keren also shares her passion for Puerto Rico, thoughts on the blurry line between humanity and journalism, and the future of news in a social-media-driven world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Discovering Photography and Early Influences

• Parental Support & First Camera: Keren credits her mother for sparking her interest in photography:
  “She was born one day and she was like, ‘I’m gonna take up photography as a hobby.’... we got a Nikon DSLR kit from Costco, and literally the first weekend she had the camera, I was like, well, I’m going to take the camera on a spin. And I ended up falling in love with how crisp the images were.” – Keren, [02:38]
• High School Journalism: Became photo editor for her high school paper after showing sample photos, realizing the joy of pairing images with storytelling.
• National Geographic Student Expeditions: Attending the London program solidified her desire to pursue photojournalism and travel with her camera.
  “National Geographic Student Expeditions... which was an insane experience and really solidified that I wanted to be a photojournalist.” – Keren, [03:36]

Transition from Stills to Video

• Started with stills, but a college video team experience led her to storytelling through moving images. “I started producing all of my school assignments in video instead of still photography. And I think it really separated my work.” – Keren, [05:56]
• Video broadened her creative approach, allowing a cinematic and documentarian style built on her foundation in stills.
  “I think video, for me, it made me feel so much more of a reporter in a way. Like, I was really able to craft a story from start to finish.” – Keren, [06:39]

Education, Internships & Early Career

• Art Degree Impact: An art degree opened her perspective on creative possibilities beyond journalism’s factual grit. “My professor handed me a piece of paper... it said, ‘Congrats, you're an artist. Make whatever you want.’” – Keren, [08:59]
• Importance of Location: Internships in D.C. (e.g., at The Hill) gave real-world experience not replicable in class.
• Top Advice: "Find the internship opportunities...find any networking opportunities, portfolio reviews. If not, travel to them.” – Keren, [10:58]
  • Attending the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar was especially transformative.

Mentorships, Workshops, & Nonprofit Storytelling

• Momenta Photo Workshops/Project Puerto Rico: Winning a full scholarship allowed personal and professional growth while documenting the devastated coffee industry post-Hurricane Maria ([12:59]).
• Humanity in Journalism:
  “I personally don’t take out the emotion as a journalist, I think it’s important to be there with your sources and also, like, respect what they’re going through...sometimes I need to put the camera down.” – Keren, [15:51]
  • She balances storytelling with empathy, contrary to “get the shot at all costs” advice.

Long-Term Connections and Change

• Keeps in touch with sources, observing positive trends like the resurgence of interest in Puerto Rican coffee and initiatives tied to celebrities like Bad Bunny ([18:01]).
  “Now there’s like, a return to the land...it’s been really beautiful to see.” – Keren

Report for America: Local Journalism in News Deserts

• What is Report for America? National service program placing emerging journalists in local newsrooms ([20:30]).
• Service component includes mentoring high schoolers, providing portfolio reviews, and community engagement.
• Impactful Work: Covered underreported issues like environmental racism and food deserts in Dallas; found meaningful connection in rural Texas, sometimes as the only visual journalist: “Sometimes I was the only or one of two reporters working on a story about a specific county or town.” – Keren, [23:53]

The Evolution of News & Social Media’s Role

• Describes a shift as social media platforms set the tone—even “sober” organizations like NPR now reach audiences on TikTok and Instagram ([26:22]).
• "I'm constantly thinking about how to format it for the audience that we're sharing it with...on these platforms...it needs to be like you're talking to a friend." – Keren, [27:05]
• The challenge of short-form vertical video: grabbing attention in the first three seconds ([27:05]).

Gear & Technical Approach

• Began with iPhones for mobile-friendly content, later stepped up to Sony A7R mirrorless cameras for in-house NPR video ([31:09]).
• Uses rigs for vertical shooting, highlighting the industry’s adaptation to new formats ([31:45]).

Ethics, Morale, and Journalism in the Modern Era

• Discusses the shifting morale at NPR given reduced funding, especially for rural affiliates:
  “We lost 1% of our funding, but a lot of local rural radio stations lost up to 90%...how can we support the rural stations who will probably cease to exist?” – Keren, [34:13]
• Emphasizes the importance and power of community support for public media.

User-Generated Content and the Democratization of News

• Explains that NPR’s best-performing videos are often user-generated “boots on the ground” content rather than highly produced pieces ([36:21]).
• “Not everything has to be over reported. Sometimes a video speaks for itself.” – Keren

Looking Ahead: The Journalist's Journey

• “I like to say that I evolve with the industry...as the audience changes and platforms change...I think it's hard to tell where I'll be in five years.” – [38:27]
• Passion for longer-form video remains: “Can we not let long form die?” ([39:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Empathy in Journalism:
  “It is important to be a human first and a journalist second sometimes.” – Keren, [16:38]

• On Short-Form Storytelling:
  “What is being shown and said in the first three seconds and is that going to make somebody stay or scroll away?” – Keren, [27:05]

• On Entering the Industry:
  “You gotta be a go getter...you got to find whatever means you can to put yourself in the right arenas, to talk to the right people, to rub elbows...” – Derek, [11:50]

• On Nurturing a Visual Voice:
  “I think it's really important to have the visual voice and the only way to find that is to keep shooting.” – Keren, [40:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:38] Keren’s photography origin story and first assignments
• [05:13] Shift from stills to video and its creative implications
• [08:35] The impact of formal art education
• [10:58] Advice for aspiring journalists
• [12:59] Momenta Workshops and personal connection to Puerto Rico
• [15:51] Ethics, empathy, and the journalist’s emotional balance
• [17:57] Following up with story subjects and positive changes in Puerto Rico
• [20:30] Explanation of Report for America and experience in Dallas/rural Texas
• [23:53] The impact of journalism in news deserts
• [26:22] Working at NPR and the pivot to social media content
• [31:09] Gear talk: Transition from iPhone to Sony mirrorless for vertical video
• [34:13] NPR funding, morale, and supporting rural newsrooms
• [36:21] Role of user-generated content in today’s news cycle
• [38:27] Evolving as a journalist and future ambitions
• [40:00] Advice on developing a unique visual approach

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Momenta Photo Workshops — Project Puerto Rico
• Report for America
• National Geographic Student Expeditions
• Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar
• NPR Tiny Desk Concerts
• Keren Carrión’s Instagram: @karencarrionphoto

This episode is both inspiring and instructive for aspiring photographers and seasoned journalists, underscoring the interplay between art and reportage, the necessity to evolve, and the enduring human stories behind the news.