Local Journalist Heroes: Mike and Brandi Simons
“It goes without saying that less staff covers less news. And we are covering news that people desperately need now.” More
Local Journalist Heroes: Connor Sheets
“Without local journalism, I honestly don’t know where people would turn for information about what’s going on in their communities.” More
Local Journalist Heroes: Alysia Harris and Anna Simonton
This Q&A is part of Local Heroes: Journalists Covering COVID-19, PEN America's series spotlighting local journalists across the country in celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2020, elevating the… More
Local Journalist Heroes: Martha Bayne
“If we lose the physical connection to our readers and their communities, it can’t help but have consequences in terms of what stories get told and how intimate the… More
Local Journalist Heroes: Natalie Moore
“Marginalized and vulnerable communities will have a harder time recovering—which will need to be documented.” More
Local Journalist Heroes: James David Dickson
“Every local reporter in America has stepped up to this unwanted challenge, and many have been rewarded with furloughs for it.” More
PEN America Launches Local Heroes: Journalists Covering COVID-19
Journalists are putting their health, safety, and wellbeing of their loved ones on the line to uncover today’s most vital stories. More
Local Journalist Heroes: Jessica Seaman
“We are telling the stories of those who have died and the grief of their loved ones daily. We carry the weight of other people’s trauma, and what we… More
Local Journalist Heroes: Gustavo Castro H.
"Beyond feeling like a means of communication, our approach is to make [our readers] feel that we are a responsible ally.” More
The PEN Pod: Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel
“I always think back to this famous Rahm Emanuel phase, ‘Never waste a crisis’—it’s sort of the idea that in crisis, there lies opportunity.” More