When you’re a reporter covering medical marijuana policy, what could possibly go wrong?
I interviewed Michael Montgomery for this story and directed the animation with Arthur Jones. Audio production by Ariane Wu. This story was produced for the Center for Investigative Reporting and was posted on The I Files. I conceived this story as the pilot episode of a storytelling series about journalists originally called Off the Record. The series was acquired by VICE Media, Inc. in August 2013 and is now called Correspondent Confidential.
This video is based on a series of interviews with the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden. To protect his identity, we are not using his real voice. Phil Bronstein, executive chairman of the board of the Center for Investigative Reporting, conducted the interviews. Bronstein’s story also appears in the March issue of Esquire.
“The Shooter” was named a Webby Award Honoree in the News & Politics: Individual Episode category.
Reported by Phil Bronstein
Directed and produced by Carrie Ching
Illustrated by Marina Luz
This illustrated short documentary was an experimental multimedia feature created within a year-long, multi-platform investigation from the Center of Investigative Reporting. That umbrella project, called Broken Shield, was reported primarily by Ryan Gabrielson and included print newspaper reporting, television news reports, radio stories, and multimedia. The project uncovered the abuse of developmentally disabled residents in state-run institutions in California and found the state-run Office of Protective Services displayed an alarming inability to solve crimes reported against severely disabled patients under their care and protection.
I directed, produced, and edited “In Jennifer’s Room,” working closely with Gabrielson and illustrator Marina Luz. Read the full story by Ryan Gabrielson. Two weeks after this multimedia feature and Gabrielson’s article were published, state regulators revoked the operating license of the Sonoma institution where Jennifer and other sexual abuse victims had been housed.
“In Jennifer’s Room” won a national Emmy award for New Approaches to News & Documentary. It also won a Gracie Award — a contest for the best programming by, for, and about women — for Outstanding Online Investigative Feature. Along with another multimedia feature I produced (“Manner of Death: Undetermined”) it won a duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, and was part of a Pulitzer-finalist package. It was selected as one of the best investigative features of 2012 by ProPublica’s Muckreads, and was highlighted by Poynter as an example of a creative way to tell a difficult story. “In Jennifer’s Room” was initially distributed online via The I Files, an investigative YouTube channel curated by CIR; from YouTube it spread to other publications, including The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Jezebel, and Cartoon Movement.
In California’s Orange County, some young prescription drug addicts are turning to heroin for a cheaper high. This growing problem appears to hit hardest in affluent communities around the state.
I produced and edited this multimedia feature for California Watch and KQED. It also appeared on KQED’s The California Report with a series of radio stories. The reporting for the multimedia feature was done by Erin Marie Daly, Michael Montgomery and Sarah Varney (see the print article here). The photography is by Daniel A. Anderson.
Americans love hamburgers — we eat about three burgers a week. But what are the hidden costs? I directed and produced this animated short for the Center for Investigative Reporting. I also did the reporting and research with Sarah Terry-Cobo. The illustration and animation were done by the talented Arthur Jones. This cartoon was the leading feature on YouTube’s new investigative channel, The I Files, on the day it launched. It also appeared as part of CIR’s Food for 9 Billion reporting project, a yearlong look at the challenge of feeding the world at a time of social and environmental change.
“The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers” has also been featured online by Time, PBS NewsHour, Marketplace, Huffington Post, Mother Jones, Wired, Grist, GOOD, KQED, and TreeHugger. Within 24 hours of launch it already had close to 10,000 views. It won an award for Explanatory Journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California.
At least half of California’s estimated 150,000 Native Americans lack official recognition by the federal government. The Winnemem Wintu tribe of Shasta County struggles to continue practicing its traditions without the legal rights and protections that federal recognition would grant members. Gathering materials for religious rituals, protecting ceremonial sites from development and preventing harassment at ceremonies on public land are all challenges the tribe faces.
I shot, produced and edited this feature for the California Lost series by the Center for Investigative Reporting. Additional reporting by Marc Dadigan.
I produced this audio slideshow with California Watch reporter Bernice Yeung. Bernice had been reporting on this story about low-income communities that exist outside of city government boundaries — where about 1.8 million people live without public services like sewers and water. Two photographers had accompanied Bernice on her reporting trips, and there was a multitude of images left after selections were made for the newspaper story. I decided to use the additional images, along with an interview with Bernice speaking candidly about what she encountered, to produce an audio slideshow for California Watch. This piece was also featured by the Fresno Bee.
After Van Ingraham was found with his neck broken at the Fairview Developmental Center, police at the state institution closed the case without answers. But the patient’s heartbroken brother, a former cop, went after evidence that state investigators had missed.
I worked closely with investigative reporter Ryan Gabrielson to produce this multimedia feature for California Watch. See the full investigation.
“Manner of Death: Undetermined” won an award for Feature Storytelling from the Society of Professional Journalists (Northern California) and along with two of other videos won a duPont Silver Baton for excellence in broadcast and digital journalism.
Frank Quan’s family has lived at China Camp, catching and selling shrimp, since the 1890s. He’s the last remaining resident of a Chinese fishing village that once thrived on San Pablo Bay. Now the state is closing China Camp State Park along with dozens of other parks because of budget cuts. What will happen to Frank?
This is the first of a series of video profiles I produced for a project from the Center for Investigative Reporting called California Lost. This video also appeared on The Huffington Post, Fresno Bee, and KQED.org.
Video produced by Carrie Ching
Story reported by Joanna Lin
