Reporters on the Job: From Boston to Kamianske, Ukraine

Boston – Goodluck AjehA story’s first test is the lede: that short paragraph that pulls readers in. For my story about a Boston-based Nigerian musician who fuses contemporary jazz with Yoruba and other West African traditions, I thought I had the perfect opening: invite the artist to play one of his songs in the Monitor’s studio. But after I filed, my editor found ways to make the lede stronger, drawing on material beyond my original idea. A carefully conceived approach can miss things, and another perspective can reveal possibilities that aren’t immediately apparent. It was a reminder of something fellow reporter Kendra Nordin Beato often says: Writing is rewriting.Page, Ariz. – Story HinckleyWhen I heard that Lake Powell, the reservoir created by Glen Canyon Dam, had reached a record-low level, I immediately thought of the dam’s eight hulking, canary-yellow turbines. I had seen those turbines just weeks earlier – thanks to some reporting persistence. The dam has not offered public tours since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but Monitor photographer Melanie Stetson Freeman and I knew we needed to see the turbines up close to understand what declining water levels meant for hydropower amid a historic megadrought. So I started asking around. One source led me to another, who connected me with someone at the Bureau of Reclamation who helped us get inside. The persistence paid off: We learned how the turbines work, how loud they are, and what it takes to keep them running.Austin, Texas – Henry GassWhen you’re a reporter covering a state as large as Texas, it’s easy to forget about your own backyard. I’ve been reporting a profile of a bat conservationist in Austin. He moved here not long after a million-plus bats began nesting under a landmark bridge downtown. The bats are now local celebrities and a popular tourist attraction, but for me, they’re neighbors whom I’ve come to take for granted. My first two visits to the “bat bridge” had been anticlimactic, but this time, as the sun set over the Austin skyline, the best emergence I have ever seen filled an orange sky. Surrounded by wide-eyed tourists, I reveled in the natural beauty that I’d forgotten my city possesses. Kamianske, Ukraine – Scott PetersonFor a cover story about Ukrainian children coping with war, I hoped to speak to three families I interviewed earlier in the conflict. As Russia’s onslaught shifts from an acute crisis to a new “normal” of war, I wanted to hear how their lives were evolving. But the first boy was in summer camp, and his parents were reluctant to talk. Another family fell through at the last minute. On my last day in Ukraine, I had a breakthrough. A firefighter and rescuer from the now-occupied front-line town of Myrnohrad connected me to the perfect family, and had news of his own: Before his own teen children visited from Germany, they made him promise: no more daring rescues – at least while they were there. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.