Michael Jonas

Executive Editor, CommonWealth

About Michael Jonas

Michael Jonas has worked in journalism in Massachusetts since the early 1980s. Before joining the CommonWealth staff in early 2001, he was a contributing writer for the magazine for two years. His cover story in CommonWealth's Fall 1999 issue on Boston youth outreach workers was selected for a PASS (Prevention for a Safer Society) Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Michael got his start in journalism at the Dorchester Community News, a community newspaper serving Boston's largest neighborhood, where he covered a range of urban issues. Since the late 1980s, he has been a regular contributor to the Boston Globe. For 15 years he wrote a weekly column on local politics for the Boston Sunday Globe's City Weekly section.

Michael has also worked in broadcast journalism. In 1989, he was a co-producer for "The AIDS Quarterly," a national PBS series produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, and in the early 1990s, he worked as a producer for "Our Times," a weekly magazine program on WHDH-TV (Ch. 7) in Boston.

Michael lives in Dorchester with his wife and their two daughters.

About Michael Jonas

Michael Jonas has worked in journalism in Massachusetts since the early 1980s. Before joining the CommonWealth staff in early 2001, he was a contributing writer for the magazine for two years. His cover story in CommonWealth's Fall 1999 issue on Boston youth outreach workers was selected for a PASS (Prevention for a Safer Society) Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Michael got his start in journalism at the Dorchester Community News, a community newspaper serving Boston's largest neighborhood, where he covered a range of urban issues. Since the late 1980s, he has been a regular contributor to the Boston Globe. For 15 years he wrote a weekly column on local politics for the Boston Sunday Globe's City Weekly section.

Michael has also worked in broadcast journalism. In 1989, he was a co-producer for "The AIDS Quarterly," a national PBS series produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, and in the early 1990s, he worked as a producer for "Our Times," a weekly magazine program on WHDH-TV (Ch. 7) in Boston.

Michael lives in Dorchester with his wife and their two daughters.

Stories by Michael Jonas

Virus notes: Unusually high amount of deaths in Franklin Cty

Holyoke vet death toll rises; Dickson, wife donate salaries

For Trump, cameras leave no room for social distancing

White House briefings offer picture of what not to do

SJC rules against district court judge in indigent defense case

Justices agree attorney pay is key, but leave remedy to Legislature 

Keeping the faith in the coronavirus era

From online bedtime stories to check-ins with 500 seniors

State sets ‘meaningful and productive’ K-12 learning goal

Baker dismisses notion of writing off this year

Safety net hospitals, health centers teetering on the brink

Pandemic is choking revenue flow to providers on the front lines

The virus’s toll on democracy

Signature-gathering perilous in face of pandemic

Harvard’s Bacow, wife test positive for COVID-19

‘Neither of us knows how we contracted the virus,’ he says

Those on margins will bear brunt of virus toll

BU public health dean decries inequities the pandemic is exposing

March 17, 2020

An economy put in a ‘medically-induced coma’

UMass Dartmouth’s Michael Goodman takes stock of what we're up against

Poll shows Mass. residents bracing for crisis to worsen

Nearly half think disruption will last 2 months or longer

The vote goes on

Biden goes 3 for 3 in primaries overshadowed by pandemic

In virus battle, health providers charge into harm’s way

Baker relaxes licensing rules to allow for reinforcements

Feb 3, 2020

Virus notes: Boston construction grinds to halt

State House closing to visitors; schools closing, meals continuing

State to assert new oversight of Boston schools 

Partnership with city follows harsh report on district failings  

Why it’s crucial to ‘flatten the curve’ of coronavirus

The time to act is now, say experts

February 2020

What about riding the T?

Mounting coronavirus worries prompt NYC officials to urge residents to avoid subway

In Newton, a super Tuesday for pro-growth side

Huge development project wins voter backing

Political notes: It’s now a Biden-Sanders nomination battle

Baker focuses on committee races ; Weld trumped

Feb 27, 2020

Baker pans tax, fee increases in House transportation bill

Straus, however, calls governor an ally on transpo funding

Taco showdown will show Boston’s true colors

Neighbors trying to put kibosh on 2 a.m. license

Feb 21, 2020

New center aims to shed light — through data — on state policy

Tufts institute will operate like state-level Congressional Budget Office

Nangle arrest casts shadow on casino buy-in

Rep’s indictment puts gambling downsides on display

Feb 14, 2020

One year in, Rollins takes stock

Suffolk DA says she’s doing exactly what she said she would

New Tufts center to offer independent analysis of legislation, ballot questions

Evaluations aimed at informing the lawmaking process and voter choices 

Scrambling expectations in NH

Muddled message from fractured primary vote

Voc-tech schools facing scrutiny over admissions policies

Mayors call for lottery system to replace selective screening

Organization slams Boston use of its test for exam school admission

Firm says ‘misapplication’ of exam may be hurting black and Latino students

Globe punts on NH endorsement

Editorial calls for end to Iowa, NH voting first

An accident waiting to happen

T moves fast on repairs it says were slated for this weekend