News Topic:

Investigative Reporting Program

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IRP reporter reflects on “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez”

March 1, 2021

One year ago, the searing six-part docuseries “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” began streaming on Netflix. The film, based on reporting by Garrett Therolf of Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP), examines the brutal 2013 death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez by his mother and her boyfriend and how misguided policies fail to protect children in peril. Brian Knappenberger is the…

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Promotional image for HBO's "Agents of Chaos," featuring the White House adorned with a circus tent, flags, and the year 2016. Russian-style domes emerge from the tent, underlining the theme of Berkeley Journalism's deep dive into the 2016 election attack.

“Agents of Chaos” documentary nominated for Writers Guild Award

February 16, 2021

“Agents of Chaos,” a four-hour HBO documentary about Donald Trump and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election based on reporting by Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) and Investigative Studios, has been nominated for best documentary script at the Writers Guild Awards. The film was streamed in two parts and each of the two-hour segments were nominated individually. The film…

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“California’s Criminal Cops” wins investigative reporting, public service awards from Society of Professional Journalists

February 10, 2021

A six-month investigation of California police officers with criminal records, led by Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) and the Bay Area News Group (BANG), was honored this month by the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. “California’s Criminal Cops,” which exposed hundreds of current and former police officers with rap sheets across the…

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Christine Schiavo joins IRP as local news editor

January 11, 2021

  (Berkeley, CA) — We’re pleased to announce that Christine Schiavo is joining Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program as local news editor. In this new role, Schiavo will be leading coverage of Berkeley Journalism’s two community news sites,  Richmond Confidential and Oakland North. She will work closely with journalism students to produce a broad range…

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Wesley Lowery joins Berkeley Journalism as IRP’s Special Projects Editor

October 20, 2020

BERKELEY, CA — Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Wesley Lowery is joining Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program as Special Projects Editor this semester. Lowery is leading a team of graduate students investigating police misconduct in the United States, and he’s offering advice and guidance on other IRP investigations. Lowery is currently a correspondent for 60 in 6, a…

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“The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” based on IRP story is #1 on Netflix

March 2, 2020

“The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez,” a six-part documentary series based on reporting by Garrett Therolf of the Investigative Reporting Program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, which began streaming on February 26 is now #1 on Netflix in the U.S.

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FRONTLINE and Associated Press investigation on mass confinement of migrant children

November 12, 2019

A FRONTLINE and Associated Press investigation on the mass confinement of migrant children, produced by FRONTLINE’s Daffodil Altan (’04) and Berkeley Journalism Prof. Andrés Cediel (’04), featuring AP investigative reporter Garance Burke (’04), will air tonight on PBS stations nationwide. The film exposes the traumatic stories of kids detained under President Trump’s immigration policies, and reveals…

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Explosive Investigative Reporting Program-led series exposing police officers with criminal records is launched

November 10, 2019

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…

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A woman with short dark hair wearing a black jacket stands next to a man with curly dark hair and a beard, wearing a red and blue plaid shirt. They are outdoors with greenery in the background, discussing the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 43 students.

IRP fellows investigate Mexican federal police’s role in disappearance of 43 students

December 19, 2014

A pair of postgraduate fellows with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program report that Mexican federal police were directly involved in the disappearance of 43 students in southern Mexico.

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A person wearing a brown cowboy hat, dark bandana over their face, and a light white cloth around their neck stands in a green field looking into the distance. The scene evokes the spirit of investigative reporting, reminiscent of tales deserving an Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Blurred greenery under a clear sky sets the backdrop.

Investigative Reporting Program Wins duPont Award for “Rape in the Fields”

December 18, 2013

The J-School wins its first Alfred I. duPont Award. This is only the second time that a university-led

program has been awarded the honor.

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