Writing about journalism + literature
“A conversation between the authors of The Poisoned City and Flint Fights Back.” Water Alternatives, June 24, 2020\
“The last days of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.” Columbia Journalism Review, May 13, 2020
“A Review of Liam McIlvanney’s The Quaker.” Waxwing Literary Review, February 15, 2020.
“‘Broke’ chronicles a city out of cash and awash in desperation.” New York Times Book Review, January 12, 2020.
“Review: Night School: A Reader for Grownups.” Waxwing Literary Journal, Summer 2019
“Magazine censored, editor dropped for covering Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic newspaper.” Columbia Journalism Review, February 4, 2019
“Room for something new.” Medium, November 20, 2018.
“Journalism’s bad reflection: South Bend, Indiana.” Columbia Journalism Review, Fall 2018
“A review of Elizabeth Rush’s Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore.” Waxwing Literary Review, October 15, 2018
“Who could ever love a river now?” Lapham’s Quarterly, July 12, 2018.
“In an era of disinvestment, how should local news push back?” Columbia Journalism Review, May 15, 2018
“After City Paper, Baltimore Beat Aims to Build a More Diverse News Outlet.” Columbia Journalism Review, November 8, 2017.
“Some of the Best Opioid Coverage is Not Where You’d Expect.” Columbia Journalism Review, October 21, 2017
“With Teamwork and Hustle, Toledo Blade Dominated After Charlottesville Attack.” Columbia Journalism Review, August 15, 2017
“Notes on reading a very long novel.” Waxwing Literary Journal, October 17, 2016
“In Flint, a new era for one of the oldest community outlets in the US.” Columbia Journalism Review, August 30, 2016.
“‘We wanted to come home’: Ron Fournier on making the move from DC to Detroit.” Columbia Journalism Review, August 11, 2016
“In Cincinnati, a local TV station sets out to create a full-fledged digital newsroom.” Columbia Journalism Review, July 29, 2016
“How the Flint water crisis and a statehouse scandal gave a boost to FOIA reform in Michigan.”
Columbia Journalism Review, June 21, 2016.
“A local startup with an emphasis on uplift looks to grow.”
Columbia Journalism Review, May 25, 2016.
“How a unique community radio station serves listeners in Appalachia.”
Columbia Journalism Review, April 11, 2016.
“How ‘the public is priced out of public records’ by Michigan universities.”
Columbia Journalism Review, April 5, 2016.
“Jim Harrison: Exploring the Michigan writer’s expansive career.”
Detroit Free Press, March 27, 2016
“How a new reporting collaborative is building a newsroom that crosses state lines.”
Columbia Journalism Review, March 16, 2016.
“Political journalists on why they do — or don’t — vote in the primaries.”
Columbia Journalism Review, March 11, 2016
“Why STAT is the media startup to envy.”
Columbia Journalism Review, February 23, 2016
“How covering the Flint water crisis has changed Michigan Radio.”
Columbia Journalism Review, February 15, 2016
“Amid big changes in Philly media, startup Billy Penn sticks to its vision.”
Columbia Journalism Review, February 4, 2016.
“The struggle for accountability in Flint.”
The Boston Review, February 2, 2015
“Michigan’s MLive cuts 29 positions in ‘restructuring.’”
Columbia Journalism Review, January 7, 2016.
“What an outgoing Detroit columnist learned from nearly 40 years in journalism.”
Columbia Journalism Review, January 4, 2016
“Top records, books, concerts, movies and more for 2015.”
Detroit Free Press, December 27, 2015. (contributor)
“How a small team in Wisconsin delivers investigative reporting to 10 Gannett papers.”
Columbia Journalism Review, December 16, 2015.
“Hits and Misses: The year in sports journalism.”
Columbia Journalism Review, December 15, 2015.
“Our favorite local journalism from 2015.”
Columbia Journalism Review, December 14, 2015. (contributor)
“A 31-year-old reporter is leading the fight for better pay at the Toledo Blade.”
Columbia Journalism Review, December 10, 2015.
“How Linda Ellerbee made ‘Nick News’ into an award-winning program.”
Columbia Journalism Review, December 8, 2015
“Mountain Path: Reckoning with Harriette Simpson Arnow.”
Midwestern Gothic, Fall 2015
“Paid to vote: Why a nonprofit news outlet gave away $10,000 in a lottery.”
Columbia Journalism Review, November 19, 2015.
“Urban poetry: The best odes to cities.”
Next City, November 6, 2015.
“How an investigative journalist helped prove a city was being poisoned with its own water.”
Columbia Journalism Review, November 3, 2015
“Michigan’s newspaper veterans find a home — and a growing audience — at Bridge Magazine.”
Columbia Journalism Review, October 16, 2015
“Misleading coverage of a major gun study highlights the danger of fast reporting.”
Columbia Journalism Review, September 29, 2015
“Want to major in sports journalism? Now you can.”
Columbia Journalism Review, September 1, 2015
“Unsolicited advice for the new editor of the Detroit Free Press.”
Columbia Journalism Review, August 12, 2015
“Can this rogue fact-checker make a difference on Twitter?”
Columbia Journalism Review, July 30, 2015.
“What university presses have done for urban design.”
Next City, July 27, 2015.
“How E.L. Doctorow mastered the art of melding fact and fiction.”
Vanity Fair, July 23, 2015.
“Charleston’s rival newspapers just merged. Is Detroit next?”
Columbia Journalism Review, July 23, 2015.
“One of the best baseball reporters reflects on how coverage has changed.”
Columbia Journalism Review, July 15, 2015
“A wave of media coverage helps to beat back changes to Wisconsin’s public records law.”
Columbia Journalism Review, July 7, 2015
Book Review: Dana Goldstein’s The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession.
Waxwing Literary Journal. June 15, 2015.
“What the missing Women’s World Cup brackets say about sports media.”
Columbia Journalism Review, June 9, 2015.
“10 must-read books for urbanists on cities, race, and public space.”
Next City, June 9, 2015.
“How Connie Schultz built a unique community on Facebook.”
Columbia Journalism Review, June 2, 2015.
“125 years of editorial freedom.” (PDF)
Alumnus, Summer 2015
“What to expect from Sports Illustrated’s new media podcast.”
Columbia Journalism Review, May 26, 2015.
“Reading American cities: books about Detroit.”
The Guardian, May 22, 2015
“After a year of change, new publisher looks to make his mark at Cincinnati Enquirer.”
Columbia Journalism Review, May 19, 2015
“An insider’s cultural guide to Detroit: The Motor City moves on.”
The Guardian, May 18, 2015
“Judge weights in favor of First Amendment by striking down ‘Silencing Act.'”
Columbia Journalism Review. May 1, 2015
“Following a same-sex marriage case from Michigan to the Supreme Court.”
Columbia Journalism Review. April 30, 2015.
“A primer on Earth Day coverage that doesn’t suck.”
Columbia Journalism Review. April 20, 2015.
“Poet Marge Piercy recalls Detroit upbringing in new book.”
Detroit Free Press. April 19, 2015.
“4 things sports writers can learn from Eduardo Galeano.”
Columbia Journalism Review. April 14, 2015
“Covering Scott Walker as a local and national story.”
Columbia Journalism Review. March 30, 2015.
“10 books that beautifully capture the challenges of city life for teens.”
Next City. March 27, 2015
“3 tips for understanding science journalism.”
Columbia Journalism Review. March 20, 2015
“Why it’s difficult for East African journalists to cover scientific discoveries.”
Columbia Journalism Review. March 12, 2015.
“Can the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sustain its ambitious journalism under a new owner?”
Columbia Journalism Review. March 11, 2015
“Why scientists often hate records requests.”
Columbia Journalism Review. February 25, 2015.
“Dan Gilbert stories disappear with no explanation to readers.”
Columbia Journalism Review. February 19, 2015
“What Philip Levine’s work is.”
Belt Magazine. February 17, 2015.
“James Hamblin: A fresh perspective for health journalism.”
Columbia Journalism Review. February 17, 2015.
Book Review: Alina Bronsky’s Just Call Me Superhero.
Waxwing Literary Journal. February 12, 2015.
MLive lays off two senior journalists.
Columbia Journalism Review. January 30, 2015.
Is national media ignoring local science fraud?
Columbia Journalism Review. January 28, 2015.
The end of Modern Farmer?
Columbia Journalism Review. January 23, 2015.
New law threatens reporter-source relationship.
Columbia Journalism Review. January 23, 2015
How a Cleveland news outlet obtained key video in Tamir Rice shooting.
Columbia Journalism Review. January 13, 2015.
Teach kids about life in the big city with these 10 great picture books.
Next City. January 9, 2015
Looking for Philadelphia’s digital audience.
Columbia Journalism Review. December 29, 2014
Meet the reporter who broke the Philadelphia civil forfeiture story–two years ago.
Columbia Journalism Review. December 10, 2014
What a Cleveland news outlet should learn from its flawed Tamir Rice coverage.
Columbia Journalism Review. December 2, 2014
The Texas school board isn’t as powerful as you think.
Columbia Journalism Review. December 1, 2014
10 great novels every urbanist should read.
Next City. December 1, 2014
A literary tour of Detroit.
Model D. November 18, 2014
Will radio save science journalism?
Columbia Journalism Review. November 18, 2014
What can Jim Brady’s new side do for Philadelphia journalism?
Columbia Journalism Review. November 13, 2014
Misleading Jack Schron ad prompts Cleveland Scene to review policy.
Columbia Journalism Review. November 3, 2014
A digital transformation for Science.
Columbia Journalism Review. November 3, 2014
Author Dave Eggers talks Detroit visits, inspiring kids.
Detroit Free Press. November 2, 2014
How storytelling heals and strengthens communities.
Creative Exchange. October 21, 2014
Why are some newspapers abandoning endorsements?
Columbia Journalism Review. October 17, 2014
The Tennessean is borrowing reporters from other Gannett papers.
Columbia Journalism Review. October 14, 2014
Beat transfers prompt new labor questions at The Plain Dealer.
Columbia Journalism Review. September 24, 2014
Questions of identity rise in Detroit-set Into the Go-Slow.
Detroit Free Press. September 14, 2014
Columbus Dispatch lets down readers by unpublishing story.
Columbia Journalism Review. September 10, 2014
Lisa Lenzo’s story collection explores the need for connection.
Detroit Free Press. September 7, 2014
Do ‘One Book’ programs make a city read?
Next City. August 28, 2014
GOP-backed fake news sites target Dems in congressional races.
Columbia Journalism Review. August 28, 2014
Detroit’s Dan Gilbert and the ‘savior complex.’
Columbia Journalism Review. August 18, 2014
How the arts inspire change in Detroit.
Knight Arts. August 10, 2014
Mystery in Detroit: Was pop-up store event successful or not?
Next City. June 17, 2014
The Plain Dealer drops Politifact, but keeps on fact-checking.
Columbia Journalism Review. June 17, 2014
Rustbelt Midwest Regional Poetry Slam makes Detroit debut this weekend.
Detroit Free Press. June 13, 2014
6 tips for making it as a freelance writer.
Michipreneur. June 2, 2014
America’s most poli-sci friendly reporter delivered a classic — and readers responded.
Columbia Journalism Review. May 23, 2014
Private schools.
Columbia Journalism Review. May 6, 2014
The demise of urban farming is greatly exaggerated.
Al Jazeera America. May 20, 2014
A fierce hunt for justice.
Columbia Journalism Review. May/June 2014 issue
Joyce Carol Oates returns to Detroit in latest story collection.
Detroit Free Press. April 20, 2014
Detroit: A city made of many voices.
Belt Magazine. April 18, 2014
How the Detroit Free Press won a Pulitzer in commentary.
Columbia Journalism Review. April 18, 2014
Can The Washington Post‘s national push help support local news?” With Greg Marx.
Columbia Journalism Review. April 4, 2014
Who are the fiction writers taking on poverty and inequality today?
Pacific Standard. April 1, 2014
Busted is a tale of police corruption–and a newspaper on the edge.
Columbia Journalism Review. March 31, 2014
Kalamazoo quietly emerging as a literary hot spot.
Detroit Free Press. March 23, 2014.
Existing restrictions on access to gun records? Not good enough, lawmakers say.
Columbia Journalism Review. March 21, 2014
Will a new website deliver on Wisconsin’s promises about transparency?
Columbia Journalism Review. February 26, 2014
Hannah Arendt: The Last Interview & Other Conversations reviewed by Anna Clark.
Waxwing. February 14, 2014
Grief and grievances at the Plain Dealer.
Columbia Journalism Review. February 13, 2014
You’re missing out on great literature.
Pacific Standard. February 11, 2014
Who says libraries are going extinct?
Pacific Standard. February 6, 2014
The Right Signals.
Printmaking Today. Winter 2013/14
‘This used to be a newsroom.’ — The scene at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Columbia Journalism Review. January 17, 2014