First session, on April 26, focuses on investigation of forced labor that sparked corporate and congressional action
WASHINGTON, DC; APRIL 12, 2024 – The Fund for Investigative Journalism is launching a series of free webinars featuring reporters who will share how they did groundbreaking investigations. Reporters who produced investigations with the Fund’s support will share concrete tips and resources that other journalists can use in their work.
The live, hourlong webinars will take place on the last Friday of the month at noon Eastern, starting April 26, and running through the rest of the year. Below is the schedule of sessions, with links to register for each:
- April 26, noon Eastern (register here): Zhen Wang shares how she reported on a company using prison labor in China to produce gloves; her reporting led Walmart to stop selling the gloves and Congress to launch an investigation. Wang was embedded at Wisconsin Watch for six months as one of the Fund’s Diversity Fellows when she reported the story.
- May 31, noon Eastern (register here): Rebecca Clarren shares how she investigated the practice of taking land from Indigenous communities and giving it to white settlers. Clarren received a grant and other support from the Fund to investigate this for her new book, The Cost of Free Land.
- June 28, noon Eastern (register here): Jessica Miller of the Salt Lake Tribune shares how she investigated allegations of sexual abuse by a Utah therapist. After Miller’s reporting was published, in partnership with ProPublica and with support from the Fund, the therapist’s business closed and he was arrested.
- September 27, noon Eastern (register here): Reporters from the Maine Monitor and WLRN in South Florida share how they reported on abuses and lax oversight in government guardianship programs that are designed to care for incapacitated adults. Both investigations, supported by the Fund, prompted local, state and federal reforms.
- October 25, noon Eastern (register here): Reporters from WyoFile in Wyoming and Arizona Luminaria share how they reported on deaths in local jails, with support from the Fund.
- November 15, noon Eastern (register here): Lauren Chooljian of New Hampshire Public Radio shares how her team reported on sexual abuse in addiction recovery centers for an investigative podcast, with support from the Fund. The podcast sparked state legislation that would strengthen oversight of substance abuse treatment centers in New Hampshire.
The webinars are free and open to journalists, students, partners and the public. People who register for the webinars will receive tip sheets with information and resources shared during each session.
The series is produced and moderated by Ellen Weiss, who serves on the Fund’s board of directors. Weiss, a four-time Peabody Award winner, served as Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief for Scripps and Senior Vice President for News at National Public Radio.
“We’re proud to have supported these superb investigations, and we’re eager to help our grantees share their experience and tips with the larger field,” Weiss said.
The Fund for Investigative Journalism, founded in 1969, makes grants directly to freelance journalists or media outlets for the expenses of specific investigative stories, and provides additional editorial and technical support to help grantees boost the quality and impact of their reporting. More than 75% of stories produced with the Fund’s support are state and local investigations.
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