The Asheville Watchdog is a tiny nonprofit in far western North Carolina, but its editorial meetings could double as a get-together of the Pulitzer alumni club. The project came together on the back deck of the house shared by retired … Read more
Beware of road metaphors. In the twisty-turny devolution of the local press since The Great Recession, we’ve been driven down pathways, ramps, routes, shortcuts, and, unfortunately, many dead-ends. Which brings us to the metaphor of the moment: The Roadmap for … Read more
For years, many communities have been clamoring — begging — for local news media to provide them with highly relevant news and information that reflects themselves and their interests. When that didn’t happen, those communities began building their own hyperlocal … Read more
“I am at home everywhere, and nowhere. I am never a stranger and I never quite belong.” That quote by Belgian writer Georges Simenon hung above my 10th grade English teacher’s desk when I was in high school in Dubai, … Read more
In writing about Sarah Palin and her 2022 bid for Congress, T.A. Frank made a promise to readers — and to himself. A past Palin critic, Frank set out on the reporting with “an avowedly open mind,” as he … Read more
As a long-time member and former D.C. chapter president of the Asian American Journalists Association, I attend AAJA’s annual convention whenever possible to reconnect with former colleagues and hear new ideas. One convention, held shortly after I launched my freelance … Read more
I hit send on a tweet in my hotel room at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts just before heading to the beach to unwind after leaving my job. Like millions of Americans nationwide, I joined the so-called “Great Resignation” … Read more
It’s a story we’ve heard over and over again: A newsroom makes a commitment to diversity and takes steps to bring in candidates from different backgrounds when it has open positions. But even when it successfully hires people from underrepresented … Read more
Amid a pandemic that has killed over 5 million people globally, the need for clear, accurate information has never been more apparent. And yet many communities lack the crucial information they need to make important decisions for themselves, their families, … Read more
In the early summer of 2020, the Black Lives Matter protests unleashed after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd reached Europe, too. During the protests, people filled the streets and squares across European cities to denounce systemic racism, chanting … Read more