Investigative Journalist in Houston, Texas
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Reflections of a Newsosaur: Alan Mutter interviews venture capitalist John Thornton, who put up $1 million of his own money to help fund the Texas Tribune, a Web-based, nonprofit news organization that recently hired five top-notch journalists. Frank Rich: The real reason why Walter Cronkite was the most …
Using the Texas Public Information Act, reporter Karisa King obtained a huge database that tracks property tax protests in Bexar County and San Antonio. She analyzed the data and here’s what she found: Everybody wants lower property taxes. But those with the least ability to pay rarely protest their appraised values, while owners of upscale …
Today’s front page of the San Antonio Express-News was dominated by stories that all relied on public records: Karisa King analyzed a public database that tracks property tax disputes in Bexar County. “Everybody wants lower property taxes. But those with the least ability to pay rarely protest their appraised values, while owners of upscale homes …
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: The Nonprofit Road: Reaction to the Texas Tribune‘s surprising acquisition of Texas Weekly, and its hiring of five reporters who prize enterprise journalism. Temple Talk: John Temple continues profiling Pulitzer-prize winning journalists who have left the business during tough times for newspapers. Silverton Saves its Paper: Cool video …
Texas Monthly’s Evan Smith, who is leaving the “national magazine of Texas” to launch the nonprofit Texas Tribune, is swiftly staking a claim for watchdog journalism by hiring reporters with a strong track record of digging up important stories. The Tribune, a fledgling Web publication, is going to cover state government and politics. It announced …
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Betty Martin: Are you experienced? Too bad. Fresh Air: Terry Gross interviews David Kaplan, who oversaw an investigation of the highly profitable but little-known tobacco black market. Temple Talk: John Temple profiles another Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who left newspapers.
Angela Grant, the video guru at the San Antonio Express-News, shared an excellent post about video projects published on YouTube by a class of Texas State University journalism students taught by David Nolan. Angela taught me everything I knew about shooting and editing video. One of her lessons is promising: Anyone can do this. Most …
To reveal how cutbacks are damaging the newspaper industry, John Temple is profiling talented, Pulitzer-prize winning reporters who are no longer in the business: How best to get at the cost for society, for journalism and for journalists of the loss of thousands of jobs at American newspapers? This series tries to do it by …
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Glenn Greenwald: Celebrating Cronkite while ignoring what he did. The Changing Newsroom: Cronkite’s spirit still lives. Tony Rogers: Talking Points Memo: An influential politics blog that also does investigative reporting. Jonathon Narvey: Breaking News! New Media depends on Old Media.
Jen and I received an invite on Facebook to help out Marissa Villa, a former reporter for the Express-News’ Hispanic publication Conexion who was laid off earlier this year. The guy who organized the fundraiser for Marissa was former Express-News Business Writer Travis Poling, who also left the paper. Travis is a beer connoisseur. When …