California’s Criminal Cops: Who they are, what they did, why some are still working
This story appeared on the front page of the Mercury News and more than 30 other California newspapers on November 10, 2019. By Robert Lewis (’08), David Debolt, Jason Paladino (’15), Katey Rusch (’20), Laurence Du Sault (’20), Ali DeFazio (’20) More than 80 law enforcement officers working today in California are convicted criminals, with…
Read MoreExplosive Investigative Reporting Program-led series exposing police officers with criminal records is launched
Related story by recent graduate airs on Reveal nationwide A six-month investigation involving more than 30 newsrooms across California, led by Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP), has found hundreds of criminal convictions against current and former police officers, dozens of them still on the job. What began as a simple story triggered by explosive…
Read MoreRosa Tuirán Awarded Brian Pollack Documentary Fellowship
For a journalist, rejection is part of life. Sources don’t respond to you, pitches get declined, stories sometimes don’t seem good enough. Realizing that others recognize your talent can be a powerful boost to a young journalist’s confidence and career. The Brian A. Pollack Fellowship aims to provide exactly that sort of boost to gifted…
Read MoreVirtual Info Session: Investigative Reporting with Professor David Barstow
REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT Join a live, half-hour discussion with Prof. David Barstow about Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program. Ask the four-time Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter your questions. David Barstow, a former senior writer at The New York Times and the first reporter to ever win four Pulitzer Prizes, is the head of investigative reporting at the UC…
Read MoreJ298 – Developing your Blockbuster Investigative Story
Developing your Blockbuster Investigative Story: A seminar for students producing an investigative story in any medium that offers guidance on narrative, sourcing, strategy, ethics, interviewing, public records and data. Second-year students may apply for this course by submitting a detailed story idea and story plan that they propose to execute during this class. Participation in…
Read MoreJ260 Investigative Reporting Seminar
Course objective: What does it take to produce great investigative journalism? The aim of this course is to answer this question by exploring methods and strategies for conceiving, reporting, writing and fact checking investigative narratives. What are the ingredients to look for when considering story ideas? Where does the reporting start? How do you go…
Read MoreThe horrific death of Anthony Avalos and the many missed chances to save him
Pictured above: A memorial for Anthony Avalos at the California City home of his uncle and aunt, David and Maria Barron, on Aug. 2. Anthony, 10, died June 21, 2018. His mother and her boyfriend were charged with first-degree murder. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) This story appeared in the Los Angeles Times on…
Read MoreSocial workers didn’t remove boy from his home despite court order. He later died
Pictured above: Noah Cuatro is seen in an undated photo provided to KTLA by his great-grandmother Eva Hernandez. (KTLA) This story appeared in the Los Angeles Times on July 11, 2019 By Garrett Therolf and Alyson Stamos Los Angeles County caseworkers allowed 4-year-old Noah Cuatro to remain in his parents’ home despite a court order…
Read MoreCounselor testified she didn’t report suspected abuse to authorities before Gabriel Fernandez was killed
Pictured above: Gabriel Fernandez (family photo) This story appeared in the Los Angeles Times on March 3, 2019 By Garret Therolf The death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez in 2013 was a notorious failure of Los Angeles County’s safety net to protect abused and neglected children. The case prompted criminal charges against four child protective services caseworkers and a deep…
Read MoreJ298: Freedom of Information
Freedom of Information This class will survey the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, state public records laws, access to state and federal court records (with emphasis on understanding and opposing the sealing for court records) and emphasize the making of requests and obtaining access. We’ll also study major court decisions granting and limiting access, learn…
Read More