Paige Southwick Pfleger
@PaigePfleger
Followers
8K
Following
22K
Media
1K
Statuses
11K
Criminal justice reporter @WPLN • Investigating guns + juvenile justice with @ProPublica's Local Reporting Network • Tell me a secret: [email protected]
Joined December 2011
This 83 year old woman holds a sign that says “Defend black voices” as the marchers walk by and cheer for her. “I’m so proud of you young people,” she says.
737
38K
194K
A local store in Columbus, Tigertree, is closing after nearly 14 years. This is the message they put on their window:
62
6K
28K
Ohio was one of the first states to close down to slow the spread of COVID. Now we are amongst the hardest hit. During his address, Governor Mike DeWine urged Ohioans to wear masks and said he would take any action necessary. then proceeded to take no action at all.
109
1K
5K
Don't know who needs to hear this today but:.Success in journalism does NOT always look like working for a national outlet. Local journalism matters, and working in a local market does not mean you're not good enough to work nationally.
71
717
5K
Got a voicemail from my grandpa asking me to ditch work and jail break him and his girlfriend out of their old folks home for a trip to lake Michigan. "I'll pay for everything. We have to get out of here." Real big 2020 energy.
27
55
2K
Within three weeks in Columbus, two Black men were shot and killed by law enforcement. In one case, there was no body camera. In the other, the body camera was not turned on until after the shooting. Twice now, federal authorities have been asked to investigate.
9
683
2K
The day that Tennessee’s abortion ban went into effect, someone showed up to a press conference and started shouting over doctors and nurses. Gloria Johnson was there and simply stood up in front of this man - towering over him - and it stunned him into complete silence.
Standing in front of the Knoxville school she used to teach at, Rep. Gloria Johnson announced she is running for U.S. Senate. “I’m 6’3″. I’m not afraid to stand up to anyone when it comes to doing what’s right for Tennessee — especially Marsha Blackburn."
37
191
1K
This is a very important thread about journalistic responsibility and the need for reporters and editors to be culturally competent when it comes to LGBTQ topics. [And a good time to say: hire LGBTQ employees! We're pretty good at this sort of thing!].
7
373
2K
Journalists: please please please use the @glaad style guide when writing about @TheElliotPage today!
29
457
2K
The research institute @Battelle has successfully developed technology that can clean up to 80,000 pieces of PPE for reuse. This is a huge breakthrough in the fight against the #coronavirus. This morning, I got an exclusive look inside:
96
565
1K
Breaking: The Franklin County Coroner's office has ruled Casey Goodson Jr.'s death a homicide. The preliminary cause of death is multiple gun shot wounds to the torso. The full report will be released in 12 weeks.
3
385
1K
Hundreds of protestors lay flat on the ground at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. They chant, “I can’t breathe.”
7
427
1K
Today is my last day with @wosunews. Columbus, it has been such an honor to earn your trust and tell your stories over the last few years. It’s hard to leave this city - especially now - and I will miss this community so much. Thank you for letting me in.
120
11
881
I’m very excited to share this news! Starting in February I’ll be joining @WPLN in Nashville as their first music, arts and culture reporter.
57
5
708
A medic confirms they had one case of antifreeze poisoning where a water bottle was tampered with and a protester had to go to the hospital. She says now they are buying their own water or taking donations from people of color only.
13
312
645
*whispers*. If you’re going to send your reporters to cover potentially violent protests, make sure they are equipped to do so safely — and if you say you “cannot afford to” buy them protective gear, it may be time to reconsider what you are prioritizing over their safety 🙃.
7
46
617
Hundreds of people are gathered at the Ohio Statehouse protesting for Casey Goodson Jr. @wosunews
2
122
609
Next time you want to put "Middle America" or "Flyover States" in your headline, please remember that about 50% of the US population lives within a 500 mile radius of Columbus, Ohio. Just because we're not NYC or LA doesn't mean you can call us "everything in between".
7
91
600
Breaking news: the U.S. Attorney’s Office – along with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the Cincinnati Division of the FBI and the Columbus Division of Police – will review the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dec. 4, 2020 shooting of Casey Goodson.
3
165
578
A bit of personal news: I'm incredibly excited to team up with @propublica on a year-long investigation into how Tennessee's laws allow guns to remain in dangerous hands. @WPLN.
22
65
558
Kids who break the rules inside this detention center often face the same punishment: being locked up alone in a cell for hours, even days. One kid was secluded for forgetting to bring his books to class. Another was secluded, but wasn’t sure why. 🧵1/7
14
269
510
Here's how many ballot drop boxes the city of Detroit has, in comparison to how many the city of Columbus has. For some perspective, Columbus has 250,000 more residents than Detroit.
9
233
496
Never is the theater kid to public radio pipeline more apparent than during membership drives.
14
26
476
My landlord who lives upstairs printed a shipping label for me, and this is how it was delivered 🥺
13
33
489
I’ve never felt more like I was in a Portlandia sketch than when I went to get ice cream and an apathetic employee said, “This flavor is a collaboration with Tyler, the Creator”.
4
33
466
I love the idea of NPR's Midwest Newsroom (and I admire so many of the humans and stations involved with it) but as a Midwesterner. I am sincerely baffled by the fact that states like Ohio, Michigan or Indiana aren't included?.
48
12
371
A group of Tennessee lawmakers signed a letter calling for an audit into juvenile detention facilities in the state, following a @ProPublica and @WPLN investigation into the Richard L. Bean Center in Knoxville, where kids were illegally secluded.
8
140
321
The PPE cleaning systems are being deployed across the country right now, but cannot be used until they get approval from the @US_FDA. @GovMikeDeWine, @LtGovHusted and the @OHdeptofhealth are pleading for that to happen ASAP.
16
105
260
We are on Ohio state’s campus. Despite being members of the media officers threatened to pepper spray us.
24
162
291
My dad made my mom a miniature picnic table for her backyard Critter Cafe™️ and this opossum is a happy customer
11
21
320
While eyes are on the Tennessee State Capitol, Nashville's mayor @JohnCooper4Nash is giving a press conference with @MomsDemand and @Everytown asking lawmakers to pass an Extreme Risk Protection Law to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a risk to themselves or others.
1
70
251
I am just one small human person begging the public radio system to stop protecting managers who yell at or berate their employees! It is not okay. It is not normal. It does not have to be this way!.
6
15
287
Meet Xavier, @wosunews’ newest reporter! His dad owns a barbershop on the South Side and is part of a new Columbus initiative to talk about infant mortality in barbershops and beauty salons. The city estimates about 3 babies die every week in Franklin County.
9
37
287
BREAKING: @MayorGinther is asking that the statue of Christopher Columbus at city hall be taken down as soon as possible.
5
67
252
Last summer, I documented Columbus Police's use of force against protestors and found officer actions did not match their training. I'm honored this work was awarded first place for best investigative reporting by Ohio's Associated Press.
3
17
272
Hundreds of protesters gather at the corner of Broad and High. No police presence. We are about 15 minutes away from curfew.
3
58
239
Hundreds of protesters are taking to the streets. They’re marching north on High Street. No sign of the police.
1
51
239
Prosecutor O’Brien says 500 mcg was chosen as the amount of fentanyl for murder charges because it “hastened” death of these patients and thusly is a violation of Ohio law that people must be allowed to die naturally. @wosunews.
19
95
248
Protestors are ditching their cars and walking towards #phlairport. More wait in traffic with signs out their windows #MuslimBan
5
133
223
Columbus has seen one of the largest reductions in mail sorting capacity in the country. The @washingtonpost looks at what that could mean for the upcoming election:
9
187
233
More than 48,000 people have died of COVID-19 across the Big Ten states. Before you get angry about college football, please digest that fact.
13
48
233
good morning - my father just informed me that I've been saying my own last name wrong my entire life and I had to tell him that it's far too late in my career to do anything about that now - hope you're having a normal monday!.
18
2
241
10 seconds. A Columbus police officer shot and killed 47-year-old Andre Maurice Hill less than 10 seconds after finding him inside a garage Tuesday morning.
6
139
224
This is one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen in Columbus yet. At the end of this video you can see National Guard vehicles heading north — the same direction as the protesters.
6
89
218
There are fallen trees and downed power lines from the storms in East Nashville. @NashSevereWx @WPLN
13
89
232
This is what Columbus, Ohio looks like tonight.
13
87
227
The people of Columbus should be as passionate about @TheBookLoftGV as they are about football. (Don’t @ me)
4
7
220
Man the 1,000 people who just followed me are going to be really disappointed when they realize I don’t exclusively tweet out spunky grandma content. (Welcome! Support your local @NPR member station!).
4
1
218
Breaking: the officer who shot and killed a black man this morning in Columbus did not turn on his body camera until after the shooting took place.
10
85
217
We’ve reached a whole new level of dystopia when people start harassing journalists who point out huge crowds of people at bars on game day during the middle of a pandemic might have, ya know, consequences 🙃.
7
26
218
Really just came across a journalist who posted a job listing along with a description like "the work environment isn't great, but you'll do important work" as though. being treated badly is okay if you're doing good journalism? Are these our industry standards now?.
11
12
208
Breaking: Columbus Police announce they will no longer release the names of minors who are victims of crimes in their news releases or on their social media platforms. The department has received backlash in the past for this practice.
5
31
208
“How were you best investigative reporter in Ohio last year but you can’t tell when the dishes are clean?” - my partner, with an incredibly on point critique 🤣.
5
1
212
It is the night before the biggest story I’ve ever reported drops, and my editor (and friend, and mentor) @TGonzalez offered to come over, help me make it across the finish line, and, of course, crack a pre-publication beer. Now that’s what I call leadership 🫡
8
3
217
I am beyond disappointed in local media who have already referred to the person who was shot and killed by a police officer as a "suspect" when there is no evidence to indicate that right now.
3
39
194
@propublica @WPLN Bean - surprisingly - gave me a tour of his facility. When I asked him if he was worried about getting in trouble with DCS or the state, he told me: "If I got in trouble for it, I believe I could talk to whoever got me in trouble and get out of it." 7/7
9
67
194
Today would have been Ohio’s Associated Press awards ceremony! I showered and put on real clothes to celebrate the occasion. Not pictured here: my wonderful colleagues from Ohio’s best radio newsroom, @wosunews ❤️
12
5
197
Today is my first day as a music, arts and culture reporter for @WPLN! We are hoping to take a slightly different approach to this beat - we want to hold powerful institutions accountable when it comes to diversity, equity and accessibility in the arts scene.
10
9
185
Protestors are headed straight towards a police cruiser blocking the intersection of High and Town.
4
33
180
“Today is heartbreaking to me, as opposed to being a victory,” says Amy, the daughter of one of the victims. Her mother is one of five patients the hospital says could have possibly survived their conditions had Husel not been their doctor. @wosunews
4
47
195
The prosecutor does not consider the nurses and pharmacists as co-conspirators. He says many of the nurses who worked alongside Husel were early in their career. That’s what we have heard when we talked to employees: @wosunews.
21
73
178
14-year-old Adam says anti-transgender legislation makes it hard for him to just be a kid. Instead he always has an eye on the state capitol. “They just see us as these scary monsters. But we are just kids.” @WPLN.
1
53
170
Do we think this tagger is a sustaining member, or are their initials just NPR?
6
10
183
Breaking: Columbus Police say they issued "abolishment notices" to 20 high school resource officers and 2 sergeants who work in Columbus City Schools. CPD's three year contract with the district expired and no new contract is in place.
6
37
178
Protesters as far as the eye can see, marching down High Street in the Short North.
1
40
171
It was such an honor to be a journalist in Columbus — to earn the community's trust and to tell their stories. I did not want to leave, and I'm grateful to @andydowning33 for giving me a chance to share why I did.
17
13
180
The podcast The Kids Of Rutherford County revealed mistreatment of children in the juvenile justice system. But @propublica and @wpln wanted to know - what was happening elsewhere in Tennessee? That led us to the Richard L. Bean Center in Knoxville. 2/7
4
59
163
Hundreds of protesters at the Ohio Statehouse sing happy birthday to #BreonnaTaylor. Today would have been her 27th birthday.
0
65
183
Speak softly (in your NPR voice) and carry a big stick.
2
2
172
Live look at me reading the public radio discourse right now
7
0
172
Stopped at a red light. Looked to my right, and…
6
1
175
Students chant, “Cut ties with the CPD!” Last night @ohiostate student journalists from @TheLantern were maced by Columbus Police while covering the protests, even after identifying themselves as members of the media.
2
46
164
I've always hesitated to call myself an 'investigative reporter', but being a finalist for an @IRE_NICAR award is such an honor that I might have to start. So grateful to the team behind this story: @mariamaelba @MichaelGrabell @TGonzalez @Willdeshazer
7
4
175
*Googles: does South Bend, Indiana have public transportation?*.
Joe Biden will nominate Pete Buttigieg to be his transportation secretary, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, elevating the former mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to a top post in the federal government. Our story:
8
10
153
Ohio is nearing 5 million votes counted and Trump is leading with 52%. Many rural counties with 100% precincts reporting have voted for Trump. The counties with Ohio's major cities (Franklin, Cuyahoga, and Hamilton) have about 50% precincts reporting and are 60% or more for Biden.
3
38
142
BREAKING: governor @MikeDeWine is extending voting until June 2nd. Between now and then you can vote by absentee ballot.
6
50
141
There is no evidence that the election was "rigged" in Franklin County. There was an issue with a ballot scanner that has now been fixed, and voters will receive correct ballots within 72 hours.
Breaking News: 50,000 OHIO VOTERS getting WRONG ABSENTEE BALLOTS. Out of control. A Rigged Election!!!.
2
42
147
At my last job, I oscillated between covering COVID deaths, police shooting deaths or overdose deaths. I remember feeling grateful to work from home so I could cry during press conferences and no one would see. Thank you for writing this, @OliviaMesser
5
22
157
A public radio first for me this week: someone donated to the @wosunews membership drive and said my reporting was vital to the city, *AND* I do not believe it was my mom or my boyfriend!.
4
3
158
The protest in Columbus was peaceful. People wanted to stand in solidarity with states who are still counting ballots. They chanted "count the votes, all the votes" and "this is what democracy looks like" then they called it at 8:30pm. Strange contrast to a boarded up city.
Businesses in downtown Columbus are boarded up in anticipation of election related protests. So far there are roughly 50 people gathered at the State House.
1
35
151
Two years ago I (incorrectly) assumed a bartender at my favorite bar was buying me drinks to flirt with me. Instead he was just putting my drinks on a friends tab (sorry @nckevns!) Needless to say that moment of cockiness has really paid off!
5
0
151
“If Chappell Roan can be an unserious yet super successful pop star, then surely I can go to the office and record a two way with NPR about the Supreme Court in my angry beaver muscle tee.”
4
1
155
Hey, I’ve got news! Come September, I’ll be joining the staff of @wosunews in Columbus as a reporter! I’ve wanted an opportunity like this one for a very long time, and while I’m sad to leave Philadelphia, I’m so excited to be telling stories in the Midwest again.
21
3
157
just dipped pizza in ranch, so my assimilation to the midwest is now complete.
14
5
159
BREAKING: Governor @MikeDeWine announces they will order all bars and restaurants to close at 9pm tonight.
2
45
132
Wow. When #AndreHill was shot and killed by Columbus Police officer Adam Coy, he was wearing a #BlackLivesMatter shirt.
Crump notes the irony of Hill wearing a black lives matter shirt when police officers shot him.
2
48
142
This is bigger than one man's appearance at the Opry. It's about a pledge the venue made, and how people of color are treated in country music and the industry. So thankful that @BlackOpry @Stephiejacques and @joyoladokun shared their perspectives.
6
32
140
Closed out a story with propublica for tomorrow *and* bullied my coworker into adopting a kitten my girlfriend found in a creek 🖤.
6
1
152
We’ve reached the part of quarantine where I worry the cat is angry at me and my boyfriend has to comfort me like “I don’t think he’s mad that’s just his face”.
3
14
149
One word notably missing from this 5 minute address?.Gun.
What happened at The Covenant School yesterday was a tragedy beyond comprehension. I want to speak directly to Tennesseans about the way forward.
10
22
128
I got a voicemail saying I was selected to be one of the @NPRinterns on April fools day in 2015 and boy did I think someone was pranking me! I really called my soon-to-be-boss back and asked if it was a joke 😅.
3
1
155
Casey Goodson Jr.’s former teacher speaks about his life. As a teacher she says if something happened to one of her students while she was working, she would be fired. She asks why sheriff’s deputy Jason Meade still has his job after shooting and killing Goodson.
2
28
132
Thinking of all my fellow journalists who have experienced sexual assault or harassment and are having a hard time today during the #KavanaughHearings.
8
21
144