Trading words for dollars was one of my childhood dreams. That dream became reality in 2008 when I started The Word Trade as a project for an independent study class at UNC Charlotte. Today, I work full time as a independent journalist.

Some current and former clients include The Huffington Post, Charlotte magazine, the Carolina Weekly Newspapers, Creative Loafing, Crossroads Charlotte, The Mecklenburg Times, Qcitymetro.com, Skirt! Magazine, The Charlotte Observer, UNC Charlotte’s alumni magazine, and University City Magazine.

My work ranges from covering everyday news to ongoing investigative work into water quality issues near two unlined, high-hazard coal ash ponds, an inside-out look at Occupy Charlotte and op-ed pieces for Creative Loafing, Charlotte’s alt-weekly. I am currently working on a book about coal ash that will have me taking a tour around the country to gather stories from all sides of the issue.

I also covered the locally famous, month-long Jinwright tax evasion trial for Qcitymetro.com. Several of those articles were picked up by The Charlotte Observer, and I reported on the case for WFAE, an NPR affiliate. (Listen here.) A narrative I wrote about the Jinwrights’ rise and fall was in the May 2011 issue of Charlotte magazine. (Read it here, and listen to the WFAE “Charlotte Talks” discussion on the topic here.)

I’ve also covered Occupy Charlotte for Creative Loafing and Charlotte magazine. On Nov. 8, ‘Charlotte Talks’ invited me back to talk about this world-wide movement’s branch in the Queen City. Listen here. The next month, I appeared on the inaugural taping of “282″ to speak on the topic, a new weekly news roundup on WTVI, a public television station. (Watch here.)

In my free time I love to read, hike and travel.

More:

Review some of my published clips.

Follow me on Twitter @RhiFionn, connect on LinkedIn, Google + or Tumblr.

I’m a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists and I am the current treasurer for the Greater Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists.