Local reporter driven by her own curiosity

This is an assignment for writing 430: Multimedia Journalism 

If you ask Jen Lebron Kuhney about her job, chances are she might answer you with more questions. After all, she makes a living off of asking questions.

When reflecting on what drives her as a reporter for U-T San Diego, Jen might talk about her fearlessness or her work ethic but, when it comes down to it, the fuel that keeps her running is her insatiable curiosity, a curiosity she began to cultivate writing for her middle school newspaper.

“I just started asking questions,” she recalled. “It was a way for me to have an outlet.”

What began as an outlet turned into something more, as Jen pursued her undergraduate degree in journalism at Point Loma Nazarene University. A 2008 graduate, she went on to write for the San Diego Daily Transcript before moving on to U-T San Diego, where she covers city government and breaking news.

In the face of an ever-changing industry, Jen, a self-proclaimed “nerd,” is engrossed by the variety of ways in which stories can be told. She blurs the line between “print” and “broadcast” journalist through her use of tools such as Evernote, Storify and Google Analytics.

Despite the often challenging nature of her job, for Jen, the appeal of being a reporter is simple.

“I love my job,” she said. “I love that I get to learn something new every single day.”