Alaska Teen Media Institute

For this episode, we will be talking about the new science fiction film, Dune. It is an adaptation of a novel by Frank Herbert that was originally published in 1965.  The book has a rocky history in adaptations. There is a film version from 1985 and a miniseries from 2000, both widely regarded by fans as failures in accurately bringing the story to the screen. In this new version, director Denis V...

On October 28th, 2021 Anchorage Daily News reporter Morgan Krakow learned that an article she was credited as writing was circulating Twitter. Except she didn’t actually write it. It wasn’t a real story.  The tweet, which had thousands of likes and retweets, used an image that looked convincingly like the ADN website and had Krakow’s byline. The headline read “Virginia man arrested for having Mine...

For this episode we’re talking about the new Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The story follows a master of weaponry-based Kung-Fu who must confront his past when he’s drawn into an organization called the Ten Rings.  It is the first Marvel movie to feature an Asian superhero and a largely all-Asian cast. Since it was released in September it has earned over four hundred mil...

Julia Longoria is the host and managing editor of the podcast The Experiment, a collaboration between the Atlantic Magazine and New York Public Radio. Before starting The Experiment, Longoria was a producer on The Daily from the New York Times, and for Radiolab from WNYC. In this episode, three of our senior producers chat with Longoria about her career in podcasting. She talks about her experienc...

This fall, Alaska became the state with the highest coronavirus case rates per capita, and has been experiencing record hospitalizations. Twenty health care facilities across the state have been operating under crisis standards of care due to the surge and staffing issues. For this episode, we hear from Dr. Andy Elsberg, an emergency physician in Anchorage. He talks with ATMI producer Zinn Rogers...

For this episode we talk about two documentaries that deal with similar topics: "Framing Britney Spears" and "This Is Paris." "Framing Britney Spears" follows the Free Britney movement, which is dedicated to releasing the pop star from a conservatorship where her father controls all of her finances and medical decisions. "This Is Paris" focuses on another millennial celebrity: Paris Hilton. The do...

In this special episode, we take a look at how the pandemic has affected youth experiencing homelessness and programs working to provide them with an opportunity for a better life. Hosted by Yule Zhang. Music by Devin Shreckengost and Tyler Felson. Interviews conducted by Quinn White, Daisy Carter, Danielle DuClos, and Cornilius Nelson. The show was written by Chloe Chaobal, Sam Bernitz, Danielle...

Mark Sixbey is a wood carver from Metlekatla, Alaska. He works as a traditional art specialist for the Sitka tribe of Alaska where he does cultural art activities and program development for all ages in the community. ATMI producer Karl Cranston-Simmons first met Sixbey when he took an art class from him at Pacific High School in Sitka. Karl sat down with Sixbey to talk about Northwestern art, tra...

Despite nearly half of the state’s population being fully vaccinated, Alaska is experiencing some of its highest case counts and hospitalizations. So as we head into another autumn with Covid, we check in with Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska's Chief Medical Officer. ATMI senior producer Quinn White spoke with Dr. Zink just days after the FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer vaccine. She also talks about the...

Dan Redfield is an Alaska-based filmmaker and documentarian. He’s been making films in Alaska for years on all sorts of different projects from commercials to documentaries to narrative works. ATMI producer Rowan Pickard spoke with Redfield about his work as a filmmaker, advice for youth who want to get into making movies, and “Adventure for Ava” his series about families with kids who have specia...

This time last year, the Anchorage School District was struggling to get kids back to in-person learning for the fall semester, while coronavirus cases surged in the community. They ended up holding off on their reopening plans for the fall, but by the spring semester of 2021 they had phased Pre-K through 12th grade back to the classroom. Now a new school year is about to begin and our community i...

Lanie Zipoy is a New York-based filmmaker, whose feature film “The Subject” starring Jason Biggs, Anabelle Acosta, and Aunjanue Ellis has played in festivals throughout much of the pandemic. She hopes to release it in theaters and digital platforms later this fall. She also created the installation film "Dispatches Amidst" which documents life in and around New York during the pandemic. ATMI produ...

Earthquakes can be a pretty common aspect of life in Alaska. From tiny little tremors that some people don’t even notice, to big ones like the 7.0 quake in November 2018. So for this episode we’re going to dig into the earth to learn more about seismic activity. ATMI senior producer Daisy Carter spoke with Rob Witter, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He talks about studying th...

For this episode we talk about the new film adaptation of the musical “In The Heights.” Directed by Jon M. Chu, the story follows characters living in the predominantly Dominican Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan as they pursue their dreams. It was written and produced by Lin Manuel-Miranda who also wrote the musical. Our youth film critics got together on Zoom to talk about the movie,...

Though born in Louisiana, rapper Fairview Treezy grew up in Alaska. He started rapping in high school and hasn't stopped since. At 22 years old, his track "Freestlye" has over a million streams on Spotify. ATMI producer Karl Cranston-Simmons spoke with Treezy about how being raised in Alaska has influenced his music, other local musicians he's collaborated with, and where he hopes to take his care...

At 18 years old, singer/songwriter Ava Earl is set to release her fourth studio album, "The Roses" in July 2021. Initially planned for a 2020 release, but delayed due to the pandemic, the album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. Ava stopped by the ATMI studio to talk with our producer Yule Zhang. She discusses her new record, how the pandemic affected her life as a musician, and the sudden loss...

In the Hulu documentary series “Sasquatch” Alaska-born documentarian David Holthouse investigates a decades-old rumor he heard while working on a marijuana farm in Northern California. Three men brutally murdered... by Bigfoot. His investigation not only looked into the legends of Bigfoot and the people that devoted their lives to finding the creature, but also the criminal worlds of marijuana gro...

Chris Waythomas is a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He has been working as a geologist in Alaska since 1977 and in 1992 moved to Anchorage to work at the volcano observatory. ATMI senior producer Daisy Carter spoke with Waythomas about the life cycle of a volcano, the different types of volcanoes in Alaska, and how to be prepared should a nearby volcano erupt. Hosted by Yule Z...

Coleman Cutchins is a clinical pharmacist with the Alaska Department of Health. He had only been working for the state for about two months when the pandemic hit. Due to his background in the medical field, Cutchins was brought on board as part of the state’s public health leadership team on Covid-19. Youth health reporter Jania Tumey spoke with Cutchins about his role as a public health official,...

When David Holthouse was working on a marijuana farm in Northern California in the early 1990’s, he overheard a disturbing story. Three men were brutally murdered … by Bigfoot. Decades later, now a renowned documentarian, Holthouse set out to learn what really happened to those men. Was it truly Bigfoot? Or something even more sinister? His investigation turned into a three part documentary series...

On Friday, April 23rd, a peaceful protest was held in downtown Anchorage where a large crowd of attendees held up signs that said things like “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Asian Hate.” ATMI senior producer Cornilius Nelson was in attendance and had a brief moment to talk to the event organizer: Tatiana Watkins-Snow, a senior at West High School. A few weeks later, Cornilius connected with Tatiana...

For this episode, we’re doing something a little different. We’re hearing from Ryan Welch, one of the co-creators and writers of the Hulu comedy series “Ramy.” He was also born and raised in Alaska! The series stars comedian Ramy Yousef, playing a fictional version of himself, the son of Egyptian immigrants, navigating life as a young adult in New Jersey. ATMI senior producer Chloe Chobal spoke wi...

Tina DeLapp is a retired nurse who also ran the school of nursing at UAA for a number of years. Earlier this year, Tina started volunteering to help administer the Covid-19 vaccine. Youth health reporter Jania Tumey spoke with her about the emotional responses of people receiving the vaccine, having conversations with friends and family who might be hesitant, and her early days in the medical fiel...

Now that the Pfizer vaccine is available to anyone ages 12 and up, we check in with Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska's Chief Medical Officer. ATMI senior producer Danielle DuClos spoke with her about how mRNA vaccines work, hesitations people may have about getting vaccinated, and what it means for Alaska’s youth now that they are eligible. They spoke on May 12th, 2021. Hosted by Quinn White. Music by Devin...

Vitus Collective is a group of young artists and musicians in and around Anchorage. Members include Machel, Husse, Zane Penny, Charlie Stockard, Maezelle, Richie, and Saint Deon. In the summer 0f 2019, they held a series of shows at the Kincaid Bunkers that brought in an audience of around 300 attendees. In this episode we hear from Machel and Husse, about the origins of Vitus Collective, the musi...