About Erin Marie Miller
As a freelance journalist, writer and photographer with over a decade of experience working for magazines and newspapers in various roles, I’ve photographed assignments and written features and news articles for national, regional and local publications in print and online. In 2021, I received an Excellence in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit chapter for my reporting on the economic impact of the pandemic on minority-owned small businesses in Detroit.
An ardent believer in the power of independent media, “small tech” and radical curiosity, I launched this blog in the spring of that year as a space to share my in-progress reporting research, unpublished and rejected stories, personal essays, photojournalism projects and more.
Because of my background in the editorial space, coupled with my formal education in fine arts and political science, readers can expect to find posts here related to journalism, photography, art, transparency and civil liberties — particularly press freedom and freedom of expression.
Although I am notoriously Very Offline, you can keep up with me elsewhere on the web at the following places:
Visit my journalism portfolio to read some of my traditionally published reporting.
Check out my photography (and commission me to shoot for your publication) at my photography website.
Follow my VSCO photo journal to keep up with my random adventures and see the beautiful things I can’t stop discovering about the world.
I recently joined TikTok. I’m not super active there yet, but at some point, you’ll be able to hear me talk about my photography and photojournalism projects there.
You can find all of my social media listed in one place here.
MY CREDO
I believe that which does not bend, breaks. Authentic progress requires an unwavering commitment to fairness and a sincere desire for understanding and dialogue. I strive for compassion and nuance in my approach to writing and journalism, and I have an inherent aversion to outrage culture and cherry-picking.
As an artist and human, I don’t believe in snark, double standards, hypocrisy, cancellations, name-calling, hit pieces, partisanship or pettiness. All of those things make our collective future worse, not better. Instead, I believe in using the written word and visual art to explore, celebrate, understand and embrace our humanness — including our imperfections.
As a journalist, I believe in a free press and freedom of expression, and I oppose censorship (with a few extremely limited caveats) due to the ease with which it can be abused — and the extent to which it has already been abused by powerful people throughout history, even in modern times.
I’m a fan of clean data and an advocate for open government and institutional transparency. I believe in taking time to do careful, unbiased research. Emotions lie, breaking news usually contains inaccuracies and quick turnarounds lead to errors that erode the public’s trust.
I also believe the frantically paced 24-hour news cycle undermines the potential for a well-informed society. Instead of quick reactions and sensationalized “hot takes,” readers of this blog should expect to find fair, balanced perspectives and thoroughly researched work that treats others with dignity while examining important issues with frankness, compassion, curiosity and skepticism.
Subscribers should never expect to see an immediate reaction to current events here, nor should they expect me to take a public position on most issues unless they directly relate to journalism, photography or open government. That’s because I believe the world is changed by the example we set through our actions — not the reactions we share online. Because of that, I am also a conscientious objector to the so-called culture wars, which I believe serve only to dehumanize others, on both sides, while preventing us from building a more compassionate, less hypocritical society.
I believe truth can only be found at the point where all perspectives meet. I don’t believe people who disagree with me are dangerous or a threat, nor do I believe they should be censored or ridiculed. Instead, I believe that maintaining our personal values while treating others with dignity and listening to them with sincerity is an opportunity for uncovering our own blind spots, misconceptions and biases.
Finally, I value tolerance and ideological diversity, and I avoid limiting my worldview to specific narratives or political persuasions — a quality some people find intimidating, and others find refreshing.
ETHICS POLICY
In my reporting, I adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.
My news photography and photojournalism, specifically, are guided by the Associated Press Visuals Standards for Photography and the National Press Association’s Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists. (Please note these news standards do not apply to my creative photography, such as my fashion, lifestyle or commercial work.)
CORRECTIONS
If you notice a factual error or have any questions or criticisms related to anything you read here, feel free to leave a comment on the post or contact me directly by email. Alternatively, you can also send me a Telegram.
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
This newsletter is for people who share my love of photography and journalism. Subscribers can expect to receive essays on writing, reporting, photography, art, civil liberties and transparency. Readers can also expect periodic updates about my Freedom of Information Act requests and insights into my research and work processes for various projects.
You can subscribe to this newsletter by signing up below.
