James Pollard covers state government and inequality for The Associated Press in Columbia, South Carolina. Before joining the Report for America corps, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science at Northwestern University. There, he served as managing editor of The Daily Northwestern and worked as a research assistant in the political science department. Pollard has reported on Texas politics and policy as a fellow with The Texas Tribune, interned on the NBCUniversal digital team, and covered his hometown of St. Louis as an intern with the Riverfront Times. In his free time, Pollard enjoys playing guitar, cooking and hiking.
Beat: South Carolina statehouse
These journalists have a passion for breaking news and state politics and policy to cover state government. Reporting to a field news editor with a dotted line to the state government editor, they seek to consistently break news and show the impact that policy decisions have on the lives of citizens. They’re self-starters who are comfortable with data sets and freedom of information requests, and also with moving swiftly among topics such as technology, elections, voting laws, inequality, health care, cryptocurrency, education and law enforcement. They know how to find a story at the local level but are comfortable writing it for a broad audience in ways that resonate in a state or community, or around the world. They work in multiple media formats, and have a demonstrated track record of inclusive storytelling. They must have the ability and willingness to work any shift, including at night and on weekends, or as coverage demands, as The AP is a 24/7 operation.