Despite its flaws, Twitter can be an incubator for unique & powerful work. Here’s a short thread on how a remarkable story by @kariewrites was prompted by a tweet from the U.S. Army that backfired in a serendipitous and gutting way. washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/1…
Back in May, the Army tweeted out a nine-second video of a soldier talking about how military service had made him a better person. The Army then asked the rest of Twitter, "How has serving impacted you?" The response was not what the Army was expecting.
There was an explosion of grief. Veterans & their families wrote about depression, anger, PTSD, abandonment, suicide. I've spent time with soldiers in combat, so I poured through the replies. I also told my wife, @lisquart, who helps run a journalism nonprofit, @econhardship.
Alissa reached out to people who had replied -- would they write a story? The Economic Hardship Reporting Project provides funding and tries to find writers who aren't on the mainstream radar. She reached out to Karie Fugett, who had written this reply:
Karie wrote a story that they were able to place with the Washington Post, which published it a few days ago. You have to read it. You can start by just clicking on the image below and taking 15 seconds or so to read this one paragraph, which is gutting and lyrical. 
Or read this paragraph, which is shorter, and honestly I think it will stop you in your tracks, wherever you are.
The Post sent a photographer to Karie's home in Oregon; the photos by Leah Nash are perfect. Vertical photos don't look good on Twitter unless you click them -- please do so with this one, which shows the prosthetic leg used by Karie's husband, Cleve Kinsey II.
I don't mean for this thread to be about the people at @econhardship and @washingtonpost who were involved in getting this story into the public realm, but I do want to take this moment to say journalists matter. Please support journalism however you can.
@econhardship @washingtonpost Just as Karie's story started on Twitter, it continues there, with a parade of replies from people who are reaching out. Twitter can be a hellsite, but it can be the opposite of a hellsite, too. Check out the conversation on her feed. twitter.com/KarieWrites/wi…
@econhardship @washingtonpost Most of all, read the story, "Love and War." washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/1…
