Investigative Journalist in Houston, Texas
What are shining examples of investigative journalism? How do we keep it alive while the media industry is imploding? That’s what this blog is all about.
If you didn’t read your friendly neighborhood newspaper in 2019, you missed out on some incredible investigative journalism. Last year the Houston Chronicle published watchdog stories about Child Protective Services unfairly taking children away from families; stories about how Texas is shortchanging students; and stories about a sexual abuse crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention, …
If you want to know what really makes journalists tick, hanging out at an Investigative Reporters and Editors conference will restore your faith in humanity. The whole point of this year’s massive gathering of journalists in Orlando, Florida was about finding truth — how to dig up facts, how to double and triple check them, …
In February 2009, an 8-year-old girl from Schertz died, alone, of acute appendicitis — a disease that could have easily been treated if caught in time. In the hours leading up to her death, people concerned about the girl — including officers from the Schertz Police Department — had warned the Texas Department of Child …
Express-News Reporter Guillermo Contreras, who covers the federal courts beat, has been writing scoop after scoop about an FBI investigation at the Bexar County courthouse in San Antonio. The latest bombshell is a story about a plea deal for local defense lawyer Alberto “Al” Acevedo Jr., who lays out in excruciating detail how he bribed …
Check out some of my favorite research tips, strategies and resources from this year’s Investigative Reporters and Editors conference, where about 1,100 incredibly talented journalists are meeting in San Antonio. These conferences are geared for journalists, but really anyone who’s interested in research tools will find many of these tips handy.
The classic stereotype about journalists is that we’re all backstabbing vultures who would sell our mothers for a good story. Nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, we only sell our mothers for really, really good stories. But more importantly, we’re actually an amazingly friendly, collaborative bunch. I’m in Boston where more …
Flustered locksmith dude: “Like, what are you doing? I don’t know … what’s going on?” Reporter uncovering locksmith scam: “My name is Brian Collister. I’m with the Trouble Shooters. I’m an investigative reporter. And you’re busted.”
American Journalism Review delved into the declining state of investigative journalism with compelling articles and videos that quantified what’s been lost — and what might be gained:
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: JimmyCsays: How the Kansas City Star is relying on in-depth stories: “The plan hinges on developing a lineup of reporters who can consistently deliver front-page, “enterprise” stories — articles that spring primarily from recent news developments. Where breaking news is the engine of a paper, enterprise stories — …
Columbia Journalism review posted an interesting feature story about nonprofit investigative news organizations, and how they take different approaches to funding and sharing their content. The CJR story opens with a telling anecdote about a meeting at California Watch. At the meeting, the editors agree that one of their reporters, after months of digging, has …