Investigative Reporting Program

An investigation by the Los Angeles Times and Berkeley Journalism's Investigative Reporting Program found that errors, misjudgments and bureaucratic conflict within the child welfare system blocked multiple opportunities to protect a young boy. The heart-wrenching details were reported by the LA Times' Matt Hamilton and the IRP's Garrett Therolf and Daniel Lempres ('21).

Before a 4-year-old boy’s killing, authorities wavered on rescuing him Noah Cuatro's life and tragic death offer a sobering window into how race, cultural sensitivity and trust collided inside the agency.

We continue our coverage of 'Aging in America' with this story by
one of our summer interns, Zachary Fletcher ('22), about a new wave of climate activism among older adults. His reporting is made possible by a grant from The SCAN Foundation.

Extreme weather hurts older Californians. That’s started a wave of climate activism The state’s aging population is disproportionately impacted by climate change. What they’re doing about it.

The latest from our 'Chronicling Covid' project: Berkeley Journalism alum Sarah Hoenicke Flores ('19) reports for The New York Times on how Covid restrictions have affected doula care. Photos by Stephanie Penn ('21).

Doulas Hope to Regain Momentum as Covid Restrictions Ease Monday: Lawmakers were working to address maternal health disparities by expanding access to doula care. Then the pandemic struck.

In this story for Inside Climate News, Anne Marshall-Chalmers ('22) reports on how a summer of extreme drought is fueling tensions between farmers and tribes along the California-Oregon border.

'There Are No Winners Here': Drought in the Klamath Basin Inflames a Decades-Old War Over Water and Fish - Inside Climate News TULELAKE, Calif.—Joey Gentry hesitates before she drives through the fields of alfalfa and wheat that line the roads in the Klamath Basin.  “Because I’m good and brown,” said Gentry, a member of the Klamath Tribes and a tribal and racial justice activist. ”It’s not safe for Natives to b...

In this piece for The New York Times, reporter Brett Simpson ('21) followed an older homeless couple on their yearlong odyssey to obtain permanent housing in Oakland. “We want a house key. We want to pay rent. We never thought we’d have to wait this long.”

Hope and Disappointment for the Homeless in Oakland Wednesday: A homeless couple went from a tent to a trailer, but continues to wait after more than a year for something more permanent.

We continue our in-depth look at "Aging in America" with this story by Jesse Bedayn ('21) about a program that provides meals, transportation and other services to older adults - enabling them to age at home instead of long-term care facilities.

‘I feel freer.’ How California program helps seniors ‘age at home’ during pandemic Unforeseen medical and life emergencies often drive people into short-term nursing care. Why U.S. is spending big to avoid that.

NEW: Noah Baustin ('22) reports on how 73 police officers and 63 sergeants in the city of Oakland earned more than the mayor, thanks to overtime pay.

Dozens of Oakland police officers earn six-figure overtime payments, busting city budget While protests were cited as a key reason for high police overtime costs last year, several other factors escalated those costs.

We teamed up with Inside Climate News to investigate the harmful chemicals emitted by tanks holding heavy fuels. IRP alum Sabrina Shankman ('09) and student Julia Kane ('21) combed through thousands of documents to reveal how the EPA has failed to adequately address this national problem.

Inside Climate News & the Investigative Reporting Program uncover potential health hazards from storage tanks | UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism An 18-month investigation by Inside Climate News in collaboration with Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) found that bulk storage tanks that hold asphalt and heavy fuels pose a potential health risk to millions of Americans living near the tanks — a national problem that...

Powerful investigative reporting by Berkeley Journalism alum Gisela Pérez de Acha (’20) and students Kathryn Hurd (’21) and Ellie Lightfoot (’21) for ProPublica & FRONTLINE (PBS) about one man's slide into extremism and the threat posed by extremist groups in the U.S. This story is a part of a collaboration with the IRP, ProPublica & FRONTLINE that includes a documentary "American Insurrection," which airs tonight!

“I Felt Hate More Than Anything”: How an Active Duty Airman Tried to Start a Civil War Steven Carrillo’s path to the Boogaloo Bois shows the hate group is far more organized and dangerous than previously known.

We're collaborating with the PBS series FRONTLINE and ProPublica on “American Insurrection,” a documentary about the threat posed by militia groups, white supremacists and other extremist groups, scheduled for release on April 13. Don't miss it!

Berkeley Journalism collaborates with FRONTLINE, ProPublica on “American Insurrection” | UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) is collaborating with the PBS series FRONTLINE and ProPublica on “American Insurrection,” a documentary about the threat posed by militia groups, white supremacists and other extremist groups, scheduled for release on April 13. The 90...

“Nobody’s been held accountable for this." Nina Sparling ('20) reports on plans to raze & rebuild a public housing site in San Francisco instead of make repairs. IRP research assistants Ande Richards ('22) and Imran Ali Malik ('22) contributed reporting to this important story published by San Francisco Public Press.

With Mayor’s Backing, Developer Asks to Demolish, Rebuild 20-Year-Old Public Housing A San Francisco public housing complex could be demolished and replaced instead of repaired just two decades after it was rebuilt.