Clayton Collins
@claytoncollins.bsky.social
I work on editorial innovation and host the “Why We Wrote This” podcast at The Christian Science Monitor in Boston.
nothing really, i just wanna offer this hot take to the bold NBA pundits who’ve been so relentlessly declarative before every single pacers-thunder game, never once looking back with even slightly dimmed confidence: whoever wins game 7 is gonna win this series.
June 20, 2025 at 7:06 PM
nothing really, i just wanna offer this hot take to the bold NBA pundits who’ve been so relentlessly declarative before every single pacers-thunder game, never once looking back with even slightly dimmed confidence: whoever wins game 7 is gonna win this series.
Even the tech that makes us greener calls for dirty extraction. Its use slurps resources. But it provides essential support for modern lives. Writer Stephanie Hanes joined me on the “Why We Wrote This” podcast to talk data centers, rare earths, and the tradeoffs that sustainable living demands.
‘Progress’ can be dirty business. Our climate writer looks into the tradeoffs.
A lot of technology, including some that ultimately makes us “greener,” calls for extractive practices and carries upfront costs. Its use slurps resources. But it also makes us productive and provides...
www.csmonitor.com
May 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Even the tech that makes us greener calls for dirty extraction. Its use slurps resources. But it provides essential support for modern lives. Writer Stephanie Hanes joined me on the “Why We Wrote This” podcast to talk data centers, rare earths, and the tradeoffs that sustainable living demands.
On the eve of the Season 2 finale of #Severance, I had a light, no-spoilers conversation with our senior culture writer about why, for some, the dark show resonates. And what it says about perspectives on work and life. @csmonitor.bsky.social
‘Severance’: Our writer probes a way-out series about work with meaning
What does the hit Apple TV+ show that could be thought of as “Black Mirror” meets “Office Space” tell us about perceptions of workplace culture and Generation Z trends like “boreout”? About work with ...
www.csmonitor.com
March 20, 2025 at 11:21 PM
On the eve of the Season 2 finale of #Severance, I had a light, no-spoilers conversation with our senior culture writer about why, for some, the dark show resonates. And what it says about perspectives on work and life. @csmonitor.bsky.social
It’s been only *four* years since this @csmonitor.bsky.social #podcast on time? Time can be weird! Pulling this eight-part (counting the intro) series out of the archive for #daylightsavingtime weekend.
It’s About Time
Do you know what time is? No, not “what time is it?” But “what time is.” We’re Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O’Carroll. And we’re the hosts of a podcast series from the Monitor called “It’s About Time.” In...
www.csmonitor.com
March 8, 2025 at 6:11 PM
It’s been only *four* years since this @csmonitor.bsky.social #podcast on time? Time can be weird! Pulling this eight-part (counting the intro) series out of the archive for #daylightsavingtime weekend.
“Dialogue unit” cops are real police officers. “But their whole approach and mindset and relationship to the people they’re policing is not the ‘warrior’ mindset.” Simon Montlake joins me on “Why We Wrote This” to talk about his reporting on hopes for the evolution of big-crowd management.
Better policing, safer protests? Our writer gets up close to a ‘dialogue unit.’
What does good policing looks like when it comes to managing sometimes bristly human interactions at street protests or in rowdy sports stadiums? Writer Simon Montlake and photographer Alfredo Sosa le...
www.csmonitor.com
February 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“Dialogue unit” cops are real police officers. “But their whole approach and mindset and relationship to the people they’re policing is not the ‘warrior’ mindset.” Simon Montlake joins me on “Why We Wrote This” to talk about his reporting on hopes for the evolution of big-crowd management.
Trump uses his inauguration to paint a portrait of himself as a persecuted figure who has been victorious over his tormentors.
Trump moves from ‘American carnage’ to ‘a horrible betrayal’ in second inaugural
In his return to the White House, Mr. Trump’s political grievances have taken on a personal note, with him seeing himself as a persecuted figure.
www.csmonitor.com
January 20, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Trump uses his inauguration to paint a portrait of himself as a persecuted figure who has been victorious over his tormentors.
Friday’s DOJ finding that the 1921 Tulsa massacre of Black citizens was the result of “a coordinated, military-style attack” brings to mind the Monitor’s 2021 limited-series podcast, Tulsa Rising. It explored the painful, lasting legacy – but also the hope and strength of a new generation there.
Tulsa Rising
This is the story of a city wrestling with its history and – maybe – forging a better future. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the site…
www.csmonitor.com
January 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Friday’s DOJ finding that the 1921 Tulsa massacre of Black citizens was the result of “a coordinated, military-style attack” brings to mind the Monitor’s 2021 limited-series podcast, Tulsa Rising. It explored the painful, lasting legacy – but also the hope and strength of a new generation there.
“A complexity of being”: Stephanie Hanes joins me this week on the “Why We Wrote This” podcast to talk about the core role of empathy in Earth stewardship, in particular where that concerns other animals. It’s not about judging choices. It’s not about anthropomorphizing.
Reporting on animals, learning about love: One reporter’s journey
When it comes to humanity’s relationship to Earth’s other creatures, does “dominion” really mean “stewardship”? Monitor writer Stephanie Hanes joins host Clay Collins for a look behind the reporting o...
www.csmonitor.com
January 10, 2025 at 3:08 PM
“A complexity of being”: Stephanie Hanes joins me this week on the “Why We Wrote This” podcast to talk about the core role of empathy in Earth stewardship, in particular where that concerns other animals. It’s not about judging choices. It’s not about anthropomorphizing.
Throughout his life, #PresidentCarter would define his evangelical faith as “inextricably entwined with the political principles I have adopted.” It would infuse the decisions he made during his career as a public servant and define his life in ways both good and bad. via @csmonitor.bsky.social
For Jimmy Carter, a life of service, defined by faith
President Carter, who died Sunday at age 100, defined his faith as “inextricably entwined with the political principles I have adopted.” It would infuse the decisions he made at every stage of his car...
www.csmonitor.com
December 29, 2024 at 10:05 PM
Throughout his life, #PresidentCarter would define his evangelical faith as “inextricably entwined with the political principles I have adopted.” It would infuse the decisions he made during his career as a public servant and define his life in ways both good and bad. via @csmonitor.bsky.social
Got a chance to interview #PresidentCarter in 1995 for an inflight mag (we had great access) about the work of the Carter Center and about US isolationism. “We block off people with whom we don’t agree,” he said, “and we also ignore people who are not strategically important.” Worldview.
December 29, 2024 at 9:39 PM
Got a chance to interview #PresidentCarter in 1995 for an inflight mag (we had great access) about the work of the Carter Center and about US isolationism. “We block off people with whom we don’t agree,” he said, “and we also ignore people who are not strategically important.” Worldview.
“I’m not holding Trump to any different standard.” Washington writer @cameronjoseph.bsky.social is back on the show this week to talk about covering Trump 2.0. @csmonitor.bsky.social #podcast “Why We Wrote This.”
‘No different standard’: How one reporter prepares for a second Trump term
Covering an incoming administration is about more than tracking the words and deeds of the new chief executive. Plates are shifting from the Cabinet to Congress. That warrants careful reporting, too. ...
www.csmonitor.com
December 13, 2024 at 7:28 PM
“I’m not holding Trump to any different standard.” Washington writer @cameronjoseph.bsky.social is back on the show this week to talk about covering Trump 2.0. @csmonitor.bsky.social #podcast “Why We Wrote This.”
So are those “Biden did that” stickers still on pumps, or...?
www.axios.com/2024/12/09/g...
www.axios.com/2024/12/09/g...
Gas prices are the lowest since 2021
Gas prices haven't been this low since spring 2021.
www.axios.com
December 11, 2024 at 12:44 PM
So are those “Biden did that” stickers still on pumps, or...?
www.axios.com/2024/12/09/g...
www.axios.com/2024/12/09/g...
Stepping up, or stepping back to regroup? A sense of futility isn’t universal. But the rush to the barricades that accompanied much of the president-elect’s first term has given way to soul-searching about what activism can accomplish. via @csmonitor.bsky.social
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics...
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics...
‘I’m exhausted by him.’ Why Trump resistance is fizzling.
The first election of Donald Trump fueled major protests, including the Women’s March. This time around, the self-dubbed “resistance” movement appears less energized.
www.csmonitor.com
November 24, 2024 at 6:33 PM
Stepping up, or stepping back to regroup? A sense of futility isn’t universal. But the rush to the barricades that accompanied much of the president-elect’s first term has given way to soul-searching about what activism can accomplish. via @csmonitor.bsky.social
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics...
www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics...
We made a very on-brand deep dive on #Sudan just before the US elections. Predictably, it got buried. Quick tout here in this thoughtful online community. Our Flipboard curation is topped with a podcast featuring our international news editor on the thinking behind a perspective-adding series.
Sudan: a personal look at civil war and a humanitarian crisis
Sudan’s civil war has been an inscrutable news story for many people. Read these personal accounts and discover the reality of life in a war zone: A journalist recounts the birth of his daughter in a ...
flipboard.com
November 23, 2024 at 4:34 PM
We made a very on-brand deep dive on #Sudan just before the US elections. Predictably, it got buried. Quick tout here in this thoughtful online community. Our Flipboard curation is topped with a podcast featuring our international news editor on the thinking behind a perspective-adding series.
Towns in W. Massachusetts are building networks & approaching internet access like a public utility, or forming public-private partnerships to entice companies to provide service. A model for rural municipalities? Important story on access by @cameron-pugh.bsky.social of @csmonitor.bsky.social.
Millions in rural America lack reliable internet. How Massachusetts towns got online.
Millions of Americans in rural areas lack access to fast, reliable broadband internet. It's an equity problem that communities are starting to solve.
www.csmonitor.com
November 23, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Towns in W. Massachusetts are building networks & approaching internet access like a public utility, or forming public-private partnerships to entice companies to provide service. A model for rural municipalities? Important story on access by @cameron-pugh.bsky.social of @csmonitor.bsky.social.
Many Americans will do the #gratitude thing next week. It can be an act of self-care to just share what you have with people you like. I got @csmonitor.bsky.social’s food expert, Kendra Nordin, on mic for a less-serious-than-usual episode of our #podcast. On our site or your fave platform. #food
Feast mode: Our food writer serves up a complicated holiday’s history and hits
Fresh cranberries or canned? Northern pumpkin pie or Southern sweet potato pie? An assembling of intergenerational family members, a handful of friends, or a group of strangers? Almost everything abou...
www.csmonitor.com
November 22, 2024 at 5:25 PM
Many Americans will do the #gratitude thing next week. It can be an act of self-care to just share what you have with people you like. I got @csmonitor.bsky.social’s food expert, Kendra Nordin, on mic for a less-serious-than-usual episode of our #podcast. On our site or your fave platform. #food
Quietly provocative little nine-word pullquote from the Sunday Times gets at something that seems to be showing up more already for the GOP.
November 21, 2024 at 2:43 AM
Quietly provocative little nine-word pullquote from the Sunday Times gets at something that seems to be showing up more already for the GOP.
A little national landscaping in #Denmark. Planning stages, but with the $ now earmarked. World-scanning for any kind of progress or objectively positive work can be a balm right now.
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
Denmark will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest
Danish lawmakers have agreed on a deal to plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest and natural habitats in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage over the next two decades.
apnews.com
November 20, 2024 at 2:03 PM
A little national landscaping in #Denmark. Planning stages, but with the $ now earmarked. World-scanning for any kind of progress or objectively positive work can be a balm right now.
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
How do you do, fellow kids. New guy on Bluesky. I host a weekly #podcast for @csmonitor.bsky.social that opens a window on how we do our work at that enigmatic 116-year-old startup. On our site or wherever you like to listen.
Why We Wrote This
Who reports the news? People. And at The Christian Science Monitor, we believe that it’s our job to report each story with a sense of shared humanity. Thr…
www.csmonitor.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:49 PM
How do you do, fellow kids. New guy on Bluesky. I host a weekly #podcast for @csmonitor.bsky.social that opens a window on how we do our work at that enigmatic 116-year-old startup. On our site or wherever you like to listen.