Prior to joining the Commonwealth Beacon, Claflin covered state government, politics and rural homelessness for Wisconsin Watch. Her journalism career started in her home state of Wisconsin, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in both journalism and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a minor in Asian American studies. In college, she interned at a number of local publications, including The Badger Project and Madison Commons. In 2023, she covered national and international affairs as a visual news intern at Voice of America in Washington, D.C. Claflin is a U.S. history buff, and she is thrilled to be reporting in Massachusetts, where her distant relative William Claflin was the 27th governor from 1869 to 1872.
Beat: Gateway Cities Reporter
This position entails covering how major policy issues - including housing, economic development, education, and transportation - affect residents in Massachusetts' "Gateway Cities," former industrial centers that are home to many of the state's immigrants. The reporter writes daily pieces as well as long-form articles about the challenges these cities face in their efforts to promote economic mobility among residents and restore vitality to their local economy, focusing on the experiences of local residents.