I'm a writer, editor, fact-checker, and project manager with more than a decade of experience in newsrooms, from leading a daily newspaper in Alabama at 22 years old, to managing a regional magazine, to supporting a revolutionary nonprofit startup redefining who journalism is by and for.
My name is Heather.
I've worked in rural Alabama and in the most disenfranchised pockets of metro Atlanta, connecting with people across the political, socioeconomic, and ideological divides that define so much of our country. I'm able to engage these communities because I can speak from a place of shared experience and understanding: I grew up in Section 8 housing and know the difference between extractive reporting and community partnership, between serving and exploiting. As a first-generation college graduate married to an immigrant, I'm passionate about producing journalism that explores and expands our understanding of experiences and perspectives different from our own, and I'm firmly committed to building relationships based on authenticity and respect.
I live in Atlanta with my husband, Sahil, and our cats, Oswald and Lalo, where I currently freelance as an editor, writer, fact-checker, and researcher. For thoughtful and rigorous editorial support—or to get together and share a story idea—reach out here or on Signal (hthrln.404).
