Jonathan Franklin Jonathan Franklin is a reporter on the Newsdesk covering both race & identity and breaking news.
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Jonathan Franklin

Ajani Daniel/NPR
Headshot of Jonathan Franklin
Ajani Daniel/NPR

Jonathan Franklin

Reporter, Newsdesk

Jonathan Franklin is a reporter on the Newsdesk covering both race & identity and breaking news.

For the last few years, he has been reporting and covering a broad spectrum of local and national news across the nation's capital.

Franklin has been at the forefront of reporting on some of the most significant national stories to break during his time at NPR, including the Tops Supermarket mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., the Waukesha, Wis., Christmas parade attack, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

His reporting can be seen and heard across NPR's digital, social and audio platforms — such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition and NPR News Now.

He is also a frequent contributor to ESPN's The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast.

Prior to NPR, Franklin served as a digital multimedia journalist for WUSA, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., where he covered the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Black community, D.C.'s racial protests and demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd, the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

You can quickly scan for Franklin's byline and find hundreds of breaking news and feature stories filled with engaging ledes, videos and live reporting along with well-calibrated anecdotes that center the individuals and communities in service of the journalism he's pursuing.

He began his journalism career as a news fellow and freelance journalist for WDCW in Washington.

Originally from Columbia, S.C., Franklin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgetown University with a master's in journalism (with an emphasis in broadcast and digital journalism) and Cum Laude from Wofford College with undergraduate degrees in English/digital media and African/African-American studies.

Franklin is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., both the National and Washington Associations of Black Journalists, Online News Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Story Archive

Tuesday

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an interview in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Newsom signed a bill on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities, calling the measure "long overdue." Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Sunday

Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead serves as Maryland's 31st adjutant general — making her the only Black woman who leads a state military in the U.S. Here, Birckhead sits inside NPR's studios for an interview with NPR's Jonathan Franklin. Ajani Daniel/NPR hide caption

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Ajani Daniel/NPR

Friday

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell (left) along with NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson (right) signed an agreement this week outlining ways in which the two organizations will work together to center equity in disaster preparedness and response efforts. NAACP hide caption

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NAACP

Monday

Joe Armstrong, the owner of WJBE, is shown outside the station. A Federal Communications Commission judge rejected an effort by the agency to strip the license of WJBE 99.7 FM/1040 AM — whose call letters pay tribute to the original WJBE's owner, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown — Knoxville's only Black-owned radio station. Institute for Justice hide caption

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Institute for Justice

A pilot ejected from an F-35B Lightning II near Charleston, S.C., prompting a search for the advanced fighter jet. The plane is from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501; an F-35 from the squadron is seen here at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, south of Charleston. Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin/Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort hide caption

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Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin/Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Tuesday

This combo of images provided by the Memphis Police Department shows officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and bottom row from left, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. The five former officers are now facing federal civil rights charges in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing. AP hide caption

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AP

Sunday

This image provided by the Pennsylvania State Police shows Danelo Cavalcante early Sunday morning with what police called "a changed appearance." Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 that Cavalcante was seen overnight near Phoenixville in northern Chester County. AP hide caption

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AP

Thursday

A screenshot from the video released by the Chester County Prison shows the moment escaped Pennsylvania inmate Danelo Cavalcante begins to crabwalk up a wall and out of sight. Chester County District Attorney/Facebook Watch hide caption

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Chester County District Attorney/Facebook Watch

Wednesday

President Biden's son Hunter Biden leaves after a court appearance July 26 in Wilmington, Del. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Aug. 11 that he appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption

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Julio Cortez/AP

Sunday

A business owner was fatally shot Friday after someone allegedly took issue with a Pride flag she had displayed at her clothing store in Cedar Glen, Calif. Here, a Progress Pride Flag is held above a crowd of LGBTQ+ activists in West Hollywood, Calif., in April 2023. Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images

After a relatively quiet start to the Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center was monitoring multiple storm systems in the Atlantic on Sunday. National Hurricane Center hide caption

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National Hurricane Center

Friday

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are seen in New Orleans in 2013. Michael Oher, the former NFL tackle whose story inspired the movie The Blind Side, on Monday filed a petition accusing the Tuohys of lying to him by having him sign papers making them his conservators rather than his adoptive parents nearly two decades ago. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption

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Gerald Herbert/AP

Thursday

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, pictured in 2013, said Oher's claims against them in a petition filed in a Tennessee court Monday are essentially a "shakedown effort." Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption

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Gerald Herbert/AP

Wednesday

Members of the Tuohy family are speaking out after former NFL player Michael Oher alleged that they earned millions from pushing a false narrative that they adopted him. Here, Oher poses for a photograph with the Tuohy family at Radio City Music Hall for the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25, 2009 in New York City. Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Friday

The Tennessee Titans' Mike Vrabel announced Monday that Terrell Williams, their assistant head coach and defensive line assistant, will serve as acting head coach Saturday during the Titans' preseason opener in Chicago. Here, Williams is seen during an AFC Wild Card game against the New England Patriots on Jan. 4, 2020, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images hide caption

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Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Friday

At Northwestern University, allegations of hazing in its football program led to the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald (right) and has the school facing multiple lawsuits, with more likely. Here, Fitzgerald leads the football team onto the field on Sept. 24, 2022, in Evanston, Illinois. Matt Marton/AP hide caption

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Matt Marton/AP

Monday

A former volleyball player has filed a lawsuit alleging hazing took place within Northwestern University's women's volleyball team. The Weber Arch at Northwestern University is pictured in 2020, in Evanston, Ill. Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/TNS/abacapress.com via Reuters hide caption

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Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/TNS/abacapress.com via Reuters

Friday

Texas A&M University announced Friday that its school president has resigned after a Black journalist's celebrated hiring at one of the nation's largest campuses unraveled over pushback of her diversity and inclusion work. Here, the Texas A&M logo on Kyle Field is seen before an NCAA college football game against Florida, in College Station, Texas, Sept. 8, 2012. Dave Einsel/AP hide caption

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Dave Einsel/AP

Wednesday

In-N-Out is barring employees in five states from wearing masks unless they have a doctor's note, according to internal company emails leaked on social media last week. An In-N-Out Burger signs is seen on June 8, 2010, in Baldwin Park, Calif. Adam Lau/AP hide caption

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Adam Lau/AP

Tuesday

The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a state law ending cash bail, ordering implementation in mid-September. Here, in this August 2014 photo shows a statue outside of the Illinois Supreme Court building in Springfield, Ill. Seth Perlman/AP hide caption

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Seth Perlman/AP