Ben Kesling

Aug 22, 2024 | americanpressinstitute.org | Ben Kesling |Lilly Chapa

What is a Critical Conversation? | Printable discussion guidePolitical violence can pop up unexpectedly but in many cases it’s a fire ignited by smoldering embers that journalists and editors have time to recognize, identify and be prepared for. But like any fire, when it breaks out it can appear spontaneous, spreading rapidly and in surprising ways.

Jan 19, 2024 | wsj.com | Ben Kesling |Jennifer Levitz

Lynn Shelmerdine passes oil rigs and tumbleweed on her way to work. Most men she knows drive pickup trucks and quite a few wear cowboy hats. But she’s emphatic that her part of Montana, despite being in Mountain time, is the Midwest rather than the Wild West.

Jan 19, 2024 | wsj.com | Ben Kesling |Jennifer Levitz

“Meat and potatoes…county fairs and we definitely have lots of casseroles—we call them a hot dish,” she says. Don’t forget marshmallows in salads. “You got a church potluck, you’re gonna get that.” Everyone knows places such as Ohio and Minnesota are solidly in the Midwest. But a recent poll finds that the Midwest is more a state of mind than just a place you can point to on a map.

Sep 20, 2023 | wsj.com | Ben Kesling |Christina Rogers

WENTZVILLE, Mo.—The use of temporary factory workers at the Detroit car companies has long rankled the United Auto Workers union, which wants fewer of them and a faster path to full-time status.

Aug 26, 2023 | wsj.com | Alicia A. Caldwell |Ben Kesling |Shannon Najmabadi

After Lahaina Fire, Finding and Identifying Victims Proves ArduousHundreds are still missing, and some remains might never be located or identified