C N N p o r t f o l i o
This page is constantly under construction as I add new projects from CNN. Check back frequently for updates!
My favorite projects
Iran: On the ground
In June 2009, Iranians went to the polls to elect a new president. When incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner, many citizens cried foul, and protests were held around the world. In Iran, rallies became violent, voices of opposition were arrested, and the media were increasingly censored. The world depended on Iranian citizen journalists to show what was happening, sometimes at great risk. Along with my colleagues on CNN's iReport team, I contacted these documenters and vetted their stories. I then compiled them into this large-format photo essay, which aimed to show the world what was happening in an increasingly complex and confusing situation.
Tribute to Les Paul -- in E
When Les Paul died in 2009, we wanted to create a unique tribute to his legacy. So I crafted an assignment in which we asked CNN's iReporters to play an original riff in E on a Gibson Les Paul guitar. I blended the best of them together in a video to create this musical homage, which was featured on both CNN.com and CNN television.
In tough economy, working seven days becomes norm for some
I think I got more emails and comments about this piece than any other I've ever written. It was one of those things where a friend would say to me, "oh, did you see that story on CNN about people literally never taking a day off?" and I'd say, "well, yes; I wrote it." It's not the best piece I've ever done, writing or production-wise, but the message really spoke to people, and obviously that's the most important thing of all. The story was written at the height of the recession and profiled people who, for various reasons, literally never had a day off work. There was the dad who was determined to let his wife be a stay-at-home mom no matter what, the young woman who kept taking on more jobs in order to share her income with her parents, the man approaching retirement who wanted to start his own business and still keep his day job, and others. It was a simple text piece with a powerful impact.
Looking for loved ones in Haiti
Good journalism doesn't always have to be straight-up storytelling. During the Haiti earthquake, my team at CNN was able to blend the network's worldwide reach with our social media expertise to create a truly extraordinary public service. We had viewers and users emailing and calling us with names of loved ones in Haiti whom they'd been unable to contact. They thought that maybe if they could just get their loved ones' images on TV, somebody might call them and let them know they were okay. We thought we could do better than just showing photos on TV, so we created this huge database of all the missing and found in Haiti. It was made of totally user-generated content and was updated in real-time as people made contact with their loved ones and updated their iReports. And it worked. Through the database, people all over the world with family and friends in Haiti were able to get information about their loved ones from people who'd seen them in Haiti. We've never been prouder than we were of this collaborative effort among CNN's user participation team, CNN developers, and, of course, the hundreds of CNN iReporters and others who contributed to the database.
Archive (newest to oldest)
From iReporter to CNNer (and beyond) (article)
In Facebook age, is camera-shyness a thing of the past? (article)
The audacity of the independent doughnut (blog post)
Homemade signs display emotion after Joplin tornado (photo gallery)
Yes, they exist: Stylish moms through the years (photo gallery)
Food or rent? Soldier's wife fears government shutdown (article)
In photojournalism, is editing pictures ever OK? (blog post)
Egyptians display national pride throughout revolution (blog post)
50 years of Peace Corps adventures (interactive photo essay)
A year after quake, is Haiti better? (article and video)
The legacy of Elizabeth Edwards (blog post)
Online acts of kindness for brides who lost gowns (blog post)
On the ground: Treating Haiti's cholera epidemic (photo gallery)
Islamic Center protesters show passion with signs (photo gallery)
Gulf journals: Documenting a disaster (photo gallery and series of articles; co-produced with the rest of the CNN iReport team)
What's in a name? More than you think (article and video)
In email age, still nothing like a handwritten letter (article and photo gallery)
Around the world, how far can you get with $10? (article)
Diverse backgrounds color health care views in ways you may not expect (photo/quote gallery)
Online chefs serve up cooking advice, expertise (article, video)
Haiti: Stories from the quake (interactive feature; co-produced with CNN's special reports team)
Looking for loved ones in Haiti (interactive database; co-produced with the rest of the CNN iReport team and CNN developers)
Beyond Prop 8: Same-sex couples struggle to marry (photo essay)
View from the top: The world's tallest buildings (photo gallery)
Biking 150 miles for a cause -- in a dress in heels (article)
Learning to read? Try talking to a dog (article)
Tribute to Les Paul -- in E (video)
The 10-year-old who helped Apollo 11, 40 years later (article)
Iran: On the ground (photo essay)
Michael Jackson fans share photos, memorabilia (photo essay; co-produced with the rest of the CNN iReport team)
Sotomayor nomination: Is it about ethnicity? (article)
Money and Main Street (interactive map with photos and video)
Throughout history, devastation of war remains the same (interactive timeline with photos)
Mother's Day surprises: iReporters get to know their moms (video)
Nothing the same after Columbine, say students, teachers (article)
Thousands flock to Washington for cherry blossom festival (photo gallery)
Faces of autism: Would you know the disorder if you saw it? (photo essay)
Thrift-conscious say goodbye to cars, cell phones, other luxuries (article)
In tough economy, working seven days becomes norm for some (article)
Challenges, rewards for those who wear faith on their sleeve (series of videos)
Hudson plane crash witness: 'It looked like a perfectly smooth landing' (article)
Midwest feels the wind chill (photo gallery)
'Tis the season for tacky holiday sweaters (photo gallery)
17 years later, Nirvana record still an icon for rock lovers (article)
A message for the president-elect (photo and video essay)
Joyous Obama supporters take to the streets after victory (article)
iReporters on Obama victory: 'It's history' (article)
In election year, Halloween gets political (article and photo gallery)
First cars through the years (interactive photo timeline)
Capturing the California wildfires (photo gallery)
iReporters learning to live with less (article)
iReporters call debate for Obama (article)
Other ways to spend $700 billion (article)
Remembering rock great Richard Wright (article)
Ike wears itself out beating up Texas (photo gallery)
Is Sarah Palin being held to an unfair standard? (article)
Protestors, police clash at Republican Convention (photo gallery)
iReporter reactions to Biden are mixed bag (article)
Georgia-Russia conflict brings back Cold War memories (article)
Your worst vacation nightmares (article)
iReporters: Improve awareness to fight AIDS (article)