In a May 8 piece for Southern Maryland Newspapers Online published on SoMdNews.Com, staff writer Sara K. Taylor tells the stories of two female veterans’ journeys from active-duty military careers (in the Navy and Air Force) to college students. The story does a stellar job of tackling the issue of veteran education as well as the unique challenges faced by female veterans transitioning into civilian life, through a local lens.
Read it here.
Tagged Air Force, defense, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory, journalism resources, journalist resources, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJI, Medill NSZ, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, military, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, Navy, NSJI, NSZ, reporter resources, reporting resources, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, United States Air Force, United States Navy
According to a May 14 story on Texas’ KVUE.com, a poll by a “left-leaning polling firm” found that 32 percent of would-be voters in the Republican primary feared that the Jade Helm 15 military training exercise was actually a government conspiracy to invade Texas. The conspiracy theory, notably backed by actor Chuck Norris, has garnered national attention, despite the fact that civ-mil training exercises take place on a regular basis throughout the U.S.. This piece did a great job of tracking the national political implications of a local military story that happened to pick up national traction.
Read it here.
Tagged case studies, case study, defense, Jade Helm, Jade Helm 15, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory, journalism resources, journalist resources, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJI, Medill NSZ, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, military, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, NSJI, NSZ, reporter resources, reporting resources, Texas
In a May 13 piece for latimes.com, columnist George Skelton breaks down some of the geographical context behind California’s intense drought conditions for non-locals attempting to understand the root cause of the issue. The column touches on everything from rainfall averages and climate to changing topography and how different bodies of water within the state are connected.
The piece is a prime example of how localized geographical expertise can lend much-needed context to a national security issue – in this case, water security. It also proves that you can incorporate hard data and still create a compelling read.
Check it out here.
Tagged California, case studies, case study, climate, drought, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory, journalism resources, journalist resources, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJI, Medill NSZ, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, NSJI, NSZ, reporter resources, reporting resources
An April 20 story by Mark Saal for Utah’s Standard Examiner takes a playful, yet informative, look at the implications of Hill Air Force Base’s ban on certain hemp-containing products in the name of force readiness. But though the breaking of this rule could potentially land airmen with a dishonorable discharge and a criminal record, Saal explains that committing the infraction could be as simple as consuming the wrong kind of yogurt. Read the column, which presents an innovative and fun angle for covering military readiness on a local level, here.
Tagged hemp, hemp ban, hemp products, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, marijuana, Mark Saal, Medill, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJ, Medill NSJI, Medill NSZ, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, National Security Zone, NSZ, Standard Examiner
“Project Wildfire,” a collaborative, nationwide effort between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, resulted in the arrest of 18 Utah-based gang members, according to an April 8 article by Bob Mims of the Salt Lake Tribune and published on SLTrib.com. Read the full story of how a national security initiative resulted in a quantifiable impact on state crime here.
Tagged Bob Mims, Crime, customs, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, gang, gang activity, gang crime, gang members, ICE, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJI, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, NSJI, NSZ, Project Wildfire, Salt Lake Tribune, Utah
An April 20 article by Nancy Lofholm for the Colorado Independent tells the story of Bernardo Medina, a 21-year-old from Gunnison, Colorado, who got stuck in a bureaucratic labyrinth with Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to a state ID card-related issue. But, Lofholm writes, ICE says Medina brought the detention on himself via a fraudulent citizenship-related claim.
Read the full story here.
Tagged Colorado, Colorado Independent, customs, enforcement, ICE, illegal detention, illegally detained, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill National Security Journalism Initiaitive, Medill National Security Zone, Medill NSJI, Medill NSZ, Medill School, Medill School of Journalism, Nancy Lofholm, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, NSJI, NSZ, The Colorado Independent
Chinese nationals accused of trying to sneak corn seeds from Iowa back to China were surveilled by the government under an order approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court, according to a March 30 article by KETV Omaha’s David Earl. According to the piece, the news of FISA’s involvement in the legal aftermath of the alleged agricultural caper arrived via a brief filed by the case’s defense attorneys, one of whom claims that this incidence of surveillance marks uncharted territory for FISA’s utilization. Read the full piece here.
Tagged agriculture, business, corn, David Earl, farming, FISA, FISA Court, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court, KETV, KETV David Earl, Local Lookout, Local Lookouts, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Medill NSJI, National Security Journalism Initiative, National Security Zone, NSJI, seed
Medill/GlobalPost investigation sheds new light on $3.2 billion U.S. mine clearance and victim assistance effort.
Medill/USA TODAY investigation of U.S. international food aid programs finds significant, entrenched problems
Read about the project.
→ Continue to the story.EVANSTON, Ill. — The Robert R. McCormick Foundation has renewed a $1 million grant to fund the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative at Northwestern University over the next two years.
The NSJ program provides journalists-in-training and working journalists with the knowledge and skills necessary to report accurately, completely and with context on events and issues related to defense, security and civil liberties. The initiative began in January, 2009 with an initial three-year, $1.3 million McCormick Foundation grant. The grant was also renewed for $1 million over two years in 2011.
