What I learned in my great American newsroom trip
This was originally published Sept. 22, 2018 in the Society of Professional Journalists Quill magazine and its website. I pulled up to my home in Alabama with my car covered in thick bugs and dirt. Its usual cherry-red color was a dream from months before. Glancing at the odometer I felt a sense of accomplishment: I just drove 10,000 miles. The goal of my cross-country trip, dubbed #followmylede on social media and launched during Sunshine Week, was to chronicle journalism in