Articles

"To the press alone, checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression."

“To the press alone, checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.”

—James Madison, a Founding Father and fourth president of United States
September 19, 2018
Lauren Kessler
After the fires: A surprising story of a haunted hero and the ashes of regret

After the fires: A surprising story of a haunted hero and the ashes of regret

Lizzie Johnson of The San Francisco Chronicle revisits the headlines to ask about the aftermath. Not all endings are happily-ever-after.
September 18, 2018
Julia Shipley
An alligator attack sparks a Facebook attack – and an invitation to reconsider meanness

An alligator attack sparks a Facebook attack – and an invitation to reconsider meanness

 I sat on a bench with Wade Livingston the other day. We talked about an alligator attack, a woman who drowned, and the people who saw fit to condemn her for the audacity…
September 13, 2018
Tom Warhover
"No matter how long we study them, the images are unfathomable. No matter how quickly we look away, they are unforgettable."

“No matter how long we study them, the images are unfathomable. No matter how quickly we look away, they are unforgettable.”

—Chuck Haga, Sept. 16, 2001, the Star Tribune of the Twin Cities
September 12, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
Christopher Solomon on how he captured the controversial wolf man of Washington

Christopher Solomon on how he captured the controversial wolf man of Washington

Before Christopher Solomon took on the case of the wolf researcher who ignited a political firestorm, the situation had sparked plenty of regional coverage. In particular, The Seattle Times, where…
September 11, 2018
Linda Shaw
"Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

—Poet Mary Oliver, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
September 5, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
Rebecca Solnit's long and winding road through the tangled tale of politics

Rebecca Solnit’s long and winding road through the tangled tale of politics

The opening paragraph of Rebecca Solnit’s new LitHub essay, “Why the President Must Be Impeached,” is a single sentence, 88 words long. It is one of the shortest paragraphs in…
September 4, 2018
Jacqui Banaszynski
"Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here."

“Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.”

—U.S. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, 1936-1998
August 29, 2018
Don Nelson
Erika Hayasaki on the reality of landing a big freelance story

Erika Hayasaki on the reality of landing a big freelance story

In the second of a two-parter, the former LA Times reporter scrutinizes the first pitch – and then the revision – that earned her a cover piece in Wired
August 28, 2018
Katia Savchuk
Parachute reporting in a foreign land: Getting it fast and getting it right

Parachute reporting in a foreign land: Getting it fast and getting it right

To cover the Kilauea volcano, Simon Romero had to push past tourist brochures, myths and cliches to discover a more authentic Hawai'i
August 23, 2018
Shannon Wianecki