Former O’Brien intern Marissa Evans wins award for Texas Tribune series on maternal mortality
By Robyn Di Giacinto
Former O’Brien reporting intern Marissa Evans was recognized by the Online News Association this September for her work on The Texas Tribune investigation, “Dangerous Deliveries.”
The series, which won the 2018 award for explanatory reporting in a small newsroom, sheds new light on the state’s staggering maternal mortality rate, as well as efforts and potential solutions to stem the tide.
Evans said that “it’s humbling to see how this series has resonated with so many people here in Texas and nationwide.”
“While we’re proud of the stories we did from South Texas to Poland, we’re especially proud of how we took our reporting one step further with our event, the resource guide for families and the prenatal/postpartum questionnaire for pregnant women,” she added. “We hope it helps families and mothers for years to come.”
Evans interned for the first O’Brien Fellow, Meg Kissinger, during the 2012–2013 school year.
In addition to interning with the O’Brien Fellowship, Evans was the news editor for the Marquette Tribune and the founding president of the Marquette University chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Her work has appeared in outlets including CQ Roll Call, Kaiser Health News, The Seattle Times, The Washington Post, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Star Tribune and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Evans’ published installments to date:
Dangerous deliveries: Are Texas lawmakers doing enough to reduce maternal deaths?
More questions than answers in Texas maternal mortality study, lawmakers say
In Poland, midwives play a significant role in childbirth. In Texas? Not so much.
