By Ella Hanley For many health reporters in the United States, the job once felt more straightforward. Objectivity often meant relaying guidance from federal agencies that were broadly viewed as scientifically credible and politically …
Adopting solutions journalism in Minnesota: A Q&A with Project Optimist founder Nora Hertel
By Audrey Lopez-Stane In 2021, Nora Hertel closely covered a racist crime in greater Minnesota as a reporter in a traditional newsroom. She covered city meetings, spoke with the family affected and honed in on …
The plastic surgery paradox: Balancing coverage by emphasizing health over beauty
By Lalitha Viswanathan When Kris Jenner made a public appearance after undergoing a $100,000 facelift, one headline called it her “fresh new look,” making a major elective surgery sound like the equivalent of a …
Defending the First Amendment: A Q&A with media lawyer Lin Weeks
By Lalitha Viswanathan While journalists serve as storytellers in democracies, media lawyers serve as those journalists’ essential defenders. They enforce legal infrastructure, from fighting for public records to shielding the confidential sources that allow …
“Lead with listening”: The solidarity-approach to reporting on homelessness
By Audrey Lopez-Stane One of the first times journalist Joshua Irvine visited Dubuque, Iowa, he walked into a tiny fur shop downtown. Striking up a conversation with the woman behind the register, he mentioned he …
‘Transparency is key’: Inside the investigation that revealed abuse and neglect in California mental health facilities
By Ella Hanley San Francisco Chronicle reporters Cynthia Dizikes and Joaquin Palomino were already deep into an investigation of California’s for-profit psychiatric hospitals when they learned of the death of 15-year-old Jazmin Pellegrini, who …
The case for care-based journalism
Journalism as an institution has not paused to ponder whether a framework built to manage relationships with the powerful is appropriate for relationships with the powerless.
Announcing the winners of the 2026 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics
The San Francisco Chronicle’s exposé of neglect and violence in California’s behavioral health care system has won the 2026 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics Two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle have won …
Photojournalists call for new ethical guidelines to address changing media landscape
By Jonás Tijerino Increased ICE activity over the last few months has resulted in several highly documented civilian deaths, including Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Civilians and journalists alike have responded by filming …
Crime in context: Inside one Idaho newsroom’s approach to public safety reporting
By Ella Hanley Every week, Idaho Statesman criminal justice reporter Alex Brizee reviews a spreadsheet containing the names of roughly 90 people, each of them someone who has appeared in a Statesman crime story. It’s …