Washingtonian Editorial Fellow

Washingtonian Editorial Fellow – Stage Two

1) Where do you get your news? Include the 5-7 sources you go to most often.

• The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ (for national news)
• The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/
• NYT Upshot: https://www.nytimes.com/section/upshot
• NPR: http://www.npr.org/
• FiveThirtyEight: https://fivethirtyeight.com/tag/significant-digits/ (I read their Significant Digits newsletter every day because it is hilarious)
• News & Observer: http://www.newsobserver.com/ (for local news)
• Outside Magazine: https://www.outsideonline.com/ (for my niche-interest news)

2) Write a 300-word (Or less! There are zero points awarded for maxing out length) blog post based off this press release and this
tweet, about a drone smuggling contraband into a Maryland prison.
a.
Include a hed/dek for the article.
b. Assume other outlets (Washington Post, DCist, etc...) are covering it. What's something new/different Washingtonian can say about it, to add conversation to news that may have already broken?
c. Dream up a Facebook share line or tweet for the story.

a.

Hed: The New ‘No Fly’ Zone: Why Maryland Authorities are Concerned About Drones Near Prisons
Dek: Authorities foiled a plot to drop contraband into a Maryland prison with a drone — but how can they stay one step ahead of criminals?

Article (296 words):

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No wait, it’s a drone filled with contraband? On Wednesday, authorities foiled a plot to fly contraband into a Cumberland County prison with a drone.

No, the Maryland detectives did not actually shoot the drone out of the sky Jason-Bourne-style. In fact, they intercepted the drone before it took flight, arresting two suspects, one of whom had been under surveillance for an extended period of
time.

Authorities from the Western Correctional Institute in Cumberland noticed a vehicle turn onto a side road near the state prison complex. This prompted law enforcement to stop and search the vehicle, which contained a drone, a handgun, a cellphone and various other types of contraband that authorities suspect were intended to be dropped into the prison.

Officers from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services also suspect the involvement of at least one inmate. Correctional staff found contraband in one inmate suspect’s cell, and are preparing to file charges against the inmate as well.

In the old days, inmates used to have visitors or corrupt correctional officers sneak contraband into prisons on their behalf. But drone-deliveries are increasing in frequency, with cases reported in Ohio, Georgia, and South Carolina in the last three years.

So how will authorities prevent future drone-drops in the future? Some are employing drone detection devices such as DeDrone, which scans the skies for drones using infrared cameras and surveillance of radio frequencies. But Maryland authorities simply employed old-fashioned detective work.

“Thanks to outstanding intelligence and detective work, we were able to keep out contraband that fuels violence and threatens the safety of the public, our employees, and the inmates,” said Stephen T. Moyer, secretary of the Maryland DPSCS, in a press release.

b) Assuming other media outlets have already covered this, Washingtonian could add to the conversation by exploring what’s next for authorities. Will Maryland employ DeDrone technology? How much will this cost taxpayers? Is Virginia also considering protection against drones? Also, the press release states that this case is the “first of it’s kind,” however, I found similar cases in other states. This would be a good opportunity for Washingtonian to attach a timeline of other drone contraband cases at the bottom of this blog post to give a fuller picture of the issue.

c) Tweet text: Clever plot to drop contraband into a Maryland prison wasn’t clever enough: (include bitly link)

3) We want fellows to show us what great stories we might be missing.
Look at the last week on Washingtonian’s website (3/6-3/10). What are three stories you would have liked to see here? Give them headlines and decks that suggest an angle Washingtonian should take.

Story 1
Hed: The Trump Effect on D.C. Real Estate
Dek: Every new administration brings changes, but Trump’s could shake up the real estate market even more than usual.
Angle: I would use Washingtonian’s recent article on a potential regional recession caused by Trump’s budget cuts as a jumping off point to discuss other regional economic effects caused by the new administration. Then, I would approach this article from two sides: 1) The Trump administration may bring higher real estate turnover rates than usual, as many long-time Washington staffers have decided to leave. 2) The administration is bringing more millionaire and billionaire aides than most prior presidents, opening up new opportunities for luxury real estate agents.

Story 2
Hed: Where Did All The (Former) Presidents Go?
Dek: Although the Obama family has chosen to stay in Washington, most former presidents hightail it out of the district. Where do they go, and
why?
Angle: To make this article more interesting and interactive, I would create a chronological photo gallery for readers to explore. I would detail the post-presidential lives of every president in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and go into depth on Woodrow Wilson — the last president who chose to remain in the Washington area. As an addendum, I would interview domestic policy analysts and former presidential staffers to offer insight into why so many presidents leave.

Story 3
Hed: Nonprofit Files Complaint Against Mayor Bowser’s 2014 Campaign
Dek: Allegations of illegal campaign contributions could derail Bowser’s chances for reelection
Angle: This story about nonprofit organization Public Citizen filing a complaint against Mayor Bowser regarding $31,500 of potential illegal campaign contributions appeared in the Washington Post and Washington City Paper last week. I would take a second-day angle, and explain the district’s campaign finance rules, and how this could hurt Bowser’s bid for re-election in the 2018 elections.