Riley Palmer
Reporter. Writer.
Bay Area born and raised, I am a UC Berkeley alum with a degree in Rhetoric and a concentration in public discourse.
I found an affinity for print journalism when I helped cover the Kincade fire in 2019 for Santa Rosa Junior College. Since then I have written for UC Berkeley’s Daily Californian and as a freelance contributor to the Sacramento Bee.
I am currently working as a Radio Newscast Reporter in a 6-month internship with KQED, learning the ropes of audio! I am interested in all things bay area, particularly local stories that uncover the nuances of living by the water and stories related to climate disaster. In my free time you’ll find me reading a book under the covers, taking a hike in the Oakland hills, or drinking beer in the North Bay.
Apr 23rd 2021
Disordered sleep schedules, baths while in class, the ability to just “hop on” — as a full year of virtual learning comes to a close, UC Berkeley students are looking toward the future with eyes wide open, excitement in their voices and a hint of apprehension as they reflect on the ways the year has changed them, good or bad.
Feb 12th 2021
In January 2021, UC Berkeley published news that the UC system plans to offer in-person instruction in fall 2021, signaling a tentative step toward normality. While Chancellor Carol Christ said in an email to the UC Berkeley community that “this is exciting and represents a light at the end of what has been a difficult and challenging time for all of us,” the light she is referring to appears farther away than the email indicates.
Nov 6th 2021
Orange skies. Poor air quality. Increased screen time. COVID-19 case spikes. The fall semester in the Bay Area has proven to be one crisis after another, and UC Berkeley students are feeling overwhelmed by the endless cycle of bad news. Transfer students especially are experiencing a tumultuous introduction to UC Berkeley amid all the chaos.
Dec 12th 2019
Winning was the last thing on Gina Stahl-Haven’s mind as she stepped on stage for the finals of the San Francisco Comedy Competition. In her mind, she had already won.
Nov 5th 2019
Santa Rosa Junior College students took shelter in some classrooms with malfunctioning, broken or non-existent locks during a campus lockdown Oct. 22, despite years of safety committees and administration promises to upgrade campus security.
Dec 13th 2018
You unload an enormous backpack, shoulders throbbing and head pounding from another day at Santa Rosa Junior College. Before you can dart into your room unnoticed, your parents are already nagging about the FAFSA and whether it was your day to chauffeur your little brother to school and back.
Sep 14th 2019
The last time Santa Rosa Junior College international student Anetra McCartney visited her family on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas was May 29. The three precious days she spent with her mother, Hepzibah “Sylvie” McCartney, and getting to meet her newborn brother Braden for the first time filled her heart with joy and a longing for home.
Jul 11th 2019
For most Sacramento residents, losing an earring in a parking garage is unfortunate, yet the jewelry is replaceable. But for the homeless who choose Old Sacramento as their home base, a lost earring could be their next meal ticket, the price of Donald “Don” Frueh’s sleet grey skateboard or the tattered red baseball cap sitting on Chris Lanse’s head.