ALEX TEY

journalist and photographer

Alex Tey

Alex is a reporter, writer and editor of journalistic writing.

She is currently an editor-at-large and editor-in-chief emeritus at the Washington Square News at New York University, where she studies journalism and environmental science. She was the summer 2022 editorial intern at Audubon magazine.

Their work typically focuses on how the interactions between people and their environments, both natural and built. She also brings expertise on wildlife, ecology, transgender issues, and popular, jazz, and classical music.

Read Alex’s newsletter Rare Bird on Substack.

photo by Alex Chan

 

words

writing

Alex is currently an editor-at-large at the Washington Square News, the student newspaper of New York University. She was previously the editorial intern at Audubon magazine, where she wrote for web and print. She sometimes freelances, and writes on Substack at Rare Bird. Scroll to view links to selections of their written work.

editing

Before transitioning to an editor-at-large role, Alex served as WSN’s editor-in-chief after being deputy managing editor and copy chief. She can provide both high-level story-shaping guidance and detailed line edits. Her experience includes fact-checking, writing headlines and decks, and working closely with both writers and management. She has expertise with AP and Chicago style. Samples of Alex’s editing work are available upon request.

accolades

  • 2022 Associated Collegiate Press Online Pacemaker

  • 2022 Associated Collegiate Press Editorial of the Year, third place [shared byline]

  • 2022 Associated Collegiate Press Multimedia Story of the Year podcast, honorable mention

  • 2021-22 Hearst Awards Explanatory Writing competition, 11th place

  • 2021-22 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Best Public Affairs Program finalist

 
 
 
 
 
 

Photo illustration: Slate

March 16, 2024 — Slate

This Shouldn’t Be New York City’s Most Common Tree

The London planetree is a symbol of European settlement, biodiversity collapse, and Robert Moses.

 
 

Photo: Alex Tey

Sept. 12, 2023 — Hell Gate

Up All Night at the 9/11 Tribute in Light, Looking Out for Birds

September 11 can be an especially rough day for birds in New York City, thanks to the twin lights of the annual memorial.

 
 

Photo illustration: Alex Tey

Nov. 21, 2022 — Washington Square News

A day of magical thinking at the Joan Didion estate sale

The Nov. 16 auction of Joan Didion’s belongings marked a final, posthumous turning point in the legacy of the perennial idol of aspiring writers.

 
 

Photo: Tailyr Irvine

Sept. 21, 2022 — Audubon

A Global Antenna Network Is the Next Frontier of Migration Science

Motus stations across the landscape pick up ‘pings’ from any radio-tagged birds that fly past. The data, open to everyone, are painting a fuller picture of the journeys the creatures make.

 
 
 

photos

 

Alex is also a photographer with about six years of experience in digital photography. She dabbles in film photography. Below are samples of Alex’s photojournalism, event coverage, landscape photography, and portraiture of people and animals. You can find her posting bird photos on Instagram at @phoebewatching.

Click here to view all of Alex’s published photo credits.

wildlife

mostly birds

people

portraits, concerts, photojournalism

places

landscapes, cities, environments

 
 
 

contact

 

Reach out about writing/editing work, bird questions, sheet music requests, or any other inquiries by filling out the form below! I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

You can send tips to my encrypted Proton Mail email at a [dot] tey [at] pm [dot] me. If you’d rather text or call, email me there to get my Signal number.

I’m on Twitter and Bluesky at @phoebeposting. I sometimes write on Substack at Rare Bird.