BackstoryWorld The Backstory: Joshua E.S. Phillips Investigative Fund reporter Joshua E.S. Phillips discusses the “Detainee Abuse Task Force” which was created in Iraq to investigative allegations of cruel treatment of detainees. Despite their handling of hundreds of cases, not a single one led to a court martial hearing. Phillips discusses the culture of torture that may persist within the Army as a result of impunity for abuses committed during the Bush administration. Joshua E. S. PhillipsFebruary 6, 2012
BackstoryWorld The Backstory: Kiera Feldman Kiera Feldman talks about immersion journalism, how she decided join a Birthright trip to Israel, what it was like to watch Birthrighters “check their liberalism at Zionism’s door,” and the responses to her piece from the Jewish media. Kiera FeldmanJanuary 13, 2012
BackstoryEnvironment The Backstory: Tom Gogola Tom Gogola discusses his perspective on fishing bycatch, what didn’t make it into his final story, and the critical role played by The Investigative Fund. Tom GogolaAugust 17, 2011
BackstoryWorld The Backstory: Aram Roston Veteran investigative reporter Aram Roston shares his experiences embedding with the military, explains when it’s best to remain unembedded, and offers advice to anyone reporting from a conflict zone for the first time. Aram RostonSeptember 27, 2010
BackstoryEnvironment The Backstory: Sheila Kaplan She’s uncovered suppressed scientific reports on Great Lakes pollution and toxic FEMA trailers and sniffed out the ways Sarah Palin’s environmental policies may help create “special needs kids” in Alaska. Here Sheila Kaplan talks about how to cultivate sources and follow a document trail. Sheila KaplanDecember 1, 2009
BackstoryEnvironment The Backstory: Heather Rogers Heather Rogers tells about how she mucked through old growth forest in Borneo only to come upon locals with the chain saws out. It turns out they were clear cutting ancient trees to plant biofuel crops — a green energy paradox. Heather Rogers & Andrea DCruzOctober 22, 2009
BackstoryPolitics The Backstory: Sarah Blustain During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain projected an image as a maverick, even on the issue of reproductive choice. Sarah Blustain shares how she trekked through the backroads of Arizona in search of his true colors. Jayati VoraAugust 12, 2009
BackstoryBusiness, Environment The Backstory: Anna Lenzer FIJI Water markets itself as hip and green, but Anna Lenzer discovered the popular bottled water depends on environmental plunder and the largesse of a military dictatorship. How she got the story — and got arrested in the process. Alexandra SchwartzAugust 7, 2009
BackstoryBusiness The Backstory: Dean Starkman Dean Starkman talks about wading through thousands of major articles from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Week and the rest of the leading financial press to solve the question: did journalists fail to see the financial crisis in the making? Dean Starkman & Jayati VoraJuly 31, 2009
BackstoryBusiness The Backstory: Alyssa Katz Alyssa Katz walks us through the complexities of the unfolding foreclosure crisis and explains how she identified a new breed of profiteers, ready to gain from others’ loss. Darius DixonJuly 31, 2009