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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Donald Trump has promised to sign multiple executive orders in the first days of his presidency, including sweeping changes to immigration laws. This hour, we break down what we might see in the days and weeks ahead. -
This hour, we’re exploring Inauguration Day – an American tradition that dates all the way back to 1789. During presidential inaugurations today, you can expect performers, speeches, prayers, and more. But did they always look that way? -
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong talks with host Catherine Shen for the hour about his work nationally and locally, including his top priorities for 2025. -
This hour, we explore the concept of Dry January and hear from sober spaces and dry spots in our state celebrating life without alcohol. We also discuss how our relationship with alcohol is changing overall. -
This hour, we listen to “Purple Capitalism," an episode of Connecticut Public’s new podcast, "Generation Barney." We learn how merchandise was key to the success of "Barney & Friends." -
There are about 92,000 students with disabilities across Connecticut, according to the state’s Department of Education. This hour, we’ll hear about the experiences of local students with disabilities — and how we can better support them. -
In his book Seek, Scott Shigeoka explores how curiosity can build connections, and create stronger relationships. This hour, he shares how to get curious about curiosity. -
Barney, the purple dinosaur, taught kids all over the world the importance of loving and caring for one another. But not everyone loved him back. This hour, we listen to an episode of Connecticut Public’s new podcast, Generation Barney. -
Are you making New Year’s resolutions? This hour on Where We Live, we reflect on 2024, and look ahead at the year to come. Whether you’re going into this year with resolutions, plans, promises, or just vibes, this hour is for you. -
Breaking, also known as breakdancing, made its debut at the Olympics this summer. But the sport has an illustrious history. This hour, we take you from the streets of the Bronx to the global stage.
