Zoe McDonald

Multimedia News Producer



Zoe McDonald is WBHM’s Multimedia News Producer. She has worked at national digital media outlets for several years and is excited to shift her focus to local coverage in Central Alabama.

She cut her teeth at the University of Mississippi’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Mississippian, where she was a writer and lifestyles editor. The summer before her senior year, Zoe interned on the copy desk at The Denver Post in Colorado. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Zoe moved to Birmingham to join the video team at Meredith Corp. (formerly Time Inc.), where she made short-form news videos across brands including Southern Living, Food & Wine and Real Simple. Before joining WBHM, she completed an editorial fellowship at Insider, where she wrote and updated service journalism articles about health, home, and cooking.

Zoe grew up in Flowood, Mississippi. She enjoys reading, trying new recipes, and hiking with her dog at the many beautiful trails around Birmingham.

A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps

An unregulated landfill that accepts vegetative waste has burned underground for months. Neighbors were inundated with smoke and left wondering why the site wasn't regulated in the first place.

‘It’s a fight for freedom.’ Ukraine backers call for continued arms support 1 year into war

A group of supporters gathered at Railroad Park in Birmingham to draw attention to human rights violations in the country and call for continued arms support from the U.S.

Advocates criticize state environmental commission about response to Moody landfill fire

Speakers at the meeting argued the Alabama Department of Environmental Management took too long to act on the fire and that steps must be taken to regulate these types of landfills.

Who would put out a landfill fire near Moody? That question consumed officials for weeks

A private landfill near Moody smoldered for almost two months, inundating residents miles around with noxious smoke, before the EPA stepped in.

Presence of chemicals in landfill fire smoke catalyzes EPA to step in

The EPA is taking action to extinguish the fire after air sampling results showed carcinogenic chemicals in smoke from the site.

Lawsuit filed over landfill fire near Moody seeks class action status

The complaint cites years of inspections and violations from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management showing that the agency had found unauthorized waste on the property.

St. Clair County declares emergency in response to landfill fire

The declaration means the county can ask the state for funding and resources. But residents are left with unanswered questions about the fire's affect on the local air and water quality.

2022 Alabama midterm election results

Unofficial results for contested statewide and Jefferson County races.

Police remove suspicious backpack from near a Birmingham synagogue

Authorities said the bag was a credible threat although it did not contain an explosive. The incident came on the heels of threats against synagogues in New Jersey.