With one of the Fund’s new follow-up grants, which help grantees continue reporting stories after the initial investigation is published, High Country News and the Nevada Independent uncovered a pattern of Nevada Gold Mines jeopardizing worker safety and limiting reports of accidents. After their initial story ran earlier this year, reporters Nick Bowlin and Daniel Rothberg received a wave of tips from current and former workers at the large mining conglomerate. They interviewed sources, compiled data and tracked down lawsuits – revealing a system where workers declined to report injuries, safety officials quit to save their consciences, and company systems actually created incentives to make accident reports less transparent. They interviewed company CEO Mark Bristow, who pushed back on some of the reporting, but to the reporters’ surprise, also confirmed much of what they gleaned from their many sources during their six months reporting the story.
Follow-up reporting uncovers worker safety issues at Nevada’s largest gold-mining company
