I am Megan Giles Cooney, a Philadelphia-and Northern Michigan-based journalist. Meet me in the middle as I explore today’s events using curiosity, empathy, and fair-mindedness. My newspaper columns, syndicated in over 70 local newspapers, are factual, informative, and authentic opinion pieces. I cover everything from 2024: national issues, local issues, pop culture, emptying the nest, grief, and often asking how we can all get along better.
Focusing on our differences has yet to get us very far. In fact, divisions now threaten our very democracy. Perhaps the best way forward is to identify the human values, hopes, and dreams we all share and then build anew on this common ground.
What Would Jesus Say?
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, describes itself as a place of “Love.…
TV News Method Acting Shouldn’t Fool Us Anymore
The neat thing about movie rolls staring method actors is we know their motivations and reasons for their dramatic transformations…
A Ticker to Tally the Violence, but Consider the Details
April is bringing more mayhem. More vile, ugly gun violence and more deaths of American children. A sentence that is…
We Sanction Gun Violence; When Will We Say “Enough?”
Have you watched the body camera footage from the Metro Nashville Police Department showing raw video of this week’s school…
Sorry, Dad – salty language is here to stay
Recently, I was involved in, or rather witnessed, a conversation between my dad and one of our children that defines…
It is the Year of the Groundhog in China
China just rang in the Lunar New Year. As a nation, they are stuck in a dark loop of the…
Sitting in Other People’s Pews
I recently went on a long-awaited holiday. My husband of 30 years, Jay, and I had postponed our anniversary trip…
An Appeal for Peace at the Local Library
My mother, Nancy Giles, died suddenly in the summer of 2021. To those who knew her, Nan had many varied…
Gun Violence: Failing the Test of a Civil Society
I recently celebrated my 30th wedding anniversary. That day, in the late summer of 1992, seems both long ago and…
Canceling Each Other is Bad for Your Health
I’ll admit that I have a long time friend whom I’ve been tempted to cancel. At a recent college reunion…
Questions for Our Leaders After Roe vs Wade
Growing up, one mantra in our family was with privilege comes responsibility. By now this is a deeply ingrained personal…
An Open letter to Parents and Employers of Twenty-somethings
June is a traditional time for graduations; a ritual that once was a formulaic part of American life. Happy graduates…