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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In the 1840s, Parker was denied admission to the New York State bar, despite meeting all the requirements and training to become a lawyer, simply because Native Americans were not recognized as citizens at the time. -
Workers gathered to call on Governor Hochul to sign legislation preventing for-profit hospices from growing or opening until better patient safeguards are in place. -
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “UnHungry” campaign is seeking donations to benefit 15 food distribution organizations across four states, including Feedmore and Foodlink in Western New York. -
Shawn Lavin did not appear at a disability community candidates event during the election cycle, so we asked him: why not? And what does he plan to do for disabled residents? -
The Boulevard Mall is on its way to demolition, after the Amherst Town Board voted on its future Monday night. -
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills will take on the Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. in Miami. However, if you’re trying to get to the game, you may have to get there early, or risk not getting there at all. -
Democrat Shawn Lavin defeated Republican challenger Dan Gagliardo in a spirited race for Amherst Town Supervisor, while his party scored wins in the race for two seats on the town board.
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BTPM NPR’s Emyle Watkins spoke with both candidates in the race to hear more about the platform they’re running on. Here’s Watkins’ conversation with Shawn Lavin, currently Amherst’s Deputy Supervisor & Councilmember, who is running as a Democrat. -
BTPM NPR’s Emyle Watkins spoke with both candidates in the race for Amherst Town Supervisor to hear more about the platform they’re running on. Here’s Watkins’ conversation with Dan Gagliardo, an area businessman known for his olive oil company D’Avolio.
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On Thursday, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia spoke publicly about his Narcotics Chief DJ Granville for the first time since the chief pleaded guilty to charges related to an April 2024 incident.
