The Backstory

In this episode, we spoke to investigative reporter Byard Duncan about how he got his start in investigative journalism, his approach to public records requests, and the difference between reporting for podcasts and print publications. For over a decade, Duncan has been investigating businesses, tech companies, and government institutions from a consumer protection angle. His two recent investigat...

In this episode, we sat down with Hell Gate co-founder Max Rivlin-Nadler to discuss “Courts of Contempt,” an in-depth investigation into the New York City judicial system. “Courts of Contempt:” https://courtsofcontempt.hellgatenyc.com/ Transcript: https://www.typeinvestigations.org/backstory/2026/05/21/the-backstory-max-rivlin-nadler/ Type Investigations is a newsroom for independent investigative...

This past January, ahead of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, we sat down with reporting fellow Adam Federman, former Ida B. Wells fellow Tanvi Misra, and In These Times Investigative editor Kathryn Joyce to discuss what they thought would be the most pressing issues on his administration’s agenda. As we wrap up year one of Trump’s second administration, we invited Adam, Tanvi, and Kathryn back...

In this episode, we sat down with Ida B. Wells fellow Liset Cruz to discuss her new investigation, "When Hospitals Act Like ICE," produced in partnership with The Nation. Cruz talks about what inspired her investigation, how she connected with sources affected by the practice, and her advice for journalists who want to report on immigration. "When Hospitals Act Like ICE:" http://bit.ly/3UQP5ur Tra...

In this episode, we sat down with Drew Hawkins to discuss his new investigation, “Trauma-informed nurses help sexual assault survivors. Most hospitals in the Gulf South don’t have them," produced in partnership with Gulf States Newsroom. Hawkins talks about what inspired his investigation, how the SANE shortage has affected the nurses themselves, and how he approached working with a source who sur...

In this episode, we sat down with Olga Loginova to discuss her investigative podcast series, “Leaving the Island,” produced in partnership with Audiation. The series covers the first federally funded effort to move an entire community because of climate change. Loginova discusses how she first learned about the resettlement effort, how reporting for an audio series is different from a print invest...

In this episode, we talk to Bryce Covert about her investigation, “McDonald’s Made a Commitment to Prevent Sexual Harassment—What Happened?”, produced in partnership with The Nation. Covert discusses she began reporting on sexual harassment at McDonald’s restaurants, how she developed her sources, and her advice for journalists reporting on labor conditions at large corporations. "McDonald’s Made...

In this conversation, we talk to former Ida B. Wells fellow Isiah Holmes about his new investigation, “How Wisconsin’s investigations into police shootings protect officers,” produced in partnership with Wisconsin Examiner. Holmes discusses what inspired him to investigate MAIT, his approach to speaking to families of victims, and his advice for reporters who want to investigate the police. "How W...

As we head into Donald Trump’s second presidential term, we sat down with three of Type’s past reporters to discuss what we can expect from the upcoming administration, what it was like reporting on the first Trump term, and how reporters can prepare for Trump’s aggressive stance towards the media. Adam Federman is a reporting fellow for Type Investigations and has been reporting on the environmen...

In this conversation, we talk to Allison Herrera about newest investigation, "Native women fought for years to expand Plan B access. But some tribal clinics remain resistant." produced in partnership with APM Reports and KOSU. Herrera talks to us about how she began reporting on Plan B access for Native women, the factors contributing to policies that limit emergency contraceptives, and the challe...

In this conversation, we talk to former Ida B. Wells fellow Tanvi Misra about her newest investigation, "The fatal flaw in the Border Patrol’s rescue program," produced in partnership with High Country News. Misra speaks about how she became interested in Border Patrol’s rescue program, her reporting trips to the Arizona desert, and how she approaches trauma-informed reporting. "The fatal flaw in...

In this conversation, we talk to former Ida B. Well fellow Lila Hassan about her new investigation, “Armed and untouchable: ICE’s history of deadly force,” produced in partnership with Business Insider and The Trace Hassan speaks about what inspired her investigation, her public records request litigation with ICE, and the issues victims of ICE shootings face when trying to get accountability from...

In this episode, we talk to Aurora Almendral about her four-part investigative series, “Merchants of Care,” produced in partnership with Quartz and the Pulitzer Center. Almendral speaks about how she learned about the nursing crisis, how she got in contact with the nurses she spoke to for the series, and her advice for reporters who want to pursue ambitious investigative projects. This conversatio...

In this conversation, we talk to Type Investigations reporting fellow Adam Federman about his experience reporting on the ways corporations and governments have responded to protest movements. Federman discusses how he began reporting on anti-protest measures, what’s changed in his past decade of reporting, and what the future of protest in the United States looks like. We also talked about Federm...

In this conversation, investigative journalist Anjali Kamat talks about the reporting process behind her investigation into the Trump Organization’s real estate deals in India. Her investigation, “Political Corruption and the Art of the Deal,” was produced in partnership with The New Republic. The investigation also formed the basis of two episodes of Trump Inc., a podcast series from WNYC and Pro...

In this conversation, we talk to Garrett Hazelwood about his new investigation, “Louisiana Law Gives Judges a Financial Incentive to Set High Bail and Secure Convictions,” produced in partnership with WWNO and WRKF. Hazelwood discusses how he got access to the financial documents for his investigation, how he got in contact with people who faced exorbitant court fees, and the biggest challenges he...

Parental alienation is a disputed psychiatric diagnosis in which one parent is accused of having brainwashed their child against the other parent. In a new documentary, produced in partnership with Insider and Retro Report, a follow-up to her recent series of investigations on the topic, reporter Olivia Gentile exposes how parental alienation has been cited by family courts in custody cases, resul...

In this conversation, we speak to reporter Amelia Schonbek about her investigation, “Against a Sea of Troubles,” produced in partnership with Mother Jones. Schonbek discusses how she familiarized herself with the inner workings of the Merchant Marine and the Coast Guard, how she developed her sources, and how reporting on sexual misconduct has changed over the past few years. “Against a Sea of Tro...

In this conversation, we talk to Ida B. Wells fellow Bobbi-Jeanne Misick about her investigation “The Imbalanced Scales of Immigration Justice,” produced in partnership with the Gulf States Newsroom. Misick talks about what inspired her investigation, how she obtained the habeas corpus petitions she analyzed, and her difficulty getting information from government agencies. “The Imbalanced Scales o...

In this episode of the Backstory, we speak to members of Type’s research team: Managing editor Maha Ahmed, Assistant Editor Nina Zweig, and Don and Doris Shaffer Researcher Emma Davis. They walk us through Type’s fact-checking process, talk about the toughest investigations they’ve had to fact-check, and give reporters their advice on how to make the fact-checking process easier. Don and Doris Sha...

In this conversation, we talk to reporters Fazil Khan and Liz Donovan about their newest article, “The Pandemic Robbed Thousands of NYC Children of Parents. Many Aren’t Getting the Help They Need.”, produced in partnership with The City, Columbia Journalism Investigations, and City Limits. Khan and Donovan discuss what it was like reporting on the crisis for over a year, how they reached out to gr...

In this conversation, we talk to reporting fellow Aaron Miguel Cantú about his investigation with Kandist Mallett, “How to Crush a Movement for Racial Justice Movement,” produced in partnership with The Nation. Cantú talks about how he started reporting on the federal prosecution of protestors, what it’s been like reporting across two presidential administrations, and how he discovered Little Rock...

In this conversation, we talk to San Quentin News editor Juan Haines about his investigation with Katie Rose Quandt, “San Quentin Is Still Punishing People for Being Sick,” produced in partnership with the American Prospect. Haines talks about what drew him to investigate San Quentin’s Adjustment Center, the challenges of reporting while incarcerated, and what it was like to report on the prison’s...

In this conversation, we talk to Alex Lubben and Olga Loginova, two members of the reporting team for “Harm’s Way,” a three-part series on the growing need for climate relocation around the U.S., produced in partnership with Columbia Journalism Investigations and the Center for Public Integrity. Lubben and Loginova discuss how they obtained the data necessary for the investigation, how they develo...

In this conversation, investigative journalist Aviva Stahl talks about her reporting process for her 18-month investigation into force-feeding in federal prisons, how she developed her sources, and the risks incarcerated people take when they talk to reporters. Her investigation, “An American Black Site,” was produced in partnership with The Nation. (This Backstory was originally posted on our web...