Meet the Monitor: Check-in with writers based near and far

Monitor contributor Maisie Sparks wanted to explore the idea that an extreme view of independence was threatening to unravel the need for fostering a true sense of common good. She found a promising pushback in Fellowship church. 

This Monitor reporter went to Argentina for an economic story. What he found on the streets of Buenos Aires: an expression of gratitude from some of its newest residents for having found home. 

In one corner of the Los Angeles County Jail, a path to more humane conditions started with respect and love, given without conditions by incarcerated men willing to help. For our reporter, the discovery was her year’s most poignant. 

As Afghanistan fell back into Taliban control earlier this year, our writer stayed in touch with sources she’d developed there over the years. She learned that not everything had fallen into chaos. Young Afghan Scouts were delivering help, and hope.

“There are seeds of joy everywhere,” says contributor Murr Brewster. “But you have to prepare the soil.” Says fellow writer Robert Klose: “Generally, joy kind of goes hand in hand with moving through life.”

What makes a Monitor journalist? It takes curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to look for light in even the darkest places. This writer brings all three qualities to his commentary.

Learning what motivates the people she meets helps this reporter deliver the fullest possible versions of their stories. 

Experience matters in journalism. But so does adaptability. This reporter relies on both as she covers new beats and changing times. 

Over time, familiarity can work against a reporter’s essential tool: the drive to discover. New connections bring this writer fresh viewpoints.