Meet Laura Bischoff
I work in the Ohio bureau for the USA TODAY Network, which is a fancy way of saying the Statehouse news team. We cover state government, including prisons, pensions, the Ohio Supreme Court and public corruption cases. I joined the team three years ago after covering the same issues for 20 years at another Ohio newspaper.
I grew up in Michigan and began my journalism career at The Flint Journal, moved to Ohio in 1995 and then Columbus in 2001.
Why I became a journalist
In middle school, I published a newsletter called the St. Regis Bugle. Working at the Bugle was exciting because it meant I got to leave the classroom, run around the school, and ask prying questions to the authorities, the nuns. When I found out I could do this as a paid job, I knew what I wanted to do.
While attending the University of Michigan, I served as my high school yearbook editor and joined the staff of The Michigan Daily. One of the first stories I wrote was covering a sorority house fire just down the road from where I lived.
At first, I enjoyed asking prying questions, reporting breaking news, and always being “in the know.” As my career progressed, I grew to appreciate the privilege and opportunity of being a journalist — we get to write the first draft of history, hold the powerful accountable, amplify the voices of the powerless, and speak to people from all walks of life.
The story that had the biggest impact on me
I’ve been to national political conventions, dozens of prisons, disaster sites including post-9/11 New York, inside farms and factories, and in boring sessions of the Ohio State Legislature. I’ve written about Ohio’s child marriage law, broken the news about a bribery scheme by the state’s deputy treasurer, and investigated Ohio’s juvenile prison system.
But the biggest story of my career has been the House Bill 6 corruption scandal. Everything about it has been astonishing: a $61 million bribe for a $1.3 billion bailout, the impact on 4.5 million consumers, the removal of a former Ohio House Speaker from office, a guilty verdict at trial, the suicides of two defendants, and more to come.
The biggest challenge I face as a journalist
I just don’t have enough time to report and write about everything I want to do.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy running, biking, kayaking, yoga and spending time with my family. My husband and I also enjoy hiking, camping and vacations that involve strong coffee and good beer.
Columbus’ Favorite Traditions
The M flag is raised during college football season.
Why journalism matters
Good journalism is essential to a healthy democracy, but distrust in the media is a serious issue, meaning more people are being fooled by misinformation, disinformation and bad actors. I often say the best antidote to public corruption is to read the newspapers. Our reporting helps you to be a better informed voter, which leads to a stronger democracy.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter in the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
