In October 2018, Carolina Public Press, a nonprofit news outlet, took a look at sexual assault conviction rates in North Carolina. What they found were outdated, ineffective laws that blurred the lines of consent and made it harder for offenders to be convicted. “We looked at court data – a 4½-year data set – and analyzed it for the first ...
It all starts with our grantees – the reporters and investigative journalists who commit their lives to uncovering, unraveling and documenting the stories that impact the world most. From migrant abuse at the border to the Flint, Michigan, water crisis and beyond, our grantees reported on a diverse array of issues in 2019. Below, we give you a breakdown of ...
The new decade has brought some changes at FIJ. Three new officers were named to leadership positions on our Board of Directors after three esteemed members stepped down because of FIJ’s term limits. And Bill Marimow, formerly of the Philadelphia Inquirer has joined the Board. Former Treasurer, Mark Greenblatt, was elected President of the Board, Cheryl Thompson, Vice President, and ...
Reporter and FIJ grantee Rachel Nielsen investigated the complaints of foster parents in Washington state who say government caseworkers have created a culture of fear. The foster parents say they are being intimidated by state officials over trivial issues. State officials have held two meetings with groups of foster parents, but there have been no changes, according to records obtained ...
A key component of FIJ’s program is recruiting and matching veteran reporters to mentor grantees. Mentors advise on reporting techniques, and also coach grantees through the writing phase. One grantee told us his mentor tutored him in the art of “unspooling” information. This month, we profile our mentor Pete Carey, a Pulitzer Price winner who retired from the San Jose ...
Investigative reporters tend to spend most of their reporting and research time focused on acquiring the facts and data to document a wrongdoing. As a result, the fruit of their labor – the story – too often ends up dry and lifeless. The reader, listener or viewer is left feeling like they should care more than they do about the ...
For more than 12 years, Washington State Patrol troopers have been searching drivers from minority communities, particularly Native Americans, five times more often than whites, FIJ grantees Jason Buch and Joy Borkholder, report for InvestigateWest. Their investigation also found that although there is a state law requiring that officers file reports on the race of drivers they stop, state troopers ...