Once Upon a Hill is a weekly newsletter connecting you to the stories shaping the nation’s future. Congress may feel distant, but the decisions made there affect everything from your wallet to your rights. Each Thursday evening, independent journalist Michael Jones delivers exclusive scoops, behind-the-scenes insights, and analysis on what’s happening in Capitol Hill—so you can lead effectively, build powerful coalitions and stay ahead of the political curve.
Free subscribers receive the Thursday newsletter and previews of the multiple premium posts OUAH publishes weekly. Paid subscribers get even more: Early access to each week’s newsletter, exclusive bonus posts with breaking news and real-time analysis straight to your inbox and full access to the newsletter archive. You’ll also be able to engage directly with me—comment on posts, send messages and ask questions about the news you care about most. Plus, you’ll always be in the loop with the latest legislative developments, giving you an insider’s edge on the news shaping our country.
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Meet the man behind OUAH
I’m Michael Jones, a national political correspondent and the only independent Black reporter accredited by a congressional press gallery. My beat mostly focuses on Democratic power and politics in the MAGA era and the human impact of Donald Trump’s legislative agenda to provide authoritative, accessible, and actionable coverage for political novices and experts alike—all in a conversational tone resembling a smart friend catching you up on what you missed over drinks at the end of the day.
I’ve chronicled the biggest stories emerging from Capitol Hill in recent years: the rise and unprecedented fall of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the transfer of power atop the House Democratic Caucus from Nancy Pelosi to Hakeem Jeffries, the first-year class of House progressives—including Congress’s first Gen-Z member—and too many crises to count, from a near-default on the US debt to the first expulsion of a member in more than two decades, multiple government funding cliffs, and the Democratic panic over Joe Biden’s poor performance during the first presidential debate that led to Kamala Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket before Trump defeated her on his way to a second term as president. My work has been cited in The Washington Post, Politico, Semafor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and more.
Most recently, I founded and authored Supercreator News, the premier politics newsletter for the creative class. Its readership included members of Congress and their staff, current and former Biden and Obama administration officials, and leaders at top advocacy groups.
Before I launched Supercreator, I was a fashion journalist and e-commerce writer for two global magazine brands. I also wrote a cool fashion blog.
In addition to OUAH, I write a weekly column on the intersection of Capitol Hill and democracy for COURIER, a civic media company on a mission to create a more informed, engaged, and representative America. I’m an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors and a proud alum of the On Deck Writer Fellowship.
Born and raised in Dallas (go Cowboys!), I attended East Texas A&M University, where I studied journalism and wrote for The East Texan, the campus’s award-winning student newspaper. I now split my time between Washington, DC, and New York City and enjoy true-crime documentaries, Beyoncé, and FaceTiming my niece and nephew.
A quick word about newsgathering
I’m a news junkie by nature and by trade who monitors the news of the day since politics touches virtually every aspect of American life. I’m also a beat reporter focused on Congress and national politics and am in constant, direct contact with lawmakers, aides, White House officials, advocacy groups, academics, and subject matter experts to enlighten my reporting. This communication occurs on and off the record and is fundamental to my ability to break news and keep you up to date.
I intend to quote sources by name as often as possible. But sometimes, sources ask me to keep them anonymous because they cannot publicly speak about the information they’re sharing. When this happens, I publish the best description of their role. If you see an unnamed source in my reporting, it is because I made the editorial decision that the significance of the information they were willing to share was 1) more valuable in the public domain than in my notebook and 2) not worth the risk to their professional employment or personal safety from disclosing their identity against their wishes.
I also receive information via email press lists, reader tips, polling data, academic research, and Twitter. I cover weekly press conferences to ask questions I anticipate you’ll want answered and attend press calls to understand complex policy topics better.
Let’s talk
Email michael@onceuponahill.com or send me a direct message on Twitter. I’m open to story tips, reading recommendations, counterpoints to recently published arguments, views outside Washington, DC, or anything else I should know. I’m also grateful when readers help me correct mistakes—something I try to do in the original article as quickly as possible. Need an extra layer of security? DM me and I’ll tell you how to get in touch on an encrypted app like Signal.
