Theo Wells-Spackman covers economic inequality in Vermont for VTDigger, where he previously reported on education, floods, and general news as an intern. Prior to joining that newsroom, he was production intern for the Trenton Project, a documentary series diving into the local history and culture of Trenton, New Jersey. He has also worked as a research intern for Facing History and Ourselves. His journalistic work began in high school, when he worked on a documentary covering gender bias in Vermont public schools for the program “What’s the Story?” He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Princeton University, where he was a producer and editor for the podcast section at the Daily Princetonian. He is from Weybridge, Vermont.
Beat: Wealth, poverty, and economic inequality
This reporter documents the growing gap between haves and have-nots in Vermont, writing human-centered stories that explore the efficacy of state policies, services and systems in addressing Vermont’s affordability crisis. This beat focuses on rural and urban poverty, as well as the regional opportunity gap. And it examines the costs and benefits of demographic shifts heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change as people continue to relocate to Vermont.