Dear Dispatch members,
After a brief hiatus, the Dispatch Monthly Mailbag is back—and in September, Michael Reneau will be in the hot seat.
As a reminder, this series—available to members only—is designed to help readers get to know everyone on the Dispatch staff a little better. Andrew Egger, Haley Byrd Wilt, Charlotte Lawson, Rachael Larimore, and Declan Garvey have taken turns answering your questions in recent months.
Next up: Michael Reneau.
A managing editor for The Dispatch, Michael previously worked as an editor at WORLD magazine, but his journalism career began as a local news reporter in East Tennessee. He still lives there with his wife, Julie, and four kids, ages 6 to 12. He spends most (read: pretty much all) of his non-working time with his family, but he also serves in his local church, does a lot of cooking, and cheers for the Atlanta Braves to remain atop the National League East. May his beloved Tennessee Volunteers find similar success on the football field this fall.
As you’re thinking about questions you have for Michael, here are some suggested topics:
- The differences between editing and reporting;
- Life in rural America (and why East Tennessee is the most beautiful “flyover country” in these United States);
- Evangelicalism—particularly for those who actually believe what they say they believe and aren’t just getting grouped into a demographic category—and its intersection with politics, policy, and culture;
- Covering local news vs. covering national (and international) news;
- Being a husband and dad (don’t expect any great advice); and
- Why Ronald Acuña Jr. should without a doubt win the National League MVP this year, and why “Rocky Top” is the greatest college fight song (even though it is not actually the University of Tennessee’s fight song, technically speaking).
Drop your questions for Michael in the comments below, and keep an eye out for an email with all of his answers in the coming weeks!
Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated.
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