In a world of "boomburbs" and generic downtowns, Hillsborough, North Carolina, stands out. Cohesive, walkable, its streets lined with 250 years of architectural styles, the town has gone from sleepy to vibrant in the last 20 years. Journalist Bob Burtman lives and works there, and keeps a watchful eye for storm clouds on the town’s horizon.

A veteran investigative journalist and radio DJ, for the past eight years Bob Burtman has combined his passion for both as co-founder and president of WHUP, a community radio station in Hillsborough. Bob hosts the station’s local news show five mornings a week, as well as a Sunday night music show, “Roots Rampage.” Bob’s early career revolved around jobs that provided free LPs, such as writing music reviews, which evolved into a full-time journalism job with the Independent Weekly (now called Indy Week). During his tenure at the Houston Press from 1995-2001, he won numerous state and national honors for his long-form stories about criminal justice, the environment, local politics, and people behaving badly. His freelance work has appeared in The Nation, Mother Jones, and other publications. After interest in local and regional journalism waned, Bob turned his focus to investigative research for private clients. When not at the WHUP studios, he can often be found kicking back and listening to music from his record collection, which reflects his long-time obsession with vinyl.