The Lead is a weekly newsletter that provides resources and connections for student journalists in both college and high school. It is written by former Poynter fellow Taylor Blatchford and was supported by the Poynter Institute from 2020-2022. Blatchford continues to feature innovative work from student publications, dissect tricky issues relevant to students at all levels, and share tools, internships and scholarships.

Subscribe to the latest version here and follow Blatchford on Twitter for more updates.

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Taylor Blatchford

Students and activists protest the Department of Public Safety and call for the organization’s abolishment at the “Care Not Cops” rally in December 2021. (Yannick Peterhans / Annenberg Media)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Andrew Rowan shoots b-roll of a student slacklining on the Northwestern University lakefill for a story. (Joey Safchik / Northwestern News Network)

Taylor Blatchford

The Seattle Times’ holiday pie project showed me the value of collaborating with visuals teams. Cranberry pear, lemon and berry ginger pies baked for the project are pictured above. (Amanda Snyder/The Seattle Times)

Taylor Blatchford

Associated Press photographer Evgeniy Maloletka points at the smoke rising after an airstrike on a maternity hospital, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)

Taylor Blatchford

The Daily Evergreen newsroom on Washington State University’s Pullman campus sat empty for over a year while classes were held online and most editors worked remotely. The walls are decorated with artifacts from past generations of Evergreeners. (Emma Ledbetter / The Daily Evergreen)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Twelve of the 22 Division I college football players who have died from overexertion since 2000. (Photo collage courtesy of the UMD Howard Center for Investigative Journalism)

Taylor Blatchford

With washable chalk, some athletes sprayed slogans like “We belong,” “You can’t cut me,” and “KSR” — in reference to the saying "Keep Stanford Rowing" — on the building that holds the office of the university president following a rally in support of 36 sports at Stanford. (Erin Woo / The Stanford Daily)

Taylor Blatchford

Georgia players celebrate after the College Football Playoff championship football game against Alabama Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Indianapolis. Georgia won 33-18. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Taylor Blatchford

Sarah Wallace interviews Western University football player Deionte Knight after Western’s Vanier Cup victory, Dec. 4, 2021. (Liam J. Afonso / Western Gazette)

Taylor Blatchford

In this Nov. 9, 2015, file photograph, a student claps while standing in a protest movement's camp area following the announcement that University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe was stepping down at the university in Columbia, Missouri. Wolfe resigned with the football team and others on campus in open revolt over his handling of racial tensions at the school. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Bound archives sit in The Varsity newsroom at the University of Toronto. (Hannah Carty / The Varsity)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

The PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter.

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Members of The Bates Student at a staff meeting in September of 2020. (Katherine Merisotis/The Bates Student)

Taylor Blatchford

The editorial board of The Maneater student newspaper at the University of Missouri, spring 2015. (Courtesy: Taylor Blatchford)

Taylor Blatchford

Kami Rieck at The Boston Globe as a full-time audience engagement co-op in 2020. (Courtesy: Kami Rieck)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Graduation day at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. (Shutterstock)

Taylor Blatchford

The New York Times building in New York City. (Shutterstock)

Taylor Blatchford

This illustration ran alongside The Western Front student newspaper's op-ed explaining their new protest coverage policy. (Illustration by Sophia Lindstrom)

Taylor Blatchford

Blogger at workplace. Female journalist create various media content. Blogging, copywriting or storytelling concept. Modern display with social network page or blog. Trendy flat vector illustration

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Taylor Blatchford sits in the Poynter courtyard on the last day of her summer fellowship in August 2018. (Courtesy of Taylor Blatchford)

Taylor Blatchford

TikTok screenshots

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Courtesy Boston Globe

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Shattered glass from last week's attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob is seen in the doors leading to the Capitol Rotunda, in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Taylor Blatchford

A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed at a pop-up vaccine clinic for EMS workers Center Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

A screenshot of Morgan State University's student newspaper, The Spokesman.

Taylor Blatchford

President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House White House. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Taylor Blatchford

Be a campus sleuth and do research when you suspect you've found misinformation online about your school. (Shutterstock)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

Screenshot courtesy of the Loyola Phoenix.

Taylor Blatchford

The Daily Orange will mail stickers to donors along with thank-you notes. (Haley Robertson / The Daily Orange)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

A woman wears a mask as she walks on campus at San Diego State University, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in San Diego. San Diego State University on Wednesday halted in-person classes for a month after dozens of students were infected with the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Taylor Blatchford

The Humanities Building, formerly Neill Hall, at Macalester College. (Abe Asher / The Mac Weekly)

Taylor Blatchford

Gates leading into Memorial Stadium are padlocked in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Big Ten won't play football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Taylor Blatchford

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Eliana Miller

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Tamara Kamis

"One challenge (to freelancing) is that it’s really hard to string together enough work to support yourself. You’re writing and you’re your own administrator and boss and office." (Shutterstock)

Taylor Blatchford

With schools’ plans still up in the air as the pandemic continues, it’s even more important to stay organized and plan for contingencies. (Shutterstock)

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

6:15 a.m. Shai Schwartz, left, a Dialysis Technician, and Calie Shemwell, right, a Dialysis Nurse, pose for a portrait before heading into work. "I know some are a bit worried about low supplies with masks and other items," said Schwartz, "But we still make due with what we have and do our best to deliver our best patient care." (Jack Rodgers/Minnesota Daily)

Taylor Blatchford

The Sunflower at Wichita State University took front porch portraits of graduating seniors, which became the cover of its graduation issue. 

Taylor Blatchford

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Taylor Blatchford

A woman wearing graduation attire is photographed in the middle of an empty street on the University of Kansas campus. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Taylor Blatchford

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