Emyle Watkins
Multimedia ReporterEmyle Watkins is an award-winning multimedia investigative journalist with experience in newspapers, TV, and radio. Emyle is currently BTPM’s Disability Reporter and hosts the station's weekly Disabilities Beat segment. Their work has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, UpFirst and Morning Edition. Watkins has also appeared on the BBC World News and BBC 5Live during breaking news.
Outside of their work as a reporter, Emyle authored the Global Investigative Journalism Network’s Guide to Investigating Disability Issues and serves on Investigative Reporters and Editors' LGBTQ+ membership committee.
Emyle provides free and low-cost workshops to colleges, journalists, and organizations on improving coverage of people with disabilities and disability representation in newsrooms. Emyle's passion for disability reporting comes from their lived experience as a disabled and neurodivergent person who grew up with a stay-at-home disabled parent.
Buffalo-born and raised a short drive from the city, Emyle (pronounced like Emily, despite the spelling) got their bachelor's degrees in Multimedia Journalism and Digital Media Arts at Canisius University.
Emyle’s journalism career began at the early age of 16, when they became the primary sports reporter/photographer for their hometown newspaper, The Springville Journal. Since then, they have also freelanced or had work published in other newspapers, including The Buffalo News, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and The Public.
While Emyle started as a sports journalist, early on in college, they realized they wanted to pursue investigative journalism as a way to make a difference for communities and hold those in power accountable.
In college, Emyle quickly moved into an editorial position at The Canisius Griffin and served as the managing editor there, leading the investigative team, often looking into finances and covering student government/college administration. Emyle also redesigned the newspaper’s website and print product to be more accessible to readers with visual disabilities.
As part of Canisius’ Video Institute, Emyle co-produced and was the reporter for the documentary “NewBorn: Maternal Resources in New York State,” which won a Telly Award in 2020. While on a fellowship at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they won a Pennsylvania Golden Quill by co-writing “There are Black people in the future,” a series of artist profiles.
Emyle interned at BTPM in 2020. Before joining BTPM, Emyle was an associate producer on the digital and investigative teams at WGRZ-TV (Channel 2). At WGRZ, Emyle helped develop stories on such topics as unsolved shootings in Buffalo and how over 900 graves were lost in a Cheektowaga cemetery.
Follow @EmyleWatkins.
Email Emyle at ewatkins@btpm.org
Desk (call only): 716-845-7000, ext 233
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How do these candidates feel they’ve shown up for, and will show up for, the disability community if elected? -
The center will be designed to replicate Native housing at the fort during the Revolution. -
Buffalo Police were seen blocking entrances after customers departed. Overnight workers who were arriving for their shift were still met with confusion around 9:30 p.m. -
Recently, BTPM NPR's Emyle Watkins sat down with advocate Holly Nidell, who shared her advice on living a life of purpose, sharing your story openly and becoming more involved. -
Since the US Department of Health and Human Services released its report, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, concerns have been raised, especially by the LGBTQ+, disability, and medical communities. We speak to a local expert to separate fact from fiction. -
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Toronto Author Jessica Slice's book, "Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World" focuses on countering the myths and stereotypes people have about disabled parents. Her book shows how disability wisdom and culture have the power to better prepare anyone for parenthood. -
Amherst Police have announced that a 14-year-old student has been charged with making a terroristic threat and making a threat of mass harm, after Sweet Home High School went into lockdown last Monday -
During a recent interview, Maria Perrin announced a few developments in how PPL will handle CDPAP going forward, including bank cards for personal assistants becoming a reality. -
BTPM's Disability Reporter Emyle Watkins hosted a live interview with Maria Perrin, the president of PPL, the new single statewide fiscal intermediary (FI) for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
