Venuri Siriwardane
@venuri.bsky.social
Journalist covering public health in Pittsburgh. Queens kid missing good pizza and bagels.
Pinned
Venuri Siriwardane
@venuri.bsky.social
· Dec 12
The 2024 reporting on incarceration that newsrooms should emulate in 2025
We highlight some of the year's best reporting on incarceration, and offer tips for journalists interested in pursuing similar stories in their states.
www.prisonpolicy.org
Our county jail recently expanded access to MOUD. I looked into its process, which included 3 a.m. wake-up calls that one advocate called "psychologically torturous." My story made this list of the best investigative journalism about incarceration in 2024. www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2024/12...
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
As we enter the fall and winter respiratory virus season, @venuri.bsky.social interviewed local public health experts to learn how Allegheny County is navigating the shifting landscape of federal vaccine policy.
Q&A: As vaccination rates dip, how are Allegheny County leaders responding?
As the Trump administration tries to upend vaccination practices, Allegheny County's top immunization official and a key advocacy group counter with research.
bit.ly
October 30, 2025 at 7:11 PM
As we enter the fall and winter respiratory virus season, @venuri.bsky.social interviewed local public health experts to learn how Allegheny County is navigating the shifting landscape of federal vaccine policy.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Actually I think more media unions should work some kind of right to expression into their contracts. It’s ridiculous that every major newspaper chain plus NYT and WaPo restricts journalists from expressing any meaningful opinion for the entirety of their careers.
September 15, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Actually I think more media unions should work some kind of right to expression into their contracts. It’s ridiculous that every major newspaper chain plus NYT and WaPo restricts journalists from expressing any meaningful opinion for the entirety of their careers.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Treble NLS suggested we return to the place where he was handcuffed in the midst of a mental health crisis for portraits for @venuri.bsky.social's story on how involuntary ‘302’ hospitalizations fall more heavily on Black patients. Trusting his vision, I met him at the edge of the Mon Wharf. 🧵
August 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Treble NLS suggested we return to the place where he was handcuffed in the midst of a mental health crisis for portraits for @venuri.bsky.social's story on how involuntary ‘302’ hospitalizations fall more heavily on Black patients. Trusting his vision, I met him at the edge of the Mon Wharf. 🧵
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Do you live in Allegheny County and have you or a loved one experienced involuntary mental health commitment? Public Source would like to learn from you for our ongoing series When Care is Compulsory. Please email venuri@publicsource.org if you are in a position to share.
July 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Do you live in Allegheny County and have you or a loved one experienced involuntary mental health commitment? Public Source would like to learn from you for our ongoing series When Care is Compulsory. Please email venuri@publicsource.org if you are in a position to share.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
And experts are very clear: these people are fringe.
Scientific consensus is that race and IQ studies are shoddy.
But journalism has trouble saying that; it’s nearly impossible for them to figure out what whole fields believe. That’s why “Merchants of Doubt” work.
Scientific consensus is that race and IQ studies are shoddy.
But journalism has trouble saying that; it’s nearly impossible for them to figure out what whole fields believe. That’s why “Merchants of Doubt” work.
July 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
And experts are very clear: these people are fringe.
Scientific consensus is that race and IQ studies are shoddy.
But journalism has trouble saying that; it’s nearly impossible for them to figure out what whole fields believe. That’s why “Merchants of Doubt” work.
Scientific consensus is that race and IQ studies are shoddy.
But journalism has trouble saying that; it’s nearly impossible for them to figure out what whole fields believe. That’s why “Merchants of Doubt” work.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Magee nurses say executives' jetsetting stands in contrast to low staffing levels and employee burnout:
Magee is the latest hospital to push for a union amid anger at UPMC executives
Nurses say executives' jetsetting stands in contrast to low staffing levels and employee burnout.
www.pghcitypaper.com
May 29, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Magee nurses say executives' jetsetting stands in contrast to low staffing levels and employee burnout:
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
political journalists obsess over the public’s lack of trust in our profession but strangely see that as downstream of things like “we didn’t talk enough about how biden was old” and not “many of us appear to be indifferent to a nihilistic attack on the constitution”
May 15, 2025 at 12:29 PM
political journalists obsess over the public’s lack of trust in our profession but strangely see that as downstream of things like “we didn’t talk enough about how biden was old” and not “many of us appear to be indifferent to a nihilistic attack on the constitution”
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
This kid is 15, and so has a moral clarity and uprightness that no adult elected official would or could ever have. There aren't really and never have been two sides of this issue, but if it has to be argued as a binary thing I don't see how anything less than this could seem like the side to be on.
this is a letter to the editor from a high school track runner who came in second to a trans girl in a race. her state house rep in maine started talking about it. so she wrote this: www.pressherald.com/2025/05/14/r...
May 16, 2025 at 3:52 AM
This kid is 15, and so has a moral clarity and uprightness that no adult elected official would or could ever have. There aren't really and never have been two sides of this issue, but if it has to be argued as a binary thing I don't see how anything less than this could seem like the side to be on.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Emerging journalists/photojournalists– come join our independent, nonprofit newsroom in Pittsburgh! Delight in the joys of holding power to account & Pittsburgh's fries on salad habit. @publicsource.org interns get to work across their interests from reporting to fact checking to engagement & more.
Journalism students and recent grads: Why not intern in Pittsburgh this fall? @publicsource.org is a nonprofit newsroom with a vigorous program of story production, fact-checking, training and mentorship. Apply here: www.publicsource.org/jobs/#editor...
Explore PublicSource's open jobs, internships in Pittsburgh
Discover career opportunities in reporting, editing, visual storytelling and more. Explore our Pittsburgh job listings.
www.publicsource.org
April 22, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Emerging journalists/photojournalists– come join our independent, nonprofit newsroom in Pittsburgh! Delight in the joys of holding power to account & Pittsburgh's fries on salad habit. @publicsource.org interns get to work across their interests from reporting to fact checking to engagement & more.
Pitt faculty, students and staff sent an open letter to university officials this morning. It's got 902 signatures and counting. Among their demands:
1) Protect the campus from immigration raids
2) Fight "unjust federal grant termination"
3) Avoid layoffs
4) Create a crisis task force
1) Protect the campus from immigration raids
2) Fight "unjust federal grant termination"
3) Avoid layoffs
4) Create a crisis task force
Thank you again to everyone who signed the open letter to #Pitt!
Today, we are delivering the letter - electronically and in person - to the university leadership.
The link remains active for anyone who didn't have a chance to sign previously: tinyurl.com/PittLetter
Today, we are delivering the letter - electronically and in person - to the university leadership.
The link remains active for anyone who didn't have a chance to sign previously: tinyurl.com/PittLetter
April 21, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Pitt faculty, students and staff sent an open letter to university officials this morning. It's got 902 signatures and counting. Among their demands:
1) Protect the campus from immigration raids
2) Fight "unjust federal grant termination"
3) Avoid layoffs
4) Create a crisis task force
1) Protect the campus from immigration raids
2) Fight "unjust federal grant termination"
3) Avoid layoffs
4) Create a crisis task force
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
The Trump administration is cutting staff and grant funding at Health and Human Services including the NIH. Those agencies fund much of Pittsburgh’s research. Are you an affected researcher? Please consider emailing PublicSource at encrypted publicsource412@proton.me or Signal at PublicSource.412
April 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
The Trump administration is cutting staff and grant funding at Health and Human Services including the NIH. Those agencies fund much of Pittsburgh’s research. Are you an affected researcher? Please consider emailing PublicSource at encrypted publicsource412@proton.me or Signal at PublicSource.412
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
My uncle is a big time IP lawyer in NYC. I cannot stress enough how taking away IP laws would benefit the wealthy who would steal and then out produce any ideas they find useful. Thus destroying all creatives and their livelihoods.
April 13, 2025 at 12:38 PM
My uncle is a big time IP lawyer in NYC. I cannot stress enough how taking away IP laws would benefit the wealthy who would steal and then out produce any ideas they find useful. Thus destroying all creatives and their livelihoods.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Follow a buncha local journalists and news outlets here: go.bsky.app/FzSc9z
They're way better than our substandard national press.
They're way better than our substandard national press.
Big Journalism (esp. @nytimes.com) failed to adequately & accurately cover the #handsoff pro-democracy demonstrations.
Local outlets did *much* better.
Newsroom leaders need to defend democracy from autocracy.
Read our latest blog post.
1/n
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/local-news...
Local outlets did *much* better.
Newsroom leaders need to defend democracy from autocracy.
Read our latest blog post.
1/n
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/local-news...
Local news outlets show the New York Times how to cover the growing pro-democracy movement.
The NYTimes leadership is still indifferent to democracy. Just look at its front page.
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com
April 8, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Follow a buncha local journalists and news outlets here: go.bsky.app/FzSc9z
They're way better than our substandard national press.
They're way better than our substandard national press.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
So many student visas have been revoked that Inside Higher Ed started mapping them
April 9, 2025 at 11:07 AM
So many student visas have been revoked that Inside Higher Ed started mapping them
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Want to stay up to speed with what our PublicSource journalists are sharing about news in Pittsburgh? Check out our PublicSource journalist starter pack: go.bsky.app/8xEPt5J
April 4, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Want to stay up to speed with what our PublicSource journalists are sharing about news in Pittsburgh? Check out our PublicSource journalist starter pack: go.bsky.app/8xEPt5J
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Many Medicaid recipients do not know they receive it because Medicaid is called different things in different states. The public narrative of Medicaid focuses on a distant other, but 40% of US children and 60% of nursing home residents receive Medicaid. Just SOME of the names by state are below:
February 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Many Medicaid recipients do not know they receive it because Medicaid is called different things in different states. The public narrative of Medicaid focuses on a distant other, but 40% of US children and 60% of nursing home residents receive Medicaid. Just SOME of the names by state are below:
1/ Think cuts to Medicaid won't affect you because you have fancy private insurance? Here's my Q&A with an expert who explained how even those with high incomes could suffer under the cuts that Congress is considering. www.publicsource.org/medicaid-cut... 🧵
Pitt researcher: Cutting Medicaid would reduce health care
Marian Jarlenski researches health equity at Pitt. She says you can’t slash Medicaid without hurting the health care access of people with disabilities, low-income workers, children, pregnant people.
www.publicsource.org
March 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
1/ Think cuts to Medicaid won't affect you because you have fancy private insurance? Here's my Q&A with an expert who explained how even those with high incomes could suffer under the cuts that Congress is considering. www.publicsource.org/medicaid-cut... 🧵
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
THIS IS SERIOUS: The Times of India is reporting that there are hundreds of international students getting their student visas immediately revoked, reportedly for supporting Gaza on social media, based on a Marco Rubio directive to analyze/surveil students' social media posts.
Hundreds of international students wake up to an email asking them to self deport for campus activism - The Times of India
US News: The US Department of State has asked hundreds of international students, including Indians, to self-deport over alleged campus activism. Learn about the visa revocations and government…
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
March 31, 2025 at 1:15 AM
THIS IS SERIOUS: The Times of India is reporting that there are hundreds of international students getting their student visas immediately revoked, reportedly for supporting Gaza on social media, based on a Marco Rubio directive to analyze/surveil students' social media posts.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.
March 26, 2025 at 12:50 AM
When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
An ICE agent told Neri Alvarado "We're finding and questioning everyone who has tattoos, and that's why he was arrested.
Stunningly, after Neri explained his autism tattoos' meanings, THE ICE AGENT SAID HE WAS CLEAN. And yet he stayed detained — then got sent to El Salvador!
Stunningly, after Neri explained his autism tattoos' meanings, THE ICE AGENT SAID HE WAS CLEAN. And yet he stayed detained — then got sent to El Salvador!
March 26, 2025 at 7:51 PM
An ICE agent told Neri Alvarado "We're finding and questioning everyone who has tattoos, and that's why he was arrested.
Stunningly, after Neri explained his autism tattoos' meanings, THE ICE AGENT SAID HE WAS CLEAN. And yet he stayed detained — then got sent to El Salvador!
Stunningly, after Neri explained his autism tattoos' meanings, THE ICE AGENT SAID HE WAS CLEAN. And yet he stayed detained — then got sent to El Salvador!
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Prof. Gananath Obesekere has passed away slguardian.org/obeyesekere-...
Obeyesekere: The Relentless Iconoclast
Editorial Gananath Obeyesekere, a man larger than life, passed away today. His death marks the end of an intellectual force that reshaped the very foundations of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and the....
slguardian.org
March 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Prof. Gananath Obesekere has passed away slguardian.org/obeyesekere-...
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Seems like the media should *at least* point out *in the headline* that you can't shut down the Department of Education via an Executive Order? But... I guess that's asking too much.
March 20, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Seems like the media should *at least* point out *in the headline* that you can't shut down the Department of Education via an Executive Order? But... I guess that's asking too much.
Reposted by Venuri Siriwardane
Columbia University senior Maryam Alwan was visiting family in Jordan over winter break when she received an email from the school accusing her of harassment. Her supposed top offense: writing an op-ed in the student newspaper calling for divestment from Israel.
Facing Trump's threats, Columbia investigates students critical of Israel
A new Columbia University disciplinary committee is investigating students who have criticized Israel.
apnews.com
March 6, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Columbia University senior Maryam Alwan was visiting family in Jordan over winter break when she received an email from the school accusing her of harassment. Her supposed top offense: writing an op-ed in the student newspaper calling for divestment from Israel.