investigative reporting

Setting up a newsroom to handle investigative opportunities takes a strong commitment from ownership, management and staff. Cut corners or take the easy way out, and you risk lawsuits, loss of credibility and, ultimately, loss of viewers. Instead, take a closer look at each ingredient to add to the pot.

Media General-owned WCMH Columbus, Ohio (DMA 32), today hired Duane Pohlman as lead investigative reporter and co-anchor of NBC4 at 5:30 effective Feb. 3, 2014. Pohlman comes from WKLY Louisville, Ky., and previously worked at WEWS Cleveland from 2001 through 2010. In addition to his reporting and anchoring, Pohlman is also actively involved in investigative […]

Len Besthoff will serve as chief investigative reporter for Hartford, Conn., NBC-owned stations’ Troubleshooters Unit.

WGBH Boston is hoping a new partnership with nonprofit New England Center for Investigative Reporting can up the amount of hard news it reports. The nonprofit recently moved into the newsroom of the PBS station, and there’s a plan to hire one investigative reporter to work across radio, TV and all digital platforms.

Imagine losing your job, then losing the unemployment check you depend on to pay your bills. That’s what happened to about 70,000 unemployed workers in our state on July 1, because of a new state law overhauling North Carolina’s unemployment insurance system. A new WRAL Raleigh, N.C., documentary Cut Loose and Cut Off profiles some […]

Hagit Limor, Amy Wagner, Scott Schneider, Matt Nordin and a producer will staff the Fox19 Investigative Reporting Unit at Raycom’s Fox affiliate in Cincinnati.

Gannett-owned ABC affiliate WZZM Grand Rapids, Mich. (DMA 39), has created a Watchdog Team headed by veteran reporter and anchor, Lee Van Ameyde who has been with the station for more than 36 years. Van Ameyde, the stations says, “is known in the community and professional arenas as being an advocate for those without a […]

Award-winning investigative reporter Mark Greenblatt, will join The E.W. Scripps Co. as a national investigative correspondent for the Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, effective April 15. Formerly with ABC News as a national correspondent, Greenblatt specializes in computer-assisted reporting and the mining of public data through the Freedom of Information Act. “The Scripps Howard […]

Investigative reporter Kathy Curran has joined Hearst’s ABC affiliate WCVB Boston (DMA 7). Curran will work full-time with Team 5, WCVB’s investigative unit. Curran has been a crime and investigative reporter for more than 20 years, 16 years in Boston. Curran has won three Boston/New England Emmy Awards: Outstanding Reporter –Investigative in 2012, On-Camera Talent Reporter-Investigative […]

Belo CBS affiliate KHOU Houston announced that reporter Courtney Zubowski will join the station’s investigative unit, the I-Team, on July 1. Zubowski joined KHOU in January 2008. Prior to that, Zubowski worked at Belo sister station KTVK Phoenix and at KFDM Beaumont, Texas. Zubowski joins investigative reporters Jeremy Rogalski, who has been with KHOU for over […]

The past year has seen an increase in investigative reporting by stations in Washington. “You’re not going to distinguish yourself by covering that fire — unless you can follow up on why the fire hydrants didn’t work,” says WUSA News Director Fred D’Ambrosi.

After six months of working together on investigative reporting and other stories, the participants have a list of important stories they’ve broken together.  Poynter’s Al Tompkins observes: “At one time, partnerships were mostly about distribution and publicity. But these days the partners are taking their roles much more seriously, adding significant content according to each partner’s expertise.”

Seven stations expand their websites to highlight local investigative reporting.