Samantha Hurley is a fourth-year journalism and Spanish major at the University of Georgia. She was drawn to journalism and storytelling because of her personal experience with having disabilities. Born with Albinism and therefore legal blindness, she had to adapt to her unique way of navigating a visually-centered world. Managing expectations, stereotypes and curiosities surrounding her disabilities from a young age, Samantha draws on these experiences to deepen her reporting, never shying away from the difficult questions.
As a photojournalist, she builds on a lifetime of awareness about the visual world around her. Once told that photojournalism isn't about showing what you see, but how you see it, Samantha's visual work is uniquely intentional and indicative of a deeper understanding of the importance of visuals.
She has reported on climate politics in Washington, D.C., covered protests and college sports. She is bound for France this August to cover the 2024 Paralympics for the Associated Press as a photojournalist and features community stories in her role as Photo Desk Editor at the Red & Black student newsroom.
