Exposé: America's Investigative Reports

The Withering Watchdog

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:20:04 -0500

Our Exposé episode called As Likely As Not is one of our strongest, not least because of how it evolved as we were working on it. It began as a story about sick U.S. nuclear workers being denied benefits they deserved. In the course of shooting it became a tragic story about one of those workers passing away before he and his family were fully compensated for his illness. Then, just as we were finishing the edit, without our ever having planned or imagined it, the story also became about a woman losing her job. That woman is Laura Frank, an investigative reporter until recently employed by Denver's Rocky Mountain News. The Rocky went under on February 27, 2009, after having published newspapers in Colorado since 1859. Laura Frank's investigation for the Rocky, DEADLY DENIAL, became the basis for our show. Now we have commissioned her to do an Exposé original report, and it is a timely one indeed: an investigation into what some are concerned is the imminent demise of investigative journalism itself. It's a three-parter, and we're proud to present it exclusively on our site. She calls it The Withering Watchdog. Tom Casciato Executive Producer Exposé: America's Investigative Reports The Withering Watchdog, Part One by Laura Frank On a long, tortuous day in May, Mc Nelly Torres waited for some word. "I knew it was coming," said the 41-year-old reporter. It was layoff day at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, one of eight major daily newspapers owned by the bankrupt Tribune Co. Torres had watched as the phones began to ring at some colleagues' desks. Before the day was over, 30 journalists would be laid off — one of every five in the newsroom. As the day wore on, Torres had trouble concentrating on work. She took a walk around the block. She drank coffee. She read her Bible in the bathroom. As she approached her desk around 4 p.m., a colleague stopped her. "She said "Congratulations," Torres recalled. "You're a finalist for the Green Eyeshade."

Mc Nelly Torres' reporting has sent crooks to jail and changed laws. She lost her job at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in May when one of every five journalists there was laid off.

Torres' reporting had been recognized before with the prestigious Southeastern journalism award, and other awards, too. Over the years, her work at five different newspapers had sent crooks to jail and changed laws. She'd uncovered bribery on a Texas school board, deception among South Carolina environmental regulators, and failure in Oklahoma homicide investigations. This time, the judges had selected Torres' work revealing how high temperatures, high taxes and lack of infrastructure left Floridians paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation. But the satisfaction Torres felt from the recognition was short-lived. Half an hour after learning she was a finalist for the award, Torres' phone rang. It was the Sun-Sentinel's human resources manager. Torres' job was gone. "I was able to make a difference in my career," Torres says now. "I'm proud of that." Similar scenarios played out at almost every one of the nation's top 100 newspapers in the past two years. So far this year, three major daily newspapers — the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and the Tuscon Citizen — have closed and five news companies face default on suffocating debt. Radio and TV news operations have been gutted, too. Researchers are trying to quantify exactly how many investigative reporters have been lost, but clearly the numbers are large. They include those who, like Torres, might not have carried the title on their business cards, but did the complex, time-consuming work to unravel information for the public good. In all, more than 25,000 journalists were cut from newsrooms where they were, as Torres put it, making a difference.

Employment at U.S. Daily Newspapers, 1978-2008
Employment at daily newspapers in the U.S. plummeted last year to 46,700, the lowest number since 1981.

But why? The story line has been repeated time after time: The internet is killing mainstream media, sending the Fourth Estate into record-breaking revenue declines. Online ads garner only a fraction of the dropping print revenue. When faced with cuts, investigative reporting is often the first target. Investigative journalism takes more time and more experienced journalists to produce, and it often involves legal battles. It's generally the most expensive work the news media undertake. But an Exposé original investigation has found there's more to the story. The decline in investigative reporting — the in-depth stories that hold the powerful accountable in a democracy — began long before the current economic collapse. The crisis that has pundits worried about the survival of serious journalism in America began with what the journalism industry did to itself. Brant Houston led the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization for more than a decade. His work put him in the newsrooms of almost every major media outlet in the nation. Houston says he saw the problems starting years ago. "I was seeing first-hand that places weren't putting their resources in in-depth reporting, or training, or actually doing the things that would have ensured efficiency and quality," said Houston, now Knight Chair in investigative reporting at the University of Illinois. "Corporations came and harvested the profits."

Top Five U.S. Newspaper Companies: Average Operating Income, 1988-2008 (adjusted for inflation)
Twenty years of profit data show that even during last year's economic collapse, the top five media companies still made more profits, when adjusted for inflation, than they'd averaged over the past two decades. Operating income is defined as revenue from business operations after operating expenses are deducted from gross income.

Exposé analyzed the financial records of the five most profitable publicly-traded newspaper companies in America. Not only was each profitable during last year's apocalyptic financial collapse — averaging nearly $294 million in profits each — but when adjusted for inflation, the profits these media giants made in 2008 were higher than their 20-year average profits. In other words, even in the worst economy since the Great Depression, these top media companies made more profit than they had on average for the past two decades. But they're paying a price for profit, Houston said. "They're killing themselves." Media companies have been siphoning money from their newsroom budgets to pad profits, which many then leveraged to buy more properties in recent years. In the current recession, some are finding their financial positions may be too weak to weather the storm. Investigative stories — with their relatively high costs and potential to turn out to be dead ends — are often among the first things to get the axe. Much of the concern about investigative reporting has focused on newspapers, whose staff size and format have been traditionally home to the most local, in-depth reporting. They are the bread and butter of investigative reporting, staffing the daily beat coverage that allows the public to keep an eye on public affairs, and marshaling forces when wrongdoing requires a closer look. But there are some aspects of investigative reporting the public might not fully realize.

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As Likely As Not

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:51:04 -0500

Wednesday, April 1, 2009:

Tens of thousands of nuclear workers are seriously ill or dying from their exposure to radioactive and hazardous materials -- and they are not being compensated for their illnesses despite promises from the federal government. Investigative reporter Laura Frank of Denver's Rocky Mountain News spent more than ten years following the plight of these workers, and has revealed: a U.S. Department of Labor program with a "no pay list" outlining illnesses to be denied compensation despite the government's own studies linking exposure to illness; that "one in 17 sick workers or survivors with valid claims - more than 1,200 people nationwide - died before they received their benefits"; and despite the frustration of the workers themselves, top labor department officials directing the program have collected tens of thousands of dollars each in bonus money.

Read the original "Deadly Denial" series and updates from the Rocky Mountain News. Hear more from journalist Laura Frank and photographer Javier Manzano about what it was like to cover this story. Learn what happened to the "no pay" list, see what kind of impact Charlie's story is having on Capitol Hill, and find out about the fate of the Rocky.

The People's Sheriff

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:56:56 -0500

Friday, March 27, 2009:

This week on Expos�?©: Maricopa County, Arizona -- including Phoenix and beyond, it is one of the largest counties in America. It's known for its good living, warm desert climate, and media-savvy sheriff. For over 16 years, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been known for his tough approach to crime. But it is only recently that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has made a huge effort to combat illegal immigration, partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a law that grants local sheriff's deputies authority to enforce federal immigration law. And when reporters Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune took a closer look at the immigration efforts of the Sheriff's Office, they discovered that other services were suffering as a result.

Watch an extended interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Follow Tribune reporter Paul Giblin and Sheriff's Office deputies on a roving patrol on a two-lane road that's frequently used by smugglers to shuttle illegal immigrants to California and Nevada. Listen to Betty Mar's account of a robbery at her Guadalupe store. Or visit the East Valley Tribune's Web site to read the original reporting from their "Reasonable Doubt" series, find more multimedia features, and learn more how the paper is faring after layoffs cut their staff by over 40% and they were forced to move to a 4-day a-week print schedule.

Chemistry War Zone, Updated

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:56:05 -0500

Tuesday, February 10, 2009:

This week on Expos�?©: a new web-exclusive update. In November 2007, reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a series entitled "Chemical Fallout," which took a hard look at the debate over the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a chemical found in many everyday products that has been shown to cause health problems in lab animals. The investigation would reveal that the federal government's assurances that BPA is safe were "based on outdated, incomplete government studies and research heavily funded by the chemical industry." But the scrutiny didn't end there. In 2008, debate over the chemical intensified, as did the Journal Sentinel's coverage. Concerns over BPA's use and its effects on human development led the Canadian government to take steps to ban it from polycarbonate baby bottles. Yet, the Food and Drug Administration still maintains the chemical is safe at current levels. The Journal Sentinel's ongoing investigation looks into what's keeping the FDA from acting despite the findings of its own advisory board. Watch the full program above to get the whole story, or skip ahead to the "Epilogue" for the latest.

Read the original "Chemical Fallout" series and the ongoing coverage from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Find out about the very latest developments. And learn about how you can limit your exposure to BPA.

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Friday, October 31, 2008: The Latest BPA News from the Journal Sentinel

FDA advisory board accepts critical report on agency's handling of BPA

By Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentinel
Oct. 31, 2008 2:21 p.m. | A Food and Drug Administration advisory board voted Friday to accept a report that sharply criticized the agency's decision that bisphenol A is safe in baby bottles and food containers.
The report found that FDA scientists ignored dozens of legitimate studies and its conclusions that bisphenol A is safe were inadequate.

Larry Sassich, the consumer representative to the board, said he would encourage the FDA to immediately consider a ban for infant products.

Martin Philbert, who chaired the subcommittee and serves on the board did not vote. Philbert, a professor at the University of Michigan, is founder and co-director of a center that received a $5 million donation last summer from an anti-regulation advocate.

You can find the complete story in tomorrow's Journal Sentinel.

In the lead up to this week's meeting, the FDA faced increasing criticism from scientists and advocacy groups and scrutiny from Congress. The Journal Sentinel reported last week that there was new evidence that the plastics industry was behind the initial FDA draft report.

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Monday, October 20, 2008:
In the News: On Saturday, Canada became the first country to formally declare Bisphenol A (BPA) hazardous to human health. The federal government added the chemical to its list of toxic substances, opening the door for regulatory action, and has already signaled its desire to ban plastic baby bottles made from the chemical. In the United States, attorneys general from three states have preempted regulation by the Food & Drug Administration by asking companies that make baby bottles and baby formula containers to no longer use the chemical in their manufacturing.

Last week, questions were raised about the impartiality of Dr. Martin Philbert, the chairman of the FDA panel charged with evaluating the safety of BPA. Charles Gelman - a retired medical supply manufacturer and an outspoken critic of government regulation who believes the chemical is "perfectly safe" - made a $5 million donation to a research center directed by Philbert. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported on the matter last weekend. On Tuesday, The New York Times published an editorial calling for the FDA to investigate Dr. Martin Philbert's failure to report this potential conflict of interest and determine if Philbert should be asked to step down, and Thursday The Washington Post editorial page also weighed in, admonishing the FDA to "make every effort to ensure that not only are its opinions based in fact but also that they are free of undue influence or even the appearance of such."

Read the latest BPA developments from the Journal Sentinel. And watch Expos�?©'s "Chemistry War Zone" to learn more about the controversy surrounding this chemical.

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008:
In the News: The first large human study of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposures finds adults exposed to higher amounts of BPA were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes. In a meeting of its science advisory board yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration maintained that BPA is safe. Read about the latest research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and updates on the controversy over BPA from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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Monday, August 18, 2008:
In the News: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs in on the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA). Read the latest from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the FDA's draft report.

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Monday, July 14, 2008: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the EPA's registry of common chemicals gives preferential treatment to the chemical industry. The most recent example: a widely used flame retardant. Read the lastest from the "Chemical Fallout" team.

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Thursday, June 19, 2008:
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's latest coverage here:
Panel minimizes some concerns over bisphenol A

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Friday, June 6, 2008:
On the Moyer's Blog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters answer your questions about what the European Union is doing about Bisphenol A, where the $80 million spent so far on the EPA's endocrine disruptors program has gone, and what plastics contain Bisphenol A. Read more here about limiting your exposure to BPA.

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Friday, May 23, 2008:
This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters examine the lack of progress in the Environmental Protection Agency's Endocrine Disruptors Screening Program and do their own analysis of the science at the center of the battle over Bisphenol A (BPA). The commonly used chemical is known as an endocrine disruptor, and has been shown to cause health problems in lab animals. BPA, which is found in household plastics and the linings of metal cans, leaches from those products into our food and drink; a recent Center for Disease Control study found the chemical in 93% of the people it tested. Read the original 2-part series, "Chemical Fallout," which has won reporters Susanne Rust, Meg Kissinger and Cary Spivak awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of American Business Writers. You can ask the reporters about their investigation by submitting questions to the Blog on the Bill Moyers Journal site.

Follow the new developments as Congress considers banning BPA in children's products and overhauling the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). And you might want to learn about a recent decision in California. The state -- bypassing the federal government altogether -- has banned certain endocrine disruptors known as phthalates from use in children's toys. Watch NOW's "Toxic Toys?" for more on this story.

Since the Journal Sentinel came out with its story in late 2007, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has decided to do some investigating of its own. After making initial inquiries to manufacturers about their use of Bisphenol A in baby products, the committee has widened its investigation into "the industry's use of consulting firms . . . to manipulate public opinion related to certain chemicals." Consultants attempt to influence the public by using so-called "product defense" strategies. For more on this, watch Expos�?©'s "Science Fiction."

A Private War

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:04:47 -0500

Friday, December 19, 2008: This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). A private company hired to build military family homes never finishes the job. An employee tries to do something about it but his bosses - and the U.S. Navy - don't seem to be listening. Enter Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eric Nalder from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer whose investigation reveals the high cost of privatization and a whistleblower in search of vindication.

Find out from the reporter known for his ability to get people to open up how you can "loosen lips" during your next interview. Ask him about his techniques and his investigation by submitting questions to the Blog on the Bill Moyers Journal website. Are you thinking about blowing the whistle yourself? Read "The Whistleblower's Tightrope" by James Sandler of the Center for Investigative Reporting, and see if you are ready to pay the price. Or go back to Eric Nalder's original reporting, read his recent follow-up, as well as the most recent reporting from Arkansas Leader journalist John Hofheimer, also featured in our documentary.

Plus, on the Moyer's Blog: Denver Post reporter Mike Riley from Expos�?©'s "No Justice Out Here" answers your questions and talks about how to fix the failed justice system on Indian reservations.

Video Extra: Dateline: Dallas, November 1963

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:46:36 -0500

When reporting is a family tradition.

Beneath the North Texas Dirt

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:10:09 -0500

Friday, December 5, 2008:
For WFAA investigative reporter Brett Shipp, reporting is in his DNA. Watch the web-exclusive video.

November 21, 2008:
This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). A series of fatal house explosions strike neighborhoods in North Texas. An investigative reporter looks for answers and asks if regulators ignored repeated warnings going back decades that put thousands of lives at risk. Brett Shipp, television reporter from Dallas-Fort Worth's WFAA, traces the trouble to a piece of aging equipment that connects homeowners' gaslines to their gas meters. But he also finds evidence suggesting that state regulators and local power companies ignored this fatal problem - one that potentially lurks underneath hundreds of thousands of homes. This report is part of Blueprint America, a PBS-wide series examining the fragile state of the nation's infrastructure.

Watch Brett Shipp's Peabody Award-winning original reporting. Read responses from the gas company at the center of the inquiry into the explosions as well as from the state regulator charged with ensuring the safety of the public. For more stories from Blueprint America - including web-exclusive video from another local Texas television reporter on the trail of a natural gas pipeline explosion - visit their Web site.

No Justice Out Here

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:06:34 -0500

Friday, November 14, 2008:
This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). Justice for all? Not throughout many of the nation's Indian reservations. Because of a strange tangle of laws, the Justice Department is responsible for investigating and prosecuting major crimes on most reservations. Mike Riley from The Denver Post found a "dangerously dysfunctional" system where terrible crimes are committed, investigations bungled, and prosecutions rare. The result: Indian reservations -- already some of the poorest and most crime-plagued communities in America -- have become what one Navajo official calls "lawless lands."

Meet RJ Sangosti, the photographer who went to several reservations and chronicled the lives of people directly affected by this broken system. Learn about the obstacles law enforcement faces on the reservation. Hear from the producers about the difficulties of filming on the reservation. On the Bill Moyers Journal site: Ask the reporter about his investigation by submitting questions to the Blog. Navigate the history and the ongoing legislative back and forth between Washington and Indian Country.

Amistades Influyentes (Friends in High Places)

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:05:16 -0500

En este episodio: Vanity Fair devela la verdad sobre SAIC, el contratista m�?¡s grande del gobierno, pero del que usted probablemente nunca ha o�?do hablar.

In this episode: Vanity Fair pulls back the curtain on SAIC, the largest government contractor you've never heard of.

Monday, November 3, 2008:
For the first time, full episodes of Expos�?©: America's Investigative Reports, the award-winning PBS documentary series that spotlights investigative journalism - will be available online in Spanish at www.pbs.org/wnet/expose and at www.vmetv.com, the website for V-me, America's fastest growing Hispanic TV network.

"We are committed to bringing these important stories to as many audiences on as many platforms as possible said Expos�?© Executive Producer Tom Casciato, "And we are glad to be working with V-me to present them to our new Latino viewers - online as well as on-air."

The Spanish episodes have aired on V-me after a full language customization that includes reversioned graphics and multiple character voices.

V-me reaches more than 6 million Hispanic homes and is presented locally by public TV stations and carried on basic digital cable and digital broadcast in many cities and nationally on DIRECTV Ch. 440, DISH Network Ch. 9414 and DISHLatino Ch. 846. To find specific channel information for your market, visit www.VmeTV.com

About V-me
V-me entertains and informs Latino families in Spanish with primetime drama, music, sports, current affairs and Latin cinema, along with world class kids, food, lifestyle and nature. The 24-hour network, partnered with public television, is America's largest Spanish digital channel. V-me is the first venture of the media production and distribution company, V-me Media Inc. To find out more visit VmeTV.com

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Lunes, 3 de noviembre de 2008
Por primera vez, la galardonada serie documental de PBS sobre periodismo investigativo Expos�?©: Reportajes de Investigaci�?³n, estar�?¡ disponible por internet en espa�?±ol, por www.pbs.org/wnet/expose y por www.vmetv.com, el sitio Web de V-me, la red de televisi�?³n en espa�?±ol de mayor crecimiento en los Estados Unidos.

"Estamos comprometidos a presentar estas importantes historias a la mayor cantidad de audiencias, en la mayor cantidad de plataformas posibles," dijo Tom Casciato, Productor Ejecutivo de Expos�?©: Reportajes de Investigaci�?³n. "Nos complace trabajar con V-me para presentar nuestro programa a la audiencia hispana, tanto por televisi�?³n como en el internet."

Los episodios en espa�?±ol han transmitido al aire en V-me despu�?©s de una adaptaci�?³n completa del lenguaje que incluye nuevas versiones de gr�?¡ficas y m�?ºltiples voces de los personajes.

V-me es presentada localmente a trav�?©s de estaciones de televisi�?³n p�?ºblica y transmitida en cable digital b�?¡sico y trasmisi�?³n digital en muchas ciudades, y nacionalmente en DIRECTV Canal 440, DISH Network Canal 9414 y DISHLatino Canal 846. Para obtener informaci�?³n local, visite www.VmeTV.com

Acerca de V-me
V-me entretiene e informa a las familias latinas de los Estados Unidos en espa�?±ol con programaci�?³n dram�?¡tica en horario estelar, musical, deportiva, de temas de la actualidad y de cine latino, conjuntamente con programaci�?³n infantil, gastron�?³mica, de estilos de vida y naturaleza. La red que transmite las 24 horas del d�?a, asociada con la televisi�?³n p�?ºblica, es el canal digital m�?¡s grande de los Estados Unidos en espa�?±ol. V-me es la primera empresa de la compa�?±�?a de producci�?³n y distribuci�?³n, V-me Media Inc. Para obtener m�?¡s informaci�?³n, visite www.VmeTV.com

Poverty, Inc.

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:45:39 -0500

Friday, October 31, 2008: The Latest BPA News from the Journal Sentinel

FDA advisory board accepts critical report on agency's handling of BPA

By Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentinel
Oct. 31, 2008 2:21 p.m. | A Food and Drug Administration advisory board voted Friday to accept a report that sharply criticized the agency's decision that bisphenol A is safe in baby bottles and food containers.
The report found that FDA scientists ignored dozens of legitimate studies and its conclusions that bisphenol A is safe were inadequate.

Larry Sassich, the consumer representative to the board, said he would encourage the FDA to immediately consider a ban for infant products.

Martin Philbert, who chaired the subcommittee and serves on the board did not vote. Philbert, a professor at the University of Michigan, is founder and co-director of a center that received a $5 million donation last summer from an anti-regulation advocate.

You can find the complete story in tomorrow's Journal Sentinel.

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Monday, October 20, 2008:
In the News: On Saturday, Canada became the first country to formally declare Bisphenol A (BPA) hazardous to human health. The federal government added the chemical to its list of toxic substances, opening the door for regulatory action, and has already signaled its desire to ban plastic baby bottles made from the chemical. In the United States, attorneys general from three states have preempted regulation by the Food & Drug Administration by asking companies that make baby bottles and baby formula containers to no longer use the chemical in their manufacturing.

Last week, questions were raised about the impartiality of Dr. Martin Philbert, the chairman of the FDA panel charged with evaluating the safety of BPA. Charles Gelman - a retired medical supply manufacturer and an outspoken critic of government regulation who believes the chemical is "perfectly safe" - made a $5 million donation to a research center directed by Philbert. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported on the matter last weekend. On Tuesday, The New York Times published an editorial calling for the FDA to investigate Dr. Martin Philbert's failure to report this potential conflict of interest and determine if Philbert should be asked to step down, and Thursday The Washington Post editorial page also weighed in, admonishing the FDA to "make every effort to ensure that not only are its opinions based in fact but also that they are free of undue influence or even the appearance of such."

Read the latest BPA developments from the Journal Sentinel. And watch Expos�?©'s "Chemistry War Zone" to learn more about the controversy surrounding this chemical.

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Tuesday, October 7, 2008:
In the News: After months of investigation by federal immigration authorities, agents today raided a House of Raeford Farms chicken processing plant in Greenville, South Carolina, detaining more than 300 workers. Watch Expos�?©'s "20,000 Cuts a Day" for the story of The Charlotte Observer's extraordinary investigation into working conditions at House of Raeford and throughout the industry, and read the paper's ongoing coverage.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008:
In the News: The first large human study of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposures finds adults exposed to higher amounts of BPA were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes. In a meeting of its science advisory board yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration maintained that BPA is safe. Read about the latest research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and updates on the controversy over BPA from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Plus, on the Moyers Blog: BusinessWeek reporters answer your questions about the maximum interest rate companies can charge, financial literacy tests for borrowers, and whether the working poor are being "exploited" by current business practices.

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Monday, August 18, 2008:
In the News: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs in on the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA). Read the latest from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the FDA's draft report. Watch Expos�?©'s "Chemistry War Zone" to learn about the controversy surrounding this chemical, which is found not only in household plastics and the linings of metal cans, but also in 93% of the people tested by the Centers for Disease Control.

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Friday, August 8, 2008: This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). Is the cost of being poor on the rise? Lower-income families have long paid more for food, housing and other basic necessities. But corner bodegas, pawn shops, and rent-to-own furniture stores, often staples of poor neighborhoods, have been joined by some newer, bigger competition in recent years. The finance industry that brought the nation subprime mortgages has now come to town seeking riches in the form of high-interest, high-fee loans. Holding out the promise of credit for everything from cars to computers to medical bills, these new businesses - backed by some well-known financial industry players - have moved in, leading low-income consumers into a potentially unending cycle of debt.

Read all the original reporting and listen to a podcast with BusinessWeek's John Byrne, Brian Grow and Keith Epstein on the story behind "The Poverty Business." Crunch the numbers on the new economics of the poverty business. Ask the reporters about their investigation by submitting questions to the Blog on the Bill Moyers Journal site.

2008 Emmy Award Nominee: "In a Small Town"

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0500

Friday, July 18, 2008: A big story from a small town. Whispers in the courthouse about "missing cases" and a clandestine meeting at midnight started rookie reporter Peter Zuckerman of the Idaho Falls Post Register on an investigation that would lead him to expose the extraordinary story of a pedophile working within the local Boy Scouts, and a brave young scout who had the courage to speak up and stop him. What was hidden from the public -- concealed within those court records -- was the story of a Boy Scout leader named Brad Stowell, convicted in 1997 of molesting two children, who had admitted under oath in a court deposition in 1999 to molesting about two dozen children beginning as far back as 1988. Zuckerman, along with executive editor Dean Miller, fought successfully to unseal court records and then tracked down victims of abuse to reveal that Boy Scout leadership and at least one official in the Mormon Church -- which sponsors most of the Boy Scout Troops in eastern Idaho -- missed opportunities to stop Stowell from working in close proximity to children.

The Post Register published the "Scouts' Honor" series in early 2005, and the paper immediately came under fire from some in the community. The fallout of the stories ended up being far more dramatic than anyone had anticipated. A prominent local company took out full-page ads in the paper challenging the reporting and claiming, "the Post Register's real intent was to smear the Scout's good name and take away what the Scouts value most, their honor." Additional victims came forward to tell their stories of abuse. And one father, motivated by his sons' accounts of abuse, dedicated himself full-time to changing Idaho's statue of limitations in cases involving the sexual abuse of minors.

Read the original 6-part "Scouts' Honor" series published in late February/early March 2005 and subsequent reporting in the Idaho Falls Post Register.

See the complete list of the News & Documentary Emmy nominees.

20,000 Cuts a Day

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:16:31 -0500

Tuesday, October 7, 2008:
In the News: After months of investigation by federal immigration authorities, agents today raided a House of Raeford Farms chicken processing plant in Greenville, South Carolina, detaining more than 300 workers. Watch Expos�?©'s "20,000 Cuts a Day" for the story of The Charlotte Observer's extraordinary investigation into working conditions at House of Raeford and throughout the industry, and read the paper's ongoing coverage.
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008: On the Moyers Blog, Charlotte Observer reporters answer your questions about ergonomic standards, the role doctors and nurses play in reporting workplace injuries, and undocumented poultry workers.

Also, watch "In a Small Town," the Expos�?© episode that was recently nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy�?®.

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Thursday, July 10, 2008: The ethnic background of the workers from America's poultry plants has changed over the last twenty years. The reporters at The Charlotte Observer saw an example of this at House of Raeford, where they found a work force that went from largely African American in the early 1990s, to between 80 to 90 percent Latino at some plants today. This shift is reflected in other places across the country, including Mississippi, where filmmaker John Fiege brought his camera in 2004. Fiege's documentary, Mississippi Chicken, follows workers' rights advocate Anita Grabowski as she sets up a center for poultry workers to strengthen their ability to address problems at plants and in their communities. Watch an excerpt from Mississippi Chicken.

Today, Grabowski works for a national advocacy group, Center for Community Change, and supports poultry workers organizing throughout the South. She is currently involved in a North Carolina campaign with the Western North Carolina Workers' Center to combat workplace injuries.

Plus, more in the news: As part of the ongoing immigration probe, a federal grand jury indicts a top manager at House of Raeford Farms. Read the latest from The Charlotte Observer.

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Monday, July 7, 2008: In the news: Last week, 2 supervisors from an Iowa meatpacking plant were arrested on criminal immigration charges. The arrests followed a May raid at Agriprocessors, the nation's largest kosher meatpacker, where fraudulent documents were seized and hundreds of workers arrested. The raid is the latest in stepped up efforts at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where worksite enforcement arrests have shown a tenfold increase in the past 5 years.

In February 2008, as part of its series on poultry workers, The Charlotte Observer revealed that 42 out of 52 House of Raeford workers who spoke to the paper about their legal status admitted to being in the country illegally. It also found supervisors who said that managers were aware that the company was hiring undocumented workers - and at least one plant preferred them in order to have a workforce less likely to complain about working conditions. In the wake of the Observer's investigative series, federal immigration agents questioned supervisors from House of Raeford Farms. Their inquiries led to the arrest of 5 supervisors from the company's Greenville plant in June.

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Wednesday, July 3, 2008: Charlotte Observer reporter Franco Ordo�?±ez is in Mexico talking to people about why they come to the United States to work in poultry plants. Watch the web-exclusive video.

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Friday, June 27, 2008:

This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). The numbers coming out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics say the poultry industry's safety record has improved over the last decade. But are those numbers right? Reporters from The Charlotte Observer asked labor attorneys, experts in workplace safety, regulators, doctors, and over 200 poultry workers. They analyzed thousands of pages of documents, including Occupational Safety & Health Administration records, company injury logs, and academic studies. The result? Their investigative series, "The Cruelest Cuts," shows why the poultry industry is not as safe as it claims to be. Congress took note, with the Senate holding two hearings in April. And just last week, the House Committee on Education and Labor started asking some questions of its own.

Read The Observer's original 6-part series and follow the ongoing coverage. Watch last week's House hearing on the "hidden tragedy" of workplace injuries. . Ask the reporters about their investigation by submitting questions to the Blog on the Bill Moyers Journal site. And learn about musculoskeletal disorders -- the most common work-related injuries among poultry workers.

Limiting Your Exposure to BPA

Fri, 30 May 2008 13:25:17 -0500

"BPA leaches from 'safe' products: Tests find chemical after normal heating of 'microwave safe' plastics," By Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger, 11/15/2008. Photo Courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic, the hard, clear plastic used in baby bottles and reusable water bottles. BPA is also in the epoxy resin lining of nearly all metal cans made in the United States - beer cans, soda cans, food cans. Other polycarbonate plastic items may be identified by the letters "PC" or the recycling label #7. (Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate, but consumers may want to use this as a guideline and avoid this category of plastics.) BPA may also be found in #3 PVC plastics. Recent tests by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even found detectable levels of BPA leached from products marketed for infants or billed as "microwave safe"when heated. Yet, while it may not be possible to entirely eliminate BPA in daily life, steps can be taken to limit exposure, particularly by focusing on what you eat or put in your mouth.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences includes the following information on its "Since You Asked - Bisphenol A: Questions and Answers about the Draft National Toxicology Program Brief on Bisphenol A" web page:

If I am concerned, what can I do to prevent exposure to bisphenol A?
Some animal studies suggest that infants and children may be the most vulnerable to the effects of BPA. Parents and caregivers, can make the personal choice to reduce exposures of their infants and children to BPA:

* Don't microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.

* Polycarbonate containers that contain BPA usually have a #7 on the bottom.

* Reduce your use of canned foods.

* When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.

* Use baby bottles that are BPA free.

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - National Institutes of Health

For general guidelines on how to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors, see also the following article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's "Chemical Fallout" series:

"Minimize Your Chemical Exposure," Cary Spivak, 12/2/07

Video Extra: "Farm Subsidies: The Myth of the Small Farmer"

Thu, 01 May 2008 14:26:37 -0500

"The cornerstone of the multibillion-dollar system of federal farm subsidies is an iconic image of the struggling family farmer: small, powerless against Mother Nature, tied to the land by blood . . . This imagery secures billions annually in what one grower called 'empathy payments' for farmers. But it is misleading."

-- The Washington Post, "Federal Subsidies Turn Farms Into Big Business," 12/21/06

In this video, Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), Texas farmer Ed Gangl, and the investigative team at The Washington Post discuss the image versus the reality. (7 minutes)

Photo credit: An idealized image of small family farming, used in a World War II-era poster. (Image no. ww0870-06, Northwestern University Library)

Cash Cows & Cowboy Starter Kits

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:17:50 -0500

Thursday, May 1, 2008: Who really benefits from the Farm Bill? Watch this web-exclusive video featuring Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI), Texas farmer Ed Gangl, and the investigative team at The Washington Post.

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Monday, April 21, 2008: Listen to the latest edition of The Expos�?© Sessions - Tom Casciato's streaming audio interviews with some of America's top journalists. In this session:

"Why should we destroy the infrastructure of the American newspaper industry to satisfy a bunch of greedy people on Wall Street?"
- James O'Shea, former editor, Los Angeles Times

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Thursday, April 10, 2008: This week on Expos�?©: a new episode online and on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings). Washington Post reporters unravel the tangled system of farm subsidies. Read the paper's original reporting, a series of articles which identified more than $15 billion of wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars over a five-year period of the program. Meet the reporters who brought their extraordinary investigative and computer-assisted reporting skills to the project. And hear from the Expos�?© producer who traveled to Texas to meet a real farmer struggling to make it under the current system.

Next on The Expos�?© Sessions: James O'Shea, former editor, Los Angeles Times.