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Browse my articles here, each of which is tagged by me so you can sort by topic, publication, length and more. Some much older articles have not been added to the website, but you can always find my entire written collection - which updates automatically - on Muck Rack by clicking here. 

National Press Club Journalism Institute •

How to adjust the scope of public health stories for national versus local audiences

As a reporter, Tracy Jan understands that almost every part of a story is important. But as a senior editor for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, she knows the value of highlighting specific details to make sure the audience understands an issue. 

As part of its Public Health Reporting Fellowship, the National Press Club Journalism Institute hosted Jan on Aug. 18 to speak on how and why reporters should be localizing national stories, and nationalizing local stories, to help audiences bet...
National Press Club Journalism Institute •

How to make your social media videos stand out: Advice from independent news creator Rahim Jessani

For the first time globally, more people get their news from social media platforms than television or news websites, according to a new report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The report also shows a steady decline in the percentage of users getting their news from TV or news sites, sounding an alarm for journalists who haven’t yet made the pivot to social media.


To help reporters adapt, on July 23, the National Press Club Journalism Institute hosted Rahim Jessani, a new...
National Press Club Journalism Institute •

Local journalists have a new sourcegathering tool: Nextdoor

Taylor Cranwell once was tipped off to a possible story when he saw chatter on the neighborhood community app Nextdoor: a person may have been dangling off the side of a bridge and in need of help. Seeing the confusion, Cranwell called the local fire department and was able to determine it was simply a training exercise. 

This instance was one of the times Cranwell, a former reporter for The Zebra Press in Alexandria, Virginia, said Nextdoor helped him find sources or pitches for stories. As...
National Press Club Journalism Institute •

What creators can tell us about the state of digital news today

Nick Valencia reported at CNN as a correspondent for 13 years, covering everything from racial justice to natural disasters. Then, in June 2025, he and the network parted ways.

Instead of joining another national outlet or traditional media station, he found a different way to do the work he fell in love with: becoming a news creator. Valencia entered a cohort that the Reuters Digital News Report 2026 found is steadily becoming another common way audiences consume their news:

“Because journalism is an act of service, I wanted to meet people where they are,” he said. “What we’re doing is nothing more than a remedy to a problem that exists, and that’s the new business model.”
Photo by Me
Poynter •

A community can have local newspapers and still lack local news

After decades of working for national news media’s biggest names, Paul Miller retired to Carmel-by-the-Sea in the 1990s. But instead of spending his days soaking in the Monterey Peninsula’s stunning cliffsides, he bought a struggling local newspaper. Thirty years later, The Carmel Pine Cone is a well-funded, well-oiled machine that prints weekly and is free to the public. Miller’s Pine Cone is a shining example of one of the Golden State’s thriving local news ecosystems, and a model for small-to...
National Press Club Journalism Institute •

Advice from editors on finding opportunities in audience engagement journalism

In an era when audiences increasingly get their news from social media and newsletters, being well-versed in audience engagement is growing more crucial. 

For the National Press Club’s fourth Career Office Hour of 2026, audience editors from three outlets — MS NOW, The Baltimore Banner, and The Guardian US — spoke about what it takes to break into the world of audience engagement, including the most important skills to have as a candidate, how to move from traditional reporting to audience en...
Student Press Law Center •

In student newsrooms, Trump’s press hostility forces editors to revise tradition - Student Press Law Center

This story was originally published in the Student Press Report, a national news desk covering student media and journalism education in higher ed. It is supported by lead partners Student Press Law Center and Flytedesk, with secondary support from the Associated Collegiate Press, the Association of University Student Media Managers, the College Media Business and Advertising Managers and CollegeJournalism.org.
CollegeJournalism.org •

In student newsrooms, Trump’s press hostility forces editors to revise tradition — CollegeJournalism.org

Ryan Monke, a senior at Hofstra University, is a managing editor at his school newspaper. When he isn’t in class to get his media studies and political science degree, he’s overseeing section editors, tackling important coverage at the paper and looking to expand The Hofstra Chronicle’s audience.

He’s also trying to figure out how to protect his reporters from possible deportation by the U.S. government.
Annenberg Media •

Families left in the dark: UCSD, USC quietly sell donors’ bodies to Navy for Israeli military training

In 2021, Jeanette Volpin felt she had lost control of her life. At 101 years old, having recently lost the ability to read and drive, she told her relatives she wanted to leave the Earth on her own terms. After choosing medically assisted suicide, she donated her body to the University of Southern California’s Anatomical Gift Program. She made the decision following a career in medicine and a long...
Annenberg Media •

Here is every accessible water fountain on USC’s University Park Campus

Temperatures in Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday hit uncharacteristic highs for the season — 90 and 92, respectively. The National Weather Service announced a “red flag warning” for LA and Oxnard due to the prevalence of hot, dry air — a combination that can aid the start and spread of wildfires.

As temperatures rise, students and faculty across campus are turning towards water fountains on campus to get ahead of dehydration risks in this heat.

On September 12, USC’s Chief Sustainability O...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Looking Up and Cutting Down: Mayor Bass speaks on the state of LA, unveils budget

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass praised her city as she delivered her State of the City address on April 21, providing a message of hope to Angelenos after months marred by the January wildfires. Her speech highlighted city improvements over the past 12 months and offered insight into the future of LA as it prepares to host several world events.Bass devoted a significant portion of her speech to the wildfires, discussing the loss of life and land in Los Angeles while praising recovery efforts by th...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Reeling from the Breakup: Concerns abound after supervisors cut ties with LAHSA

Several Los Angeles city officials and organizations are reacting to a vote by the LA County Board of Supervisors April 1 to cut ties with the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority. The unanimous vote is the latest event setback for LAHSA since a recent damning audit that revealed millions in mismanaged funds.

Now, the county will take $300 million from LAHSA to form a new county agency for homelessness and transfer 700 county employees to the new organization. LAHSA will send a few hundred employees to the new organization as well. The loss of nearly 40% of LAHSA’s funding deals a major financial blow to the organization.
Los Angeles Downtown News •

LA Implements Transit First Policy: Committee to explore prioritizing trains at traffic signals

The Los Angeles City Council’s Transportation Committee approved a series of report-backs on March 26 that will explore the feasibility of prioritizing above-ground Metro trains at traffic lights.Community members see this as possible relief from a longtime commuter headache.The motion, initially proposed by Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Bob Blumenfeld, Imelda Padilla and Paul Krekorian in October, directs the LA Department of Transportation to create guidelines, a draft plan and timeline, and a...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

A Look to the Future: DTLA Alliance unveils 2024 neighborhood statistics

The DTLA Alliance, a neighborhood business improvement district, has revealed the results of its latest yearly survey of Downtown residents and patrons.The survey’s scope included visitor numbers to Downtown, resident demographics, the number of storefronts and jobs in the area, as well as the opinions of visitors and residents who responded to a questionnaire. The findings, announced at an annual breakfast event held by the Alliance on March 18, indicate that the area continues to grow in resid...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Sidelining Progress: Advocates of LA’s unhoused consider bypassing authority

Angelenos are looking for a change in policies dealing with the unhoused. On March 5, the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee voted to explore working directly with local service providers for homelessness intervention programs.

Their frustrations with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority came just one day before a damning audit ordered by a federal judge revealed the authority’s widespread failure to document and track spending properly.
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Not on LA’s Dime: Committee explores barring use of city resources for immigration enforcement

Amid growing concerns about the presence of the Los Angeles Police Department at ICE raids, a committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a report that explores barring city resources from being used for immigration enforcement purposes.The Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee voted 3-0, with two members absent, recently to further the internal investigation with an updated report in 30 days.During the March 7 meeting, Chris Espinosa from the office of...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Marking a First: Ysabel Jurado brings community together at inauguration

“Community” describes the atmosphere at Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s swearing-in ceremony on Feb. 1.Jurado’s supporters packed the Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium for the event, where she became the first Filipino to be sworn into office as a member of the LA City Council.Initially scheduled for Jan. 11, the wildfires delayed the event.Besides Jurado, the ceremony celebrated California, Los Angeles, Filipino culture and history, union history and queer culture. Speakers incl...
Daily Trojan •

New spots make their mark on Best of USC results

We are the only independent newspaper here at USC, run at every level by students. That means we aren’t tied down by any other interests but those of readers like you: the students, faculty, staff and South Central residents that together make up the USC community.
Independence is a double-edged sword: We have a unique lens into the University’s actions and policies, and can hold powerful figures accountable when others cannot. But that also means our budget is severely limited. We’re already sp...
Daily Trojan •

Student given ‘Professionalism Warning’ for sleeping at HSC

On Feb. 9, Alan Lee took a nap in a classroom on USC’s Health Sciences Campus. Exhausted from his long hours in classes, completing homework assignments and doing medical rotations as a second-year student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Lee needed a few minutes to close his eyes. But instead of getting needed rest, he was given a “Professionalism Warning” by the school. 
A letter sent to Lee by Dr. Julie Tilson, associate chair of DPT education and director of the DPT program, said h...
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