A University of Virginia graduate, he has covered politics and government for daily newspapers since 1987. Along with his wife, Jackie Majerus-Collins, he co-founded the nonprofit Youth Journalism International (youthjournalism.org) in 1994. It has been teaching students around the world about journalism ever since, building ties among young people on every continent and providing aspiring writers and photographers with a chance to have their stories seen by a global audience. His Christmas Eve resignation in 2015 to protest an unethical publisher drew national attention. He is married and has two children.