Catherine Shen
Host, Where We LiveCatherine is the Host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put Connecticut in context.
Before her current position, Catherine was Connecticut Public’s education reporter for just over a year. She covered a variety of stories like student mental health, childcare shortages, and teacher burnout. She joined Connecticut Public's newsroom in 2021. The Los Angeles native came to CT Public after a decade of print and digital reporting across the country.
She started her journalism career in the Los Angeles fashion scene. While that was an exciting time, Catherine ultimately needed to get back to her news roots. She was soon traipsing all across California’s Central Coast as a freelance news reporter for several newspapers, where she broke stories about local government, law enforcement, and education. She also covered crime, healthcare, business, as well as arts and culture.
After finding herself on the East Coast, she continued reporting in New Jersey, covering a mix of academic news, nonprofit projects, and human feature stories both off and on camera. Then she moved to Connecticut and started reporting for the New Britain Herald, where she won several Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists awards for her coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and police accountability.
Catherine received an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. While an undergraduate student, she was a reporter for the university newspaper and its student-run television station, Cable 8 News. She’s also a proud member of the Asian American Journalism Society.
In her downtime, she tries her best to catch up on her reading list but often fails due to a variety of distractions, including reorganizing her bookshelves, scavenging library book sales, and thinking about reading books.
Catherine can be reached at cshen@ctpublic.org and follow her on Twitter at @catshenwnpr.
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It's Thanksgiving week! This hour, Where We Live is celebrating the holiday season with a listen back to some of our favorite conversations about cooking and the social power of food. -
It’s Thanksgiving week, a time to slow down, practice gratitude and gather with friends and family. Today, two Connecticut Lebanese chef-owners join us to talk about taking time to be present with good company and good food. -
Connecticut is confronting a growing waste crisis, even as many families struggle with rising food costs. This hour, we dig into the policies working to reduce waste, expand food recovery and keep more good food in our communities. -
New Haven's Claire's Corner Copia has been a Connecticut institution for fifty years now. This hour on Where We Live, owner Claire Criscuolo joins us to talk about food, building community, and her new cookbook. -
For generations, stories of Native America were erased from the American story. Today, we explore Native American resilience in New England. It’s part of a special series from Connecticut Public called Still Here. -
Hurricane Melissa was one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded. Today, members of the West Indian diaspora in Connecticut join us to talk about the impact Hurricane Melissa is having on the Caribbean, and what’s being done to provide relief. -
Amid a difficult divorce, New Haven author Anelise Chen received the same text over and over again from her mother: “clam down!” This typo inspired her into a journey of healing. Today, she joins us to talk about her memoir "Clam Down: A Metamorphosis." -
Can’t sleep? You’re not alone. This hour, we explore insomnia and other sleep disorders – and why, for so many Americans, rest has become something we chase instead of something that comes naturally. -
The continuation of the government shutdown means that residents receiving SNAP benefits could go without support for the foreseeable future. Over 360,000 Connecticut residents receive SNAP benefits. -
Many people believe that young adults simply don’t engage in the political process. But that’s starting to change. Today, we hear what’s driving more young people to not only vote, but also run for office.
