Hi, I’m Jessica F. Simmons — a journalist, strategic communicator, and relentless storyteller rooted in the belief that journalism should serve the people it reports on. I specialize in investigative, research-driven reporting with a focus on equity, public policy, and communities too often left out of the national conversation.
I’ve reported from rural North Carolina towns, Virginia, Texas, and to Los Angeles sidewalks, covering everything from the fallout of Hurricane Helene to student-led protests and pro-Palestinian encampments. At COURIER Newsroom, I work on national coverage on reproductive justice, public health, rural education, and economic equity across a 10-state network. My reporting aims to connect the dots between power and policy — and make sure readers see themselves in the stories I tell.
Previously, I wrote for The Daily Tar Heel, Carolina Week, and The Durham VOICE, Carolina Connection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and contributed to a few publications as freelance. I produced high-engagement multimedia content across social media platforms because good journalism should travel as far as the internet can take it.
I’m a proud Barton College alum and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, where I earned my master’s in journalism with a focus on public life reporting.
If you’re looking for reporting that honors nuance, centers people, and follows the facts wherever they lead, you’re in the right place.
Let’s connect.
Jessica F. Simmons 