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annaleighclark.bsky.social
Anna Clark
@annaleighclark.bsky.social
25K followers 3.1K following 550 posts
@Propublica.org journalist in Detroit, exploring Michigan and the Midwest

Author: "The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy”

Teacher: Alma College MFA program in creative writing

www.annaclark.net
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annaleighclark.bsky.social
It began with a $4,500 coffeemaker. But it sure didn't end there.

I can't wait to moderate this virtual conversation with Beth LeBlanc + @chadlivengood.bsky.social on their investigative series into a $20 million earmark, revealing reckless spending, corruption and loose oversight in government.
SPJ Detroit presents a virtual conversation with Beth LeBlanc and Chad Livengood on their project exposing government wrongdoing that is the subject of a criminal investigation. Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. ET.
November 17, 2025 at 10:48 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Screenshot of text of editorial of the Indiana Daily Student describing a 158-year history of editorial independence, a principle enshrined in its charter and decades of court precedent, which, it says, was the foundation of its respected journalism program. It says the administration that fired a staff member for not following a directive to make students stop printing news is in defiance of all this.
October 15, 2025 at 1:43 AM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
A surprising sight in St. Clair County, Michigan: A man waving Fixodent denture cream before the county commissioners at an August meeting.

“I am an unfluoridated child,” he declared, “with a set of uppers and lowers.”
Man with wire-frame glasses, blue overalls, and a gray zip-up hoodie waves a tube of denture cream before the dais of the county commissioners at an August meeting in St. Clair County, Michigan.
October 13, 2025 at 2:18 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
... and an image of the 32-foot sculpture in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that celebrates its history as the first city to add fluoride to its drinking water.
Image from story, with this caption: "Steel Water," a sculpture by Cyril Lixenberg, was erected in 2007 in Grand Rapids to celebrate the community's role in advancing water fluoridation.
September 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Bonus features: Curious artifacts from the history of fluoridation, including a short public service film from 1952 ...
Image of embedded video, with a caption: A 1952 short film on fluoridation, presented by the Division of Dental Public Health, cites Grand Rapids, Michigan, for its reduction in tooth decay.
September 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
There’s always a local angle. #journalism
Headline for Detroit Free Press story: “Tight end for Detroit Lions’ Week 6 opponent engaged to Taylor Swift.”
August 26, 2025 at 9:33 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: Join us this week at Book Suey in Hamtramck, where we'll dive into SUBMERSED: Wonder, Obsession and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines, by Matthew Gavin Frank.

It's a most remarkable book, by an extraordinary writer.

Let's go!
Promo image for an event for the book SUBMERSED: WONDER, OBSESSION AND MURDER IN THE WORLD OF AMATEUR SUBMARINES, by Matthew Gavin Frank. Frank will be in conversation with Anna Clark at Book Suey, 10345 Joseph Campau Avenue, Hamtramck, MI. Event is FREE and open to all. Come join us!
July 6, 2025 at 10:25 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
A letter dated April 29, 2025, notifying Michigan State University about the termination of a grant for research into PFAS, one day after the EPA said in a press release that it was committed to combating PFAS contamination by, in part, “strengthening the science.”
“This EPA Assistance Agreement is terminated in its entirety effective immediately on the grounds that the award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”
July 2, 2025 at 2:33 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
For @thenation.com's 160th (!!) anniversary, it gathered 50 dispatches from 50 states.

There's Lauren Groff on Florida. Chris Ware on Illinois. Kaveh Akbar on Iowa. Judy Chicago on New Mexico. Rick Steves on Washington.

I'm delighted to write from Michigan:

www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Screenshot of the graphic, title, byline and first three paragraphs of the Michigan dispatch in the Nation series: "How Water Divides Us," by Anna Clark. The first three grafs read as follows: "In times of groundlessness, I come back to the water. In Michigan, it can’t be helped. "My native state is split across two peninsulas stitched together by a five-mile-long suspension bridge and bordered by four of the largest lakes in the world. I’m the type that boasts to oceanside friends of the majesty of the Great Lakes: their frigid depths; their thousands of miles of shoreline; their store of nearly all the fresh water in the United States. Poured over the lower 48 states, it would settle at a depth of more than nine feet. Even well beyond this inland coast, Michigan’s abundance of lakes, streams, and rivers means you’re never more than six miles from a natural body of water. "So goes my Middle West patriotism. It’s a common sort, across all corners of this swingiest of states. But water is revelatory. It forces us to be honest. And the truth is, our water is a weapon as much as it is our shared wealth."
June 10, 2025 at 5:09 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Our shared earth is rich with stories.

In this generative workshop, we’ll explore ways to chronicle it: personal testimony; poetic attention; asking the largest questions of climate change and environmental justice and much more.
Promo image for "Environmental Writing: Narrating the Natural World," a workshop led by Anna Clark at Next Chapter Books in Detroit, June 28, 2-3:30pm. Details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/environmental-writing-narrating-the-natural-world-tickets-1263554969929?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawKoItNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjNWNxcXB0UVE1Tk14TDA5AR7RAna4uirkbA8Uj_X6ZUC7cEpLRt3PblzbRii6YUDJSiNhj_13_ELr9LRXSg_aem_SEaYGCZlH3O0DXo3CAOY4g
June 8, 2025 at 5:21 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
I’m reporting on the Great Lakes, drinking water, infrastructure, and US/Canada dynamics.

And I’m interested in accountability stories of all kinds with Michigan roots and national resonance.

Do you have a news tip? Issue expertise?

I’d love to hear from you! My Signal:
QR code for Signal chat with annaleighclark.14
May 8, 2025 at 5:06 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
She's an artist, a reader, a lover of music. She's brave. Hugely compassionate. Before the year took a terrifying turn, she discovered a love for rugby. She got her license and her first job. She's super proud of being Scottish-American.

She's just an awesome person, and proving it more every day.
Picture of 6-year-old path being lifted up by her grandpa to reach a cluster of balloons that floated to the top of a living room ceiling. Picture of Path last spring with Auntie Anna, both smiling at the Roman Forum in Italy. Path is holding her sketchbook.
April 22, 2025 at 12:24 AM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: Come spend a springtime Sunday with me in a cheerful bookstore, as we explore writing and the natural world.

Bring a friend or family member, and get a discount! I thought this would be a fun Mother’s Day gift.

Details (scroll down): www.detroitwritingroom.com/events
Colorful card for an upcoming generative writing workshop — Environmental Writing: Narrating the Natural World, taught by Anna Clark, journalist and author, hosted by Next Chapter Books and the Detroit Writing Room. It will be Sunday, May 18, 2-3:30pm. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/environmental-writing-narrating-the-natural-world-tickets-1263554969929?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
April 17, 2025 at 11:40 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Monitoring updates at the CBC

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Screenshot of CBC post that quotes the president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business: “I can’t believe the whole world is trying to learn where their economies are headed by straining to see a stupid chart held by the president.”
April 2, 2025 at 9:26 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
The rule faced a legal challenge. Today, there's an update:

A judge in the Eastern District of Texas ruled against the FDA, and in favor of the American Clinical Laboratory Association and others.

The rule is vacated and set aside. He didn't describe his reasoning.
Screenshot from ruling: "3. The Court VACATES and SETS ASIDE, in its entirety, the FDA’s Final Rule titled Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests, 89 Fed. Reg. 37,286 (May 6, 2024) (to be codified at 21 C.F.R. § 809). The Court remands this matter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for further consideration. 4. The Court DENIES all other requested relief. Any pending motions are DENIED as MOOT"
March 31, 2025 at 10:59 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
We’ll be at Next Chapter Books, which is one of my favorites. 💙
Photo from Next Chapter Books’ Instagram, featuring a group of about twenty smiling people standing outside the bookshop’s storefront holding books, which has large windows in the yellow brick building, pals blue chairs and tables, and the store’s name in large black letters — a typewriter font.
March 22, 2025 at 12:51 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
💐 DETROIT: Our shared earth is rich with stories. Come join me at this generative workshop where we’ll playfully, thoughtfully explore our relationship with nature.

🌳 Open to all! Bring a friend or family member and get a discount.
Promo featuring details for the workshop “Environmental Writing: Narrating the Natural World.” Sunday, May 18, 2-3:30pm at Next Chapter Books, in Detroit MI. Tickets available at detroitwritingroom.com/events
March 22, 2025 at 12:38 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
DETROIT: Come join us THIS THURSDAY, 3/20, to talk -- thoughtfully, seriously, honestly -- about facing the attacks on DEI in journalism.

Register here (update: fixed link) - www.eventbrite.com/e/dei-or-don...
Promo for SPJ - Detroit event, "DEI, or Don't? Journalistically Facing the Challenges of the Attacks on DEI" When: 4-6p on Thursday, March 20 Where: Detroit Historical Museum Louise C. Booth Auditorium (5401 Woodward Ave.) Cost: $5 for members/students and $10 for non-members Questions? Contact wolf@franco.com Speakers: - Martina Guzmán, Wayne State University Law School - Felecia Henderson (Maynard Institute for Journalism Education) - Sam Robinson (Detroit one million) - Kat Stafford (Reuters) - Rod Hicks (SPJ National) - Mark S. Lee (The LEE Group)
March 17, 2025 at 3:16 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Today, I was thinking of hard-earned lessons from my days (years, centuries) as a full-time freelance journalist.

Here's what I wrote in 2019 on writing and rights:

www.instagram.com/p/B5vkrjflk2...
2019 Instagram post. Text below is truncated--character limits. "An article I wrote about THE SECRET GARDEN in 2011 is the forward to this edition. Neat, right? A story sitting in the cobwebs of Old Internet finds new life. I learned of it 9 months later. The news outlet decides where and if it gets reprinted. No human being interacted with me in any way. I’m glad about the forward, but this illustrates the vulnerability of writer contracts, where the work-for-hire clause is the norm. It means you don’t own your work and have no say in what happens to it. What if it gets misrepresented? Cut up, rearranged? I’ve gotten contacts that claim ownership over all drafts, notes, recordings, and even any IDEAS I get while reporting. When I learned of these clauses, I tried to forget it. I felt no power to do anything. I was desperate to get editors to let me do 20 hours of work in exchange for a byline and $150. I could not afford to delay a check by disputing a contract, which I usually didn’t see til after the work was done anyway. Fast-forward. 20 years after taking out my first student loan, I’m totally debt free. Since THE POISONED CITY came out, I’m getting back into articles. Without having to hustle as much to get by — for now, at least! — I can be more intentional. I’m using this freedom to target work-for-hire, for my own sake and, I hope, for my fellow lone writers too. It’s not that everything we write is destined for reprints or film deals. Ha! But like others, I’ve given up a LOT: salary, legal protections, vacations, sick days, weekends... To do all this to write, and then not have the right to anything I write? It’s too much. Here’s what I learned: ⭐️ Some places have a writer-friendly contract ready to go. They won’t give it to you unless you ask. 🌟 Offer alternative language. I use the clause from @columbiajournalismreview’s contract. It meets everyone’s needs. ⚡️Some say it’s impossible to change. You then have a choice. 💫 I’m not saying “don’t eve…
March 11, 2025 at 1:38 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
I'm happy to have recently joined the board of the Detroit chapter of @spj-posts.bsky.social. And we're hosting an event in a couple weeks that is sure to be a rich and thoughtful conversation.

Join us! Register here - docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Promo for an upcoming SPJ Detroit event: "DEI, Or Don't? Journalistically Facing the Challenges of the Attacks on DEI." It is at the Detroit Historical Museum on March 20, and 4pm. Panelists are Mark S. Lee, of the LEE Group and SPJ Detroit; Felecia Henderson of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education; and Rod Hicks, director of ethics & diversity at SPJ National. There's a QR code where you can RSVP, and a note saying the event will be $5 for SPJ members and students; $10 for non-members. (Anna's add: either way, it's a steal!)
March 8, 2025 at 6:14 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
QR code to connect with ProPublica reporter Anna Clark
February 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
No mention of fentanyl, the cited emergency for issuing the tariffs, in the president’s post this morning.
Post by President Donald Trump saying that the U.S. pays billions of dollars to subsidize Canada for no reason, that the U.S. doesn’t need them for anything, and should make everything here. Says that without the “massive subsidy” from the U.S., Canada ceases to exist as a viable country and should become the 51st state. Says there will be lower taxes and better military protection for Canadians—“AND NO TARIFFS.”
February 2, 2025 at 2:37 PM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
Statement from @biggretchenwhitmer.bsky.social:
Text of the press release that is screenshotted reads as follows: “LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the following statement on Trump tariffs, which would raise costs on goods and services critical to Michiganders, like groceries, home heating, and cars, and put more than a million Michigan jobs at risk. “Michiganders are already struggling with high costs—the last thing they need is for those costs to increase even more. A 25 percent tariff will hurt American auto workers and consumers, raise prices on cars, groceries, and energy for working families and put countless jobs at risk. Trump’s middle-class tax hike will cripple our economy and hit working-class, blue-collar families especially hard. “Because companies pass tariff costs on to the consumers, Trump’s middle-class tax hike will mean Michigan families pay more to heat their homes as they face below freezing temperatures, fill their gas tanks, and get affordable housing at a time when inflation is already high. It will harm our auto industry, driving up the cost of cars and slowing production lines. “I’m proud of the progress we have made in Michigan to bring supply chains home, grow auto manufacturing, and ensure Michigan’s talented workers build the future of cars and components. I’ll be glad to work with him, and anyone, to protect Michigan’s auto manufacturing, lower costs, and fight for Michigan’s working families.”
February 2, 2025 at 12:52 AM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
A different view from @uaw.org president Shawn Fain:
Screenshot of text from Bridge Michigan article that cites a recent column by UAW President Shawn Fain, where Fain wrote that he’s open to working with Trump on trade policy, agreed with Trump’s position that trade agreements with Mexico and Canada need an upgrade, and argued that tariffs are a “necessary tool” to help the working class.
January 31, 2025 at 1:05 AM
annaleighclark.bsky.social
"While the EPA may have had the discretion in deciding when and how to respond to citizen complaints about Flint’s water, once it decided to respond, it did not have the discretion to provide dangerously misleading or inaccurate information ..."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Image of top of the first page of the court filing: "Opinion and Order Denying the United States of America's Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subject-Matter Jurisdiction Pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act's Discretionary Function Exception." Case No. 17-cv-11218, filed 01/28/25
January 29, 2025 at 9:22 PM