Maureen OHagan

I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, with stints at The Seattle Times, The Washington Post, and Willamette Week, an alternative newsweekly. Now I'm writing for a nonprofit, Marguerite Casey Foundation, and its online publication, Equal Voice News.

As a reporter, I've worked a range of beats, from courts to social services to food issues. At Equal Voice, I write about issues that affect families living in poverty.

Throughout it all, I've learned so much.

I was part of the Seattle Times team that covered the deaths of four police officers and the manhunt to find the killer, an effort that won the newspaper the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting.

In 1999-2000, I studied law and creative writing as a Michigan Journalism Fellow. In 2009, my story on a father caring for his disabled adult son won the Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award. Over the years I have been the recipient of numerous other state, regional, and national journalism awards, including being named a 2004 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service.

Articles

Reporting on Childhood Obesity: What I Learned

<p>How one journalist tackled a project on childhood obesity:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>"I learned a ton, but I can’t say I’d wish this experience on my worst enemy. Did I mention it’s a broad topic?"</p>

Adding a variety of fruits to school-cafeteria menus is part of a national, multipronged effort to fight childhood obesity.

State still seeks winning strategy against childhood obesity

<p>For a decade, Washington has been fighting for your life. Yet you might not even know this because it's been a quiet battle, a fight designed to work its way into the fabric of your life. It's about your weight — or, more important, the weight of your children.</p>

Ryan Treece, 13, gobbles down dinner - as well as regular doses of junk food - but it doesn't seem to affect his weight. His twi

Kids battle the lure of junk food

<p>Nathan's just 14, but he's no slouch. He's articulate, creative, has a good group of friends and seems to take time to think about what he's doing. He's also been overweight for most of his life. To him, it feels like a curse.</p>

Nikita Steele, 12, isn't exactly keen on trying new things - especially when they're green. But that's exactly what her Bellevue

Parents stand between kids and junk food

<p>Journalist Maureen O'Hagan examines the complex challenges facing parents trying to help their children — and perhaps themselves — lose weight.</p>

Childhood obesity and marketing food to kids

<p><span><p>Our project will focus on childhood obesity and the role food and beverage marketing plays in it. We'll look at how the junk-food marketing world has changed over the years, and dig into the latest trends in Internet marketing.</p></span></p>