Maggie Dougherty does it all. Okay, “all” may be hyperbole, but as digital editor for the Chestnut Hill Local, Maggie does a lot. Since coming onboard last summer, this early-career reporter has been responsible for launching and maintaining a weekly newsletter, running social media (and coming up with a social media strategy), writing 2-3 articles a week, website SEO and, as of November 2024, populating the Local’s weekly calendar. On May 9, I had the opportunity to interview Maggie for this latest installment of “A Local Lens,” a monthly segment on G-town Radio in which I interview Local employees about all things Northwest Philly and Southeast Montgomery County. 

Maggie knew from an early age she wanted to become a journalist.

“It was always kind of written in the stars,” she reflected. “I remember, as a kid, I would write like a fake newspaper for my family, the Dougherty newspaper. And then I would make fake broadcasts, like a news channel. So, I was always interested in media.”

Her family newspaper was nothing to sneeze at. One of eight children, Maggie’s early attempts at journalism were chock-full of information.

“There was actually a lot of news happening,” she said with a smile. “You know, this person's going to college, this person is joining this club. There was a lot of news happening, so my circulation was pretty big from an early age.”

By the age of 14 or 15, Doughery determined that she would go to college to study communications and become a journalist. She attended Iona University, where she studied digital media and production and joined the school newspaper (The Ionian). By her junior year, she’d risen to editor-in-chief, a rare accomplishment for a college junior.

“That gave me my first introduction to actually working at a newspaper and discovering all the different ways of journalistic writing,” she said of her time at The Ionian. “Ever since then, I've fallen in love with the idea of sharing the news, be it digitally or through print.”

Digital chops

Dougherty originally applied to the Local hoping to become a news reporter, but a glance at her resume revealed considerable digital chops, and editor Carla Robinson and I asked if she would be willing to be interviewed for the role of digital editor, a new position at the Local made possible by the support of a Lenfest Business Sustainability Grant.

“I think, if I had seen the digital editor position first, I definitely would've gone for that,” Maggie said. “Having sent out a lot of applications to other places and not hearing back, not receiving anything, and all of a sudden I get an email that's like, ‘Hey, not only did we look through your materials, but we think you would be better for this role.’ It was very nice to receive that.”

Dougherty stepped into her first professional journalism role at a time when news jobs are fewer and farther between. According to the Pew Research Center, newsroom employment in the United States dropped by 26% between 2008 and 2021 and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of news analysts, reporters, and journalists will decline an additional 3% from 2023 to 2033.

“It was always a little nervewracking,” she recalled of her days at school and job searching after graduation. “It felt like you either had to shoot for the stars and go for, you know, like a big NBC, CBS, a big organization because … 2.5 of these local or smaller papers are closing [every week]. It felt like there weren't as many great starting places. I did happen upon the Local, and I'm very grateful I did.”

Dougherty said she loves meeting community members, writing, editing, and collaborating with fellow journalists. She feels like her work is making an impact.

“I can't even count how many messages I've received from people who are just like, ‘I really enjoy reading what you do. It makes me feel like I'm meeting new people just through your features. It makes me feel like I'm more connected with the community.’”

News and more

Journalism isn’t just about feel-good stories. “It is vitally important to have journalism that shares news, especially at the local level,” Dougherty said. She’s hoping to write more news stories in the coming weeks and months, in addition to all the other things she does, and invited listeners (and readers) to contact her at her email address or to send her calendar tidbits at calendar@chestnuthilllocal.com.

She looks forward to getting to know more community members, hearing their stories, and sharing them with readers “People open up and get excited and light up when you start asking them about their personal stories,” she said, which was certainly true of Maggie when sharing her own story on “A Local Lens.” You can hear the full interview of the young woman who wears many hats and serves a number of critical functions at the local by going to chestnuthilllocal.com and clicking “A Local Lens.”

Next month, I’ll be speaking with Maggie’s colleague, Tommy Tucker, about all things news related, so be sure to tune in on 92.9 fm at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 13. In the meantime, subscribe to the newsletter, check out social media, read our calendar, and check out one of Maggie’s articles. 

And, when you see her byline scattered within our pages, her newsletter landing in your inbox, or yet another engaging post on social media, let her know you appreciate her work as much as we do.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.

Daralyse Lyons can be reached at Daralyse@chestnuthilllocal.com.