Investigative Journalist in Houston, Texas
Investigative reporter Todd Bensman has been writing about Mexican immigrants who are fleeing the drug war but are denied political asylum in the United States. For his first story, he interviewed a Mexican lawyer who said he was brutally tortured by a drug cartel. Today’s article tells the story of a family from Juarez: In …
I learned two things from my yard sale this weekend:
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Nieman Journalism Lab: More on the Pocantico summit and the Nonprofit Investigative News Network. Members are optimistic but also bring different priorities to the table. “Establishing that network may require navigating tensions between established groups seeking to expand their reach and a new crop of local outfits still …
Laura Frank, a former investigative reporter for the shuttered Rocky Mountain News in Denver, focused her sights on the newspaper industry in this PBS Exposé package, “The Withering Watchdog: What Really Happened to Investigative Reporting in America.” The story features a former colleague of mine, Mc Nelly Torres, an investigative reporter who used to work …
The witty banter between two journalists played by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell makes “His Girl Friday” a gem of a romantic comedy. But to me, the best part is at the 45 minute mark of the movie. Up to that point, Russell’s wisecracking character had been telling everyone how she’s getting out of the …
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Poynter: An interview with ProPublica‘s Amanda Michel about an ambitious investigative-reporting project by citizen journalists. Tony Rogers: Seven things the Iranian uprising showed us about citizen journalism. Read more: How to contact an investigative reporter TechTerminal: How the statistics-rich iPhone app for Major League Baseball could be a …
Awesome video by the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof, who offers some sound reporting advice for all journalists and bloggers. True, most of us will never need fake wallets or interpreters or blow darts. But doing everything you can do verify someone’s story — no matter how sympathetic they are — is important whether you’re …
Vianna Davila had a good story and video about a nonprofit horse sanctuary in Nixon, Texas. Darla Cherry, who has multiple sclerosis, cares for the horses more for love than money: Her most recent castoff was Star, an 11-year-old Quarter mare acquired in June. A woman paid Cherry the requested $200 donation and handed over …
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: The Chris Mathews Show: A panel of journalists including Bob Woodward debate the future of journalism. David Olive: Newspapers are boring themselves to death. Old Media, New Tricks: It doesn’t have to be a battle to the death between old and new media. Related: How to contact an …
Here’s a recording of my radio interview last week with KTSA’s Paul Alexander. We talked about a San Antonio Express-News investigation of the thrill ride industry, and how the public can check a little-known government database that tracks amusement ride injuries in Texas. The Express-News posted the injury data online for anyone interested in checking …