Andrea Ball
@andreeball
Followers
9,002
Following
4,984
Media
2,020
Statuses
18,454
Investigative reporter for Houston Chronicle. Diet Coke addict. Journalism groupie. andrea.ball @houstonchronicle .com
Austin, TX
Joined July 2008
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Argentina
• 2324958 Tweets
Messi
• 1560807 Tweets
Shakira
• 518981 Tweets
Lautaro
• 343428 Tweets
Di María
• 342945 Tweets
Conmebol
• 320205 Tweets
Fideo
• 227714 Tweets
#CopaAmerica2024
• 222981 Tweets
Dibu
• 175006 Tweets
#海の日
• 171648 Tweets
Maluma
• 164076 Tweets
Scaloni
• 130347 Tweets
Borja
• 111860 Tweets
De Paul
• 108416 Tweets
ميسي
• 100139 Tweets
連休最終日
• 96858 Tweets
Paredes
• 96085 Tweets
#15Temmuz
• 90554 Tweets
TORO
• 78273 Tweets
Daemon
• 69124 Tweets
Celso
• 47977 Tweets
Lorenzo
• 32310 Tweets
Nico González
• 29453 Tweets
Juanfer
• 28409 Tweets
shawn
• 27853 Tweets
KAVEH
• 26581 Tweets
アルゼンチン
• 26082 Tweets
#WeStandWithPratikPatel
• 25543 Tweets
Tagliafico
• 24879 Tweets
Quintero
• 24568 Tweets
Licha
• 23128 Tweets
Otamendi
• 23081 Tweets
カーヴェ
• 16774 Tweets
JKWPrabowo TETAPkompak
• 16100 Tweets
Carrascal
• 14117 Tweets
夏休みキャンペーン
• 11637 Tweets
#ヤギと大悟
• 10443 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Storytellers: Can we talk about this piece for a minute? As always, I do not hold up my own work as the epitome of excellence, but I want to show you a few things with this quick-turn narrative. 1/
6
58
248
Not-so-humble mom brag: My son, who has been studying harp for 11 years, just got into the fancy summer music program at Interlochen. He wants to be a professional harpist. This boy was born at 24 weeks and tackled every challenge to get where he is. So proud.
563
574
17K
Does anyone else apologize to their pets when you accidentally bump into them? Asking for me.
441
82
3K
BREAKING: I've been laid off. I'm not angry or bitter. After 30 years in the business, I've been lucky to get this far without a layoff. So rather than focus on the horror that is
@Gannett
, I'm gonna say this: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
143
149
2K
NEWS! I’m so excited to tell you that I’m going to work for the
@HoustonChron
! I’ll be joining the i-team, doing investigations, enterprise and narrative writing.
My first day is Jan. 9.
Houston, tell me all! I’m ready for anything.
132
43
1K
For those who want to hear Dylan play…
108
92
1K
I’ve been a reporter for 30 years, but I still can’t get over the thrill of being on the front page. Thanks
@HoustonChron
for letting me continue to do what I love.
36
18
615
A young journalist asked me yesterday if she would be safe at a specific newspaper.
My answer: No one is safe anywhere.
Her reply: Should I stay in journalism? I feel there’s so much good to be done.
Here’s what I said:
11
47
502
For those needing food: HEB at Burnet and 2222 has no line and plenty of food. WE LOVE YOU
@HEB
!
5
85
389
Reporters: Would anyone be interested if I started offering free workshops on narrative investigations?
44
33
379
@juliacraven
Wait til you’re 50 and thinking about all the people who deserved… additional action.
3
5
348
Drove down to Houston today with the necessary supplies. Tomorrow’s my first day at work at the
@HoustonChron
. Wish me luck!
21
3
359
I met Carmelo Quiroz after seeing him quietly standing alone in his family's Uvalde yard.
"Trying to hide from the crazy media?" I joked as I passed him.
"No," he answered. "My grandson was shot."
He wanted to talk. I wanted to listen.
Be kind, always
9
105
311
I am so proud that my last story was about three strangers in Uvalde who met and changed the face of their grieving community. Thank you
@BCross052422
@hammer590
and
@AdamMar67291392
for trusting me with your hearts.
3
33
288
@lingusisus
We still remember so many of our nurses. One night I came into the unit really late during his 4 month stay and a nurse was carrying him around while she took care of the other babies. He wanted to be held and she had work to do, so she multitasked ❤️
4
9
271
It’s been a rough day in Houston. Please take a minute to remember a lovely woman taken by the storm.
7
79
275
😭 My friends at
@MyStatesman
know how much I love animals. So when they heard I got laid off, they asked if Austin Pets Alive if they would name a cat after me. What happened? They named FOUR PRISON CATS after me. I am laughing, crying and ridiculously giddy.
These cats and kittens arrived at
@austinpetsalive
last night after being found at a prison. They will receive medical care at the nonprofit shelter thanks to your support. ABall, Marathon, Scoop and Peanut Butter Cup were named in honor of our friend
@andreeball
4
25
89
15
30
261
So proud to have been on this team. Covering Uvalde has been my honor.
My teammates and I
@statesman
are honored as one of two finalists for the Pulitzer Prize gold medal in public service for our coverage of the Uvalde mass shooting. (1/2)
55
88
892
15
17
242
Dear everyone - Until yesterday, I thought Twitter was just a hellscape with zero to sub-zero value. But yesterday, you saved me from the depths of despair. Your love and encouragement made me cry all day, in a good way. I am forever grateful.
13
3
236
How storytelling made me a better investigative reporter: A tiny workshop. 🧵
There’s an annoying misconception out there that narrative is just pretty writing.
It’s not. I believe storytelling is the hardest kind of investigative reporting there is. 1/
5
46
226
I am grateful. So very, very grateful. And so I say it again because it sincerely comes from the deepest place of my broken heart: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
17
7
219
It’s real! I’m here, there’s an office dog and I have an email. Send me story ideas, tips, your favorite lunch places. Tell me what I need to know about Houston! Andrea.Ball
@houstonchronicle
.com
21
9
217
*** Personal news ***
I am so proud to announce that I wrote sentences yesterday. Words are on the page.
That’s the news. I will not be taking questions at this time.
6
9
217
Thirty years ago this month, I graduated from journalism school. Best mistake I ever made. God, I knew nothing about anything. But I learned. I feel like being a Pulitzer finalist with
@statesman
was an anniversary gift. Instead of a watch, I got a dream.
11
1
208
IT'S REALLLLLLL!!!
Investigative Reporters and Editors will be hosting my Narrative Investigations workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 from 1-2 p.m. (ET)
This is free for IRE members.
Not a member? Become one! 1/
11
41
207
I have seen this over and over and over throughout the years and it NEVER makes a publication better. Thank you to all the copy desk editors who have saved me from myself over the years. You are a godsend.
4
29
201
I love young journalists so much. Talked to this student from Boston College this morning and wanted to hop on a flight to help her with a story. I WANT TO MENTOR. But how? Do I just grab someone off the street? I think that’s kidnapping.
#wontyoubemymentee
?
25
3
202
Zipping all over Austin to snatch up copies of my story on Uvalde.
@MyStatesman
ran it in print today. I don’t believe USAT ever did. Online is great but a paper copy feels so much more real to me. Thanks, Statesman, for doing this. Not for me, but for readers who don’t do online
8
9
202
This came in the mail today. It's an award for the last story I did before USA Today laid me off. I've been around a while, but working on this with
@jsusong
and
@willcarless
was priceless. They are good, talented and funny humans who let me be the weirdo I am. Grateful.
11
1
197
So proud of the
@HoustonChron
for devoting its entire front page to Uvalde coverage.
Remember.
1
56
192
“I wish I could give you a good answer to that…. I’m going to hold on until I can’t. That’s how much I love it. If you love it and your gut says to keep going, then follow your gut. You’re so talented that you’ll land anywhere you want in the end, even if it’s not in journalism”
3
7
192
We all have choices to make. I made mine. She’ll make hers. We get lots of choices in life. We both may ultimately go down different roads.
But I will always love journalism. Even if it doesn’t always love us back.
6
10
184
DRAMA. Momma squirrel came looking for babies. I moved them for her. She ran wrong way. I moved babies near tree. Momma missed them again, then literally ran up to me - like a foot away - like “Where are my babies??” I moved them again.
LOOK WHAT SHE DID.
14
11
182
I’m so disappointed there’s no Butta here, as promised by
@nytimes
. I would live there in a heartbeat.
7
15
175
Hey journalists! I know so many people - usually women - who say they struggle with imposter syndrome. That they dont feel as good as they are. I just want to say you’re the real deal and you make a difference. Own it!
14
21
174
I had a bunch of hot flashes and my body aches and was absolutely convinced for 15 seconds that I had Covid 19. Then I remembered I’m an old, menopause-plagued runner who is always achy.
#quarantinelife
6
6
154
Today marked four weeks since I started at
@HoustonChron
. The verdict? I love it. Everyone has been so welcoming, smart and inspiring. My team is supportive and we’re working on great stuff. I feel set up for success. Very grateful.
4
3
168
Wow! Well this blew up. Dylan is working right now at
@HEB
, where he does curbside delivery, but I know he’ll be so grateful for your love and support. Thank you!!
11
12
155
USA Today has been tough. I spent 21 great years at
@MyStatesman
before I was transferred to USAT. But since April I have had the honor of working with my boss,
@jsusong
. I have learned how to write in ways I never knew possible. He was kind. And patient. Very, very patient.
3
3
156
She has a choice to make. She is a smart woman. She knows the realities.
Journalism is better with her in it. But the bottom line is, she has to do what’s best for her. It’s not just about money. It’s all the things. Are her work, time and goals respected? Is she treated well?
1
6
149
@heymrsbond
I want my clothes to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and fold themselves.
4
26
147
My harpist son just got accepted into his first choice college music program - University of Michigan - and if you think I'm bragging, I absolutely am. Stay tuned for more obnoxious momager behavior.
9
1
137
@bykenarmstrong
@seattletimes
What I love about this thread is how you still hold this story close to your heart. Reporters care deeply about their communities. Thank you for sharing and I'll be reading these stories.
1
0
133
Being on the storytelling team was a dream come true. I was able to tell stories about people. Regular people living regular lives. Some suffered massive losses. Some shared hilarious stories. Covering the mass shooting in Uvalde humbled me to my core.
1
3
131
@JaworskiForTX
I’ve been living with that sound in my house for 11 years and will miss it terribly when it is gone.
6
1
131
If you're an innocent victim of a high-speed chase in Houston, don't expect the city to help you.
They'll fight you. Blame you. Call the incident an "act of God." Call deaths/injuries "pre-existing" conditions.
My latest with
@carolineghisolf
4
70
126
Today was my last day at
@gannett
. The goodbye from my team was everything I wanted it to be: kind, funny, sentimental, supportive.
Thank you, my friends, for taking this journey with me.
To whatever is next!
@willcarless
@chris_kenning
@KelleyBFrench
@MrRJervis
@jsusong
2
4
127
OK, well, wow! I've got my work cut out for me. I'm talking to several journalism orgs about doing webinars on narrative investigations. I'll also do my own sessions. But first I have to create the workshop! Hopefully, I'll have an update for you in about 2 weeks.
6
2
128
Thank you to all the journalists covering the craziness at the U.S. Capitol right now. Your service is crucial and greatly appreciated. Stay safe.
0
28
126
Very proud to win the
@TexasEditors
community service award with my colleagues for our series on high speed chases. I’m deeply grateful to the Houstonians who trusted us with their stories. Their courage prompted change and hopefully the roads are safer for everyone.
11
15
126
When I got laid off a month ago, I stopped running. I basically shut down and laser focused on getting a new job (hopefully can share good news soon!) I compartmentalized my shock/sadness the best I could and just dug in.
4
2
124
This is the part where I get trashed for not running her off to a career with better pay, better hours, better future.
I won’t do that. This is coming from someone who got laid off in December. I know how bad it is out there.
2
2
120
I am in deep mourning over the loss of not being able to see these people every day at 11:15 a.m. They made my life bigger. They made me better.
3
3
118
THREAD. 1/ Some news to share. After 20 years at the Statesman, I have joined the GateHouse regional investigations team. We’ll be doing large-scale enterprise and investigations to be shared among the GH network.
9
5
117
Thank you to
@KelleyBFrench
, my writing inspiration. She conceived this story about children under 10 who were arrested in school and still suffered years later.
1
3
119
I will always support my Statesman family. Gannett is nothing without its journalists. They deserve a fair contract.
#GannettWalkout
#gannettstrike
@AustinNewsGuild
4
30
111
Narrative investigations workshop update! For the last month, I have been working hard to put together the best class I can. Right now, I'm scheduled to present to 13 newspapers, tv stations, journalism orgs, etc.
Here's what we'll be talking about. 1/
3
8
116
My husband painted this for me and I know Van Gogh would be jealous because it is the most stunning piece of art created in human history.
9
4
113
Sweating through Storytelling: A personal story of agony.
Yesterday, we wrote an investigative narrative about a Houston man profoundly injured by a car fleeing the police.
Story looks so pretty, right? Easy right?
OMG. No. 1/
7
36
111
Kudos to Austin journalists at all local news outlets covering the string of bombings that have hit Austin. This is our community. We know the people and the area. We have the sources to get the facts as quickly as they emerge. This is what local journalism is all about.
1
25
107
Thank you
@jsusong
, for indulging my love of animals and letting me write this light piece about wedding pet attendants. Who doesn't love a dog in a bow tie?
1
2
110
It seems unbelievable - kids under 10 being arrested for basically acting like kids. Throwing tantrums. Having fights. Breaking things. What happens to small kids in the years after their arrests? We tell the story of 3 kids who lived through it.
4
81
107
Just realized that this month I've been at the Austin American-Statesman 20 years. Yes, I'm technically GateHouse now. But I've had the same email, desk, phone number and view for 20 years. Two decades. Almost half my life. That's something.
6
0
104
It’s my birthday. Want to give me a gift? Be kind today. Say something kind. Do something kind. Think something kind. Just be kind. The world needs it.
14
2
106
Down 34 pounds today! Took a year but turtle/hare and all that.
10
0
106
So due to the Gatehouse/Gannett merger, I am now officially a reporter with the USA Today Network. I think this should be the last title change for a while, unless they start letting me use Journalism Goddess as part of my byline.
5
3
104
I have lived a charmed journalism life. I didn't really know what furloughed was until it happened to me today. One week a month for three months. I am so proud to work with my colleagues at
@USATODAY
and the
@statesman
. We'll get through this together.
5
3
99
This is one of those days in journalism where you don’t know whether to cry, throw up or get drunk.
@latimes
.
8
8
101
How on earth did Baby Andrea have no idea how adorable she was? She was too busy fixating on her flaws, inside and out. We don’t always see ourselves very clearly. I’ll try harder if you will.
4
0
101
One of the hardest things about being a reporter is that you can’t call out people as being the douchebags they are, even when their douchebaggery is indisputable. If you think this song is about you, it is.
4
18
98
I recently said that, as part of this new chapter in my life, I was going to lean into the things that make me strong and happy. So I auditioned for SoCo Women’s Chorus (
@SoCoWoCho
)… and I got in!
8
1
97
14 years ago, Dylan scared the hell out of us by being born 4 months early. He entered the world a half-baked baby eyelids fused shut, skin raw and no cartilage in his ears. He had heart surgery just days after his birth and stayed in the hospital 4 months. Just look at him now!
2
0
95
@Gannett
just announced furloughs, loss of 401k, buyouts, shortened workweeks, etc. Just another day at Gannett.
11
41
93
Young journalists, we need your passion, your ideas, your commitment to your communities. Yeah, the economics suck. They have for 20 years. But I believe you're going to be the ones to fix this mess. Stay with us. We need you. You can change the world.
4
12
93
@FiveFootPhotog
@jachristian
My mom was sooooo good at bowling. Many trophies from bowling league. I am here to say this is not genetic.
3
0
93
21 years ago, I moved to Texas to work for the Austin American Statesman. It’s been an adventure ever since. I may work for USA Today now, but the Statesman will always be my home.
1
1
91
I worked at the
@statesman
for 20 years. What is happening here shreds my heart. The Statesman will always be my home, its staffers my family, no matter where I am. I will always, always stand with them.
Still on strike. On the first day, my colleagues and I joined AFL-CIO and CWA leaders in an informational picket and worked on proposals for the bargaining table.
@gannett
locked us out of our technology and posted our jobs. Do they really want to give us a contract?
3
19
34
4
22
93
Hillary deleted 33k emails? I feel like I do that every week with spam.
3
28
88
1/ Today, after a year of work, we launch
#Unwatched
, a 3-day, 12-story investigation into the safety of Texas child cares. I know I've been blowing up my own feed about this thing, but let me tell you why.
4
79
83
This guy got an invitation to join the Interlochen Arts Academy next year as a high school senior! Interlochen’s scholarship covers a large portion of the tuition, but not all. Are there other scholarships out there for high school musicians? Are patrons a real thing?
6
1
89
Hey guys, I'm OK. I'm trying to stay quiet out of respect for those who are hurting. Thank you so much for your support.
0
1
88
Talked to two journalism classes at UT yesterday. I always love it. Students have passion, energy, curiosity. It made me think about teaching a class. After 30 years as a reporter, I think I might be able to share some things. Advice from the journos who have done this?
9
1
89
What happens when you're sitting in traffic and a car fleeing police plows you down?
When your heart stops three times? When that car breaks 10 ribs, punctures your lung, mutilates your leg, leaves burns on 1/4 of your body?
What happens if you live?
4
59
86
Today is my six-month anniversary at
@HoustonChron
. Here’s a ridiculously long thread about how I got here and what it’s meant to me.
4
1
89
In 2005, I wrote a story about Texas foster kids being held in psychiatric hospitals for weeks and months after doctors said they could leave because they had nowhere to go. 14 years later, I'm still writing the same story. What's wrong with this picture?
4
61
82
One year ago I crashed the
@HoustonChron
holiday party to accept a job on the i-team. It’s been a weird, spectacular experience. New people, major trust issues, massive mourning.
Now I have great bosses and friends. I love my job. And today, I won at Secret Santa. Onward!
2
0
86
Hello, Houston. I’m all moved in and loving it. Thank you for having me.
8
2
85
Funny story
I wasn’t paying attention while driving from Houston to Austin, went the wrong way & didn’t notice until I got to… Corpus Christi.
Six hours in the car was just how I wanted to spend my anniversary.
But can we talk about the sushi at the HEB in Cuero, tho?
14
4
87