Ashlyn Lipori-Russie

I attended the 2025 Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) conference in New Orleans as a panelist and masterclass teacher. It was an immense privilege to share my work with a ballroom full of expert journalists. I will never forget how the room burst into applause when I shared the mission behind my business.

My platform, called Ask Ashlyn, is a text-message-based news service for news avoiders. I cover national politics with an emphasis on media literacy and an understanding of how keeping up with the news can negatively affect mental health. By openly addressing “news overwhelm,” I’ve developed a new style of engagement that better supports modern audiences.

It was so valuable to hear from other journalists about their struggles with burnout and feeling overwhelmed. This feedback helped to shape the way I communicate my product to journalism audiences, highlighting the value we can offer journalists by adopting my humanized method of audience engagement. 

Shackelford Shines made it possible for me to grow professionally as a leader and innovator in modern journalism! If it weren't for this program, I wouldn't have been able to attend this conference. The event offered such a robust platform to share my insights about audience engagement that meets this moment. On a personal level, speaking at IRE gave me a confidence boost that is helping propel the next phase of my business -- and I couldn't have done it without Shackelford Shines.