Freddy Brewster

Freddy Brewster is an investigative reporter whose work has mostly focus on housing, homelessness and public records. He was a part-time staff writer for the Lost Coast Outpost where he published a story looking into the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s policy of hiding and deleting social media comments critical of its operations. This story won the 2020 NorCal chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ James Madison Freedom of Information Award in the Student category. Other stories include an investigation into sexual harassment allegations of the former executive director of the Yurok Tribe, California’s largest Native American tribe, and a feature about a man’s path to sobriety after nearly 30 years of heroin addiction, among others.

Brewster recently graduated from Humboldt State University at the top of his class. While at Humboldt State, Brewster was the editor in chief of the Osprey Magazine, a student-run publication. During this time, Brewster led a diverse group of students as they pursued stories that focused on social justice in all forms. The stories published in that issue ranged from topics of border identities to formerly-incarcerated students to the history of sex work in Humboldt County to the undocumented community. That edition of the Osprey magazine was a finalist in the Best Magazine section for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards.

During his time at UC Berkeley, Brewster hopes to hone his investigative reporting skills and couple them with coding techniques.

In his free time he enjoys surfing and rock climbing in Yosemite National Park where in 2016 he and two friends established a first ascent on the Fifi Buttress formation next to Bridal Veil Fall.

EDUCATION

EMPLOYERS

AWARDS & HONORS

REPORTING INTERESTS

Finance, Homelessness, Investigative reporting, National Security, housing, public records