Mehr Sher is working as a statewide environmental reporter for Bangor Daily News in Maine.
Sher has always been passionate about telling underreported stories from undercovered
regions. Prior to joining BDN, Sher graduated from Columbia Journalism School with honors for
her master’s degree in investigative journalism. During the program, she reported extensively
on the Afghan refugee resettlement program and investigated the effectiveness of hate crime
legislation in Indiana. Sher began her journalism career abroad in Pakistan,
where she was based for over six years. During her career there, she investigated systemic
failure, an inadequate health care system, and a cover up, which led to the exacerbation of an
HIV/AIDs outbreak in over a thousand children in Larkana, Sindh. In 2015, she graduated from
North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s in international relations. Sher speaks many
languages – including Pashto, Urdu, intermediate French, basic Korean, and is currently
independently learning Farsi. She is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and is an ethnic
Pashtun from northwestern Pakistan. Sher appreciates great coffee, music, films, poetry,
outdoor activities, and traveling.
Beat: Environmental trends and how they impact Mainers.
The reporter explores how big environmental trends affect readers' lives. Issues include the growth of Maine-based wind and solar industries, fisheries disruption, home energy needs and jobs outlook. Advocacy voices are loud, but missing from the conversation is trusted, independent local journalism addressing Mainers’ ongoing questions and priorities on these issues.