Yay Virginia! Virginia becomes first state in the South to ban child marriage

Nearly 8,000 Virginians under the age of 18 got married between 2000 and 2021.

The youngest was 12, and more than 80% were girls.
axios.com/local/richmond…

I really loved Liz Worthington and Dr. Letrell Crittenden, Ph.D. (he/him)'s take on source tracking during an election year -- and at a time when DEIB efforts are under fire. “Making sure your community is fairly and adequately represented is not DEI. It’s just good journalism.”

americanpressinstitute.org/representing-o…

New guidance in our quotations in the news entry advises: In general, use the verb “said.“
The verb “announced “ is acceptable when referring to an announcement.
Generally avoid wording such as “claimed,“ “admitted,“ “conceded,“ etc., which can sound loaded or judgmental.

Total eclipse of my heart in rural Texas

“Students are already participating in all of the facets of community. Often being talked about but not invited into the conversation. The more you can shift from that as you think about young people as sources of information & knowledge, the better.” Liz Clay Roy, @GenCitizen. 9/

The The Wall Street Journal is doing everything it can to #FreeEvanGershkovich , and that includes a ton of stuff you probably didn't even consider, like making sure Evan's bank and email accounts don't shutter while he's in prison, providing family support and more.
axios.com/2024/03/29/eva…

Chevron owns the primary news site in the port city of Richmond, CA.

Many stories aren't told.

My latest investigation with ⁦Miranda Green⁩ of ⁦Floodlight⁩ npr.org/2024/03/28/123…

The missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras & Mexico, and live in Dundalk & Highlandtown. They are in their 30s and 40s, he said, w spouses & children.
All of them came to the city for a better life.
“They are all hard-working, humble men' thebaltimorebanner.com/community/tran…

The Baltimore bridge collapse will have ripple effects for months; likely years. The entryway to a major American port will be frozen for quite some time. And the video of the collapse will be seared into everyone's brains. Infrastructure will be top of mind again.

HOLY CRAP! The Francis Scott Key Bridge has collapsed after a ship collision in Baltimore. The 1,200 feet (366 m) span bridge was the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world.

I'm so glad this article is finally out in the world. Journalists, if you've had complicated feelings about tough topics you've covered or the decisions your newsroom makes that have started to wear on you, see if it resonates with you like it did for me.
americanpressinstitute.org/how-moral-inju…

Tomorrow! Can’t wait. We’ve got a great lineup for you! Join us …

EXCLUSIVE: A troubling new report from Louisiana shows how the state's abortion ban is forcing doctors to delay or withhold medical care in ways that make pregnancy more dangerous.

More from me for NPR

npr.org/sections/healt…

SCOOP: The largest newspaper chain in the U.S. has an ongoing business relationship with a company linked to a sprawling network of 'pink slime' publications that do not disclose funding they’ve received from political sources. My first for Nieman Lab
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niemanlab.org/2024/03/a-comp…