The Miami Herald published an investigative series on Wednesday that showed how a wealthy and well-connected man sexually abused and trafficked underage girls for years and used his money and connections to get an unbelievable deal from prosecutors.
The story of Jeffrey Epstein in “Perversion of Justice” isn’t a new one, but by connecting thousands of court records, witness depositions, sealed documents and reaching 60 victims, the Herald’s Julie K. Brown “lifted the sewer lid off of something that was really unseen and behind the scenes and truly wasn’t told until now,”said her editor, Casey Frank.
“It was like an onion,” Brown told Poynter. “…With every record that I got, it was like, I can’t believe this. It was just more and more information.”
You can read our interview with Brown here.
CHILLING EFFECT: Student newspaper adviser Scott Morris at the University of North Alabama has been fired. The university was condemned by the College Media Association, which alleges that his termination is directly related to content published by the student newspaper, the Flor-Ala, that was unfavorable to the administration. Inside Higher Ed has more.
DOCUMENTARY DEBUT: McClatchy Studios today is releasing “The War Within,” a 10-week Facebook Watch documentary series that tells the stories of three people “dealing with the complicated aftermath of their military service.” “These are poignant local stories that deserve to be told to a national audience,” said Andrew Pergam, vice president of news operations and new ventures at McClatchy, in a release.
REAL HELP: In the wake of an ASNE study that found that newsrooms are still not as diverse as the audiences they cover, Journalism Diversity Project co-founder Emma Carew Grovum offers some tips for editors and hiring managers. Meet with local leaders from associations like AAJA, NABJ and NAHJ. Post job openings. Support the journalists of color who are already working for you. “It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be expensive. And it’s going to take time,” Carew Grovum writes. “But there are little steps you can take TODAY to get the ball rolling.”
PART II: Back for a second season, “The FRONTLINE Dispatch” podcast partnered with ProPublica for its first episode, “I Don’t Want to Shoot You, Brother,” a “shocking” story about suicide by cop. The original, investigative podcast from the award-winning PBS documentary specialists features stories this season from West Virginia to Kenya.
On Poynter.org:
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Jonathan Albright wants you to know that misinformation still exists on Facebook — it’s just not as obvious as it used to be. By Daniel Funke.
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Three veteran journalists on the New Orleans food beat had to drastically change their thinking and their workflow. It's paying off. By Kristen Hare
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From our archives: "It’s wonderful to say, we value enterprise, our focus is on enterprise, but if you’re a beat reporter, hey, you make sources by going to meetings," said Rick Hirsch, the Miami Herald's managing editor. "Part of this work is showing up."
Upcoming Poynter training:
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2019 Leadership Academies for Women in Digital Media. Deadline: Nov. 30.
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Uncovering the Untold Stories: How to Do Better Journalism in Chicago. Deadline: Nov. 30.
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