Oakland police overtime payments straining city’s budget

A group of police officers in riot gear stand on a city street, with a crowd of protesters holding signs in the background. One prominent sign reads "HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT." The scene takes place in front of a modern office building during dusk, highlighted by Berkeley Journalism coverage.

(Pictured above: Demonstrators fill Broadway near Oakland Police Department headquarters on May 29, 2020 during a protest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.  Photo by Beth LaBerge/KQED) This story appeared on KQED on May 19, 2021. A version of the story was first published on Oakland North on April 28, 2021. By Noah Baustin (’22)…

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Alumni Portrait: Alyssa Jeong Perry of NPR’s “Code Switch”

A person wearing a mask holds two microphones outside a brick building. They have headphones around their neck and a lanyard with an ID badge that reads "Berkeley Journalism." A poster and a plaque are visible on the building behind them.

For Alyssa Jeong Perry (’16), the recent wave of anti-Asian violence has underscored the need to report on the diversity within the Asian American community. Perry, who is Korean American, is a producer at National Public Radio’s “Code Switch” podcast, where she feels fortunate to be able to report deeply on issues of race, ethnic…

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Noxious neighbors: The EPA knows tanks holding heavy fuels emit harmful chemicals. Why are Americans still at risk?

Aerial view of an industrial waterfront facility. Large cylindrical storage tanks dominate the foreground, with buildings and pipes surrounding them. In the background, a harbor with anchored ships and city buildings bathed in early morning sunlight is visible, reminiscent of Berkeley Journalism's insightful coverage.

(Pictured above: Global Partners’ Chelsea Terminal sits across the river from Boston and just steps away from a neighborhood. Credit: Julia Kane/Inside Climate News) This story appeared in Inside Climate News on April 19, 2021. By Sabrina Shankman (’09), Julia Kane (’21) This article was produced in collaboration with Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program. Brittany Liscord…

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Inside Climate News & the Investigative Reporting Program uncover potential health hazards from storage tanks

Aerial view of an industrial waterfront facility. Large cylindrical storage tanks dominate the foreground, with buildings and pipes surrounding them. In the background, a harbor with anchored ships and city buildings bathed in early morning sunlight is visible, reminiscent of Berkeley Journalism's insightful coverage.

An 18-month investigation by Inside Climate News in collaboration with Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) found that bulk storage tanks that hold asphalt and heavy fuels pose a potential health risk to millions of Americans living near the tanks — a national problem that has gone largely unregulated. In “Noxious Neighbors,” Berkeley Journalism alum…

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“I felt hate more than anything”: How an active duty airman tried to start a civil war

A photograph of a man with dark hair and a beard is placed next to several documents on a table, resembling forms often used in Berkeley Journalism. The documents appear to be legal or identification forms with various fields and checkboxes filled in.

(Pictured above: Steven Carrillo is charged with murdering a Santa Cruz County deputy sheriff and a security officer guarding Oakland’s federal courthouse. Credit: FRONTLINE) This story appeared in ProPublica on April 13, 2021. It is part of a collaboration between Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program, ProPublica and FRONTLINE that includes the documentary American Insurrection, airing 10 p.m. Eastern…

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Alumni Portrait: Freelance investigative reporter Jimmy Tobias

A man with short dark hair and a light beard, possibly a Berkeley Journalism student, smiles softly while standing in front of a brick wall. He is wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt. There is some greenery visible on the left side of the image.

For Jimmy Tobias (’16), investigative reporting is a lot like building a trail. “It’s a slow, deliberate enterprise that rewards experience and attention to detail,” he said. Tobias knows quite a bit about both. Before attending Berkeley Journalism, he worked as a wilderness trail technician for the U.S. Forest Service and the Montana Conservation Corps, which he describes…

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