The city of Flint, Michigan, stopped sourcing its water from Detroit’s system and started pumping from the Flint River to save money. Credit: Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio

This week, we’re teaming up with Michigan Radio to bring you a deep dive into the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Need a refresher on the issue? Here’s a timeline and six reads to help get you up to speed on how decisions by the city led to contaminated water for thousands of residents.

Michigan Radio reporter Lindsey Smith will answer your questions about the Flint water crisis on Thursday, Jan. 28.
Michigan Radio reporter Lindsey Smith will answer your questions about the Flint water crisis on Jan. 28. Credit: Courtesy of Lindsey Smith

On Thursday, we’re hosting a Q & A on Twitter with Michigan Radio’s Lindsey Smith. Her documentary, “Not Safe to Drink,” is the centerpiece of our radio episode this week. Using the hashtag #AskFlint, she’ll offer an expert’s perspective on the events that brought Flint to a state of emergency, along with the challenges it may face as officials work to address residents’ toxic water. We’ll moderate the discussion on our own Twitter feed, @reveal, from 11 a.m. to noon PST (2 to 3 p.m. EST).

Have questions for Smith about what’s going on in Flint? We’re collecting as many as possible ahead of time (though you’re welcome to submit during the Q & A, too). Simply tweet your inquiry to @reveal with the hashtag #AskFlint, or add it here on our Facebook page. Want to send us your question directly? Email me at bduncan@cironline.org. You can follow Smith on Twitter: @lzsmitty.

We’ll see you Thursday.

 

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Byard Duncan is a reporter and producer for  engagement and collaborations for Reveal. He manages Reveal’s Reporting Networks, which provide more than 1,000 local journalists across the U.S. with resources and training to continue Reveal investigations in their communities. He also helps lead audience engagement initiatives around Reveal’s stories and assists local reporters in elevating their work to a national platform. In addition to Reveal, Duncan’s work has appeared in GQ, Esquire, The California Sunday Magazine and Columbia Journalism Review, among other outlets. He was part of Reveal’s Behind the Smiles project team, which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2019. He is the recipient of two Edward R. Murrow Awards, a National Headliner Award, an Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, and two first-place awards for feature storytelling from the Society of Professional Journalists and Best of the West. Duncan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.