Interview with Elna Schutz

Elna Schütz graduated with a BJourn in 2013, specialising in radio and audio. While studying at Rhodes University, Elna worked as both writer and editor for the student newspaper Activate, and was a presenter on Rhodes Music Radio. She also led a team in producing a weekly community youth show on RMR. After completing her degree Elna moved to the Wits Radio Academy. There, as executive producer, she managed and trained teams of students for two weekly radio shows, The Science Inside and The Business Buzz. While at Wits Elna worked with community radio stations and led short-term projects, including a series of audio documentaries about migration. For this she received a Liberty Radio award in 2017. In 2016 Elna, in conjunction with Wits Radio Academy, founded Podmeet, a networking and training project for podcasters intended to grow the South African industry. Currently Elna works as a freelance journalist, and has written for publications including the Daily Maverick and Deutsche Welle. She has produced audio for the BBC and PRX’s The World. Her podcast clients include the University of Pretoria, Curio and the Economist. Elna’s work covers topics from business to science and health, with a focus on mental health and human rights, and she has a particular interest in how personal stories reflect wider circumstances.