Ross Jones Joins Scripps Washington Bureau

Ross Jones, investigative reporter at Scripps-owned WXYZ Detroit will join the Scripps Washington Bureau as an investigative correspondent. In his new role, Jones will provide investigative reporting to all Scripps properties, including 33 television stations across the country.

“Ross is one of the most relentless and resourceful investigators in the country. His work makes a difference and is a tremendous boost for Scripps media organizations across the country,” said WXYZ News Director Dave Manney.

While at WXYZ, Jones’s award-winning work exposed corruption at all levels of government; sent public officials to prison and into hiding, and led to multiple FBI investigations.

Jones’s investigation into corruption and waste in Wayne County was detailed in the series, Wayne County Confidential:  Government Run Amok. The investigation earned Jones, and the WXYZ investigative team, a duPont Columbia Award.

“Ross is a fantastic addition to our national investigative team,” said Ellen Weiss, VP and Washington bureau chief. “His tenacity and relentless commitment to getting at the truth has prompted major reform. We anticipate more enterprise investigations as Ross takes his skills to the national level.”

Jones was the first to report on secret funds used by elected officials throughout Michigan, including former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s “Civic Fund.” Jones’s reports exposing State Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway’s mortgage fraud led to a grand jury investigation and ultimately, her criminal conviction. Jones’s recent report on the failures of Michigan’s mental health system prompted unprecedented legislative reform.

Ross Jones graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism and joined WXYZ in 2005. He will begin reporting for the Scripps Washington Bureau in October and his investigative reports will continue to be seen on WXYZ’s 7 Action News.