Journalism
I have been a professional journalist for more than a decade, and my reporting has covered everything from animal agriculture, to real estate and housing, to politics and inequality.
Here is a sampling of my work:
The Way the Patty Crumbles
Hamburgers are popular, but across the U.S. culinary universe, there exists a wide variety of beef patties, all of which are processed differently in terms of grind size, fat content and formation. And those different beef patties are not universally loved by the burger-buying masses; rather, they are liked — and disliked — based on a consumer’s Mouth Behavior, and how they respond to the specific processing techniques and resulting textures of a ground beef patty.
That is the focus of this feature, which publishes exclusive research on how consumers of the four Mouth Behaviors — Chewers, Crunchers, Smooshers, and Suckers — approach ground beef patties of various grinds and formations, and how, by extension, they experience the many different beef patties offered at national restaurant chains.
Niche Market-er
As the extension specialist and director of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) at Oregon State University, Rebecca Thistlethwaite is an essential voice not just for small processors, but also animal protein in general, and how it must continue to improve. Thistlethwaite spoke to those issues and more with Meatingplace.
Shine On
Throughout 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges. Although obstacles remained at year’s end, the meat industry – and the hundreds of thousands of hardworking, determined professionals who make it work – largely overcame those challenges.
Meatingplace honored those professionals with a special report in its December issue. In the spring and fall, the publication spoke with seven people who served invaluable roles in the meat supply chain, and in the feature, they shared their 2020 experiences.
From the Shadows
In early 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a $1.25 billion payout to Black farmers who had proven in the “Pigford II” case that USDA was denying them loans on the basis of their race. The largest-ever federal settlement for civil rights violations, it was the culmination of nearly three decades of organizing and activism from John W. Boyd Jr., the founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA).
In an interview with Meatingplace, Boyd spoke about not only the roots of discrimination in farming, but also his visions for overcoming them and achieving true equality in agriculture.
Unmasked: How the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the meat industry’s vulnerabilities
With COVID-19 sweeping through meatpacking plants, sickening workers, and causing dozens of high-profile closures, this feature assessed how the pandemic was highlighting the industry’s vulnerabilities – namely, intense concentration and little in the way of worker protections.
A Black & White City: How Race Continues to Define Real Estate in Chicagoland
This issue, which I planned and edited from square one, traces the roots of housing segregation in the Chicagoland area, and why it remains among the most racially segregated in the U.S.
Although I now recognize some shortcomings in the issue’s perspective, it was among my earliest attempts at reporting about race and inequality, and was an important development in my journalism career.
Housing the Political Spirit: Real Estate and the Presidential Election
In the 14 years leading up to the 2012 presidential election, the real estate industry had spent nearly $1 billion lobbying Congress and supporting various political campaigns. Where does all that money come from? What policies does that money support? And which candidates are receiving donations?
This cover story answered those questions and more, and also profiled two Chicago-area agents who are engaging in their own brand of political activism.
Buyer Agreement Fees: The Future of Real Estate?
When news broke on a rainy, overcast Wednesday in March that Koenig & Strey would be requiring its buyer clients to sign an exclusive buyer-broker agreement – and that a $250 fee would be attached to the document, upon a successful closing – the Chicagoland real estate community reacted with ridicule and praise in equal parts.
This cover story examines emerging business models in real estate, and whether the conventional model of agents affiliating with brokerages needs to change.
The Truth About Appraisals in Today’s Housing Market
RE/MAX agent Mark Zipperer was no stranger to the appraisal process – and the many difficulties it entailed – but he was still shocked when an appraiser valued one of his sales at 16 percent lower than the agreed-upon price.
“I almost fell out of my chair,” Zipperer says.
This cover story examines appraisals, and how changes to the process – which were made to limit the graft that occurred during the housing bubble – have bankrupted independent appraisers, complicated the home buying process, and made agents' lives infinitely more complicated.
The savings gap – why fewer Americans can buy homes
The vast majority of homebuyers in America utilize their savings for down payments, yet research shows that a shockingly high number of Americans – nearly 70 percent – have less than $1,000 in savings.
With such low savings, how is the pool of eligible homebuyers going to increase? This story covers a critical deficiency in the market.