James Patch McLaughlin

Background

About James Patch McLaughlin

I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and finally got around to studying print journalism and cultural anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C. after taking a few detours via the Marine Corps, tugboats, and a band. I became fascinated with photojournalism when I was 16 years old after reading “The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots of a Hidden War” by Greg Marinovich and João Silva. I served in the Marines as a photographer with a Combat Camera unit based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and, after working on tugboats on the East Coast, I’ve turned my efforts to writing. I have been an intern photojournalist at Nepal Photo Online in 2010 and an intern reporter at the Prince Georges Gazette in 2013. I have also taken backpack documentary, in-depth journalism, and foreign correspondent courses at American University. In my free time, I can be found out on the road riding my motorcycle, playing music with my friends and brothers, or reading/watching science fiction. I’m striving to become an empathetic storyteller, a reporter that helps people understand and respect each other’s differences, even when those differences don’t follow our own understanding of the world. My experience in the military, working on tugboats and overseas has allowed me to meet a wide range of individuals with different beliefs and views of the world; I’ve noticed that many conflicts arise when individuals or groups are unable or unwilling to empathize with others. I want to understand why people think the way they think and act the way they act. I believe the best way to achieve this goal is through what anthropologist Clifford Geertz calls “thick description.” I’ve found many practices used by anthropologists and sociologists useful in developing as a storyteller. By applying ethnographic methods of research and observation to my reporting I hope that my in-depth journalism will help readers and audiences better appreciate other world-views.