Wausau Pilot & Review readers will see a new regular byline in the coming days with the addition of an experienced journalist, one with extensive experience to enhance our coverage of the greater Wausau area.

Damakant Jayshi, who is relocating to Wausau from the Atlanta area, worked for two of the biggest daily newspapers in India and Nepal, The Hindu and The
Kathmandu Post, respectively. He helped launch Republica Daily and its website,
www.myrepublica.com and later a fact-checking news website, www.southasiacheck.org.

Jayshi, a Report for America reporter, was chosen after a nationwide search. He will cover local and county-wide government affairs, politics, local immigration, environmental issues and more, with a focus on ensuring diverse voices are included in our coverage.

As a reporter and an editor for the newspapers in South Asia, Jayshi has covered earthquakes, unequal citizenship for women in Nepal, human rights, insurgency, refugees, politics, parliament, foreign affairs and civil aviation. He is passionate about journalism’s watchdog role, and feels there’s a lot of opportunity for nuanced coverage of immigrants and refugees in the United States.

“We are proud of what we do with our small team, but we know there are so many stories that can and should be told here,” said Shereen Siewert, Wausau Pilot & Review publisher. “Our Wausau Pilot & Review team is incredibly grateful to have been chosen as a Report for America newsroom and we can’t wait for Damakant to get started.”

Jayshi, who will work remotely for the first several months, said he is excited about discovering Wausau – its people, its history, and its beautiful scenery he
has read so much about. In his spare time, he likes to take long walks, think about the first sentence and the paragraph of a book he has long planned to write but has yet to begin and likes to read about people who never give up – whether they featured in an article, an anecdote or a book.

Jayshi is a 2007 Nieman fellow. He also received training in investigative reporting from the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) at Boston University and Columbia Journalism School, both in 2011.

Reach Jayshi at [email protected].

Report for America positions are paid for through a combination of grant and crowdfunding. To support this work, please consider a monthly or annual donation here. Wausau Pilot & Review is a 501 (c)(3) organization.