Faith and religion in North Texas

Joy Ashford

Joy Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News. Prior to joining The Dallas Morning News, Joy worked as a co-op for The Boston Globe and interned with Washington Monthly, The Delaware News Journal, and Philadelphia Magazine. Joy majored in Social Studies at Harvard University and wrote a senior thesis on religious liberty and evolving interpretations of the First Amendment. They also served as an executive editor, Arts Chair, and magazine staff writer for their student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. In 2023, Joy was named a finalist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ cultural criticism award for their arts criticism at The Boston Globe. Outside of work, Joy loves dancing, camping, and getting lost in a good TV show.

The Dallas Morning News

Founded in 1885, the Dallas Morning News is Texas’ leading news organization and is the winner of nine Pulitzer Prizes. It has one of the largest newsrooms in the Southwest. In 2015, the DMN was in the first group of news organizations to go through a digital transformation initiative known as Table Stakes, launched by the Knight Foundation and Temple University. Since then, the DMN has been a leader in digital innovation among local news organizations. The News’ mission is “making our communities stronger and more prosperous through quality journalism and innovative marketing solutions.”