Two decades ago on this day, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 people and displacing hundreds of thousands. It was a watershed moment for journalism. Reporters waded through floodwaters, broadcast live from rooftops and exposed government failures in real time.

GJR partnered with the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for this special summer issue that features 16 stories about journalists who covered the disaster in New Orleans.

Our print issue is on its way to subscribers today, and over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of these stories in our weekly digital newsletter.

This particular issue was meaingful for me, not because I had a connection to Katrina, but because I had a chance to work with my former Washington Post colleague, Lisa Frazier Page, a professional-in-residence at LSU; her class produced the journalists' stories.

I was very early in my career at the Post when I met Lisa. I was assigned to cover local government in the Prince George's County bureau, where Lisa covered education. Our cubicles were next to each other. I was still a rookie at that time, and I learned from listening to Lisa interview school board members and parents and then watched how she took routine stories about process and policy and made them human. We haven't worked together in probably 25 years, but I see her touch in the work of the students she now teaches and mentors.

Reconnecting with Lisa for this project reminded me that journalism is, at its core, a collective act. We are a profession built on shared purpose and accountability. Two decades after Katrina, the stories still carry weight, not only for the people of New Orleans but also for all of us who believe in the power of reporting. — Jackie Spinner, GJR Editor