Katie Griffith, Patch Staff

Katie Griffith is a West Virginia native and a recent D.C.-area transplant. She graduated from West Virginia University in 2010 with a triple major in journalism, English and French, and an intense interest in multimedia storytelling and hyperlocal journalism. She attributes her passion for new media to the West Virginia Uncovered project at WVU, which opened her eyes to a new way of telling stories. After graduating from college, Katie spent a year working with AmeriCorps and West Virginia Uncovered to expand the roles of multimedia journalism, civic engagement and online community management in rural newspapers. With a team of two WVU students, she conceptualized and built an extensive, community-driven multimedia project called Faces of the Mine, dedicated to remembering the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster in Raleigh County, W.Va.

Katie is excited to begin a new chapter of her life with Patch and Potomac, Md. She looks forward to working with the Potomac community to find and report on the issues and concerns facing the area.

<b>Beliefs:</b><br><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible and human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal certain key beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. <br><br>This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject these beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will force us to be ever mindful to write, report, and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you, the user, ever think you see evidence that we failed in this mission, we wholeheartedly invite you to let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics</b>

<i>▪ How would you describe your political beliefs?</i>

I consider myself an open-minded, independent voter. The political ideal I hold in highest regard is the right of an individual to speak his mind, whether I agree with his beliefs or not.

<b>Religion</b>

<i>▪ How religious would you say you are? Casual, observant, devout, non-religious?</i>

I come from a Methodist background, and though religion does not play a part in my life, I appreciate the sense of community and support I had growing up in the church. My ethical codes stems from the Judeo-Christian tradition.

<b>Local Hot Button Issues</b>

<i>▪ What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i>

I am new to the area and would welcome all tips and input to help me identify the most important issues in Potomac. From what I&#39;ve seen so far, I know that the community appreciates quality of education and has a concern for environmental issues.  I am excited to learn more about several of the issues currently facing Potomac, including the future of Nick&#39;s Organic Farm and solving the Pepco energy issue. 

<i>▪ Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

I look forward to updating this section as I learn more about these issues and how they affect the quality of life in Potomac.