An InvestigateWest review found at least 30 people charged with trafficking without evidence of selling or distribution. They face mandatory minimum prison terms.
InvestigateWest is pleased to announce that we're partnering with Report for America in 2025 to bring a dedicated, full-time collaborative investigative reporter to Oregon. Starting in July 2025, this new corps member will work closely with local news outlets throughout the state, bolstering their capacity to tackle in-depth investigative projects that might otherwise go unreported.
This hire marks an expansion of InvestigateWest’s collaborative approach, building on our existing efforts in Washington, where a similar “collaborative investigative reporter” recently joined our newsroom through a Washington State University-administered fellowship. The Oregon-based reporter will identify and investigate urgent issues affecting Oregonians, with an emphasis on underserved communities in the central and eastern parts of the state.
Journalists interested in applying can do so at reportforamerica.org by Feb. 3, 2025. This new position will join our team of hard-hitting investigative journalists, including two other Report for America corps members: Daniel Walters, who covers democracy and extremism, and Rachel Spacek, who reports on migrant labor and equity issues. Together, these reporters underscore InvestigateWest’s commitment to rigorous, policy-driven reporting that empowers citizens and drives lasting change.
As an organization, InvestigateWest believes the most effective way to transform the region’s news ecosystem is through active collaboration, partnerships and talent development. In this way, InvestigateWest can serve as a potent "force multiplier,” supporting and uplifting investigative reporting in underserved communities across the Northwest.
InvestigateWest was founded in 2009, after the Seattle Post-Intelligencer stopped printing and a group of laid-off journalists set out to preserve the type of hard, labor-intensive investigative reporting that has been in decline. Over the years, InvestigateWest’s reporting has prompted scores of reforms, including a dozen state laws protecting the environment, workers and foster children.
For more information about InvestigateWest's collaboration efforts, please contact Executive Director Jacob Fries at jacob@investigatewest.org.
The story you just read is only possible because readers like you support our mission to uncover truths that matter. If you value this reporting, help us continue producing high-impact investigations that drive real-world change. Your donation today ensures we can keep asking tough questions and bringing critical issues to light. Join us — because fearless, independent journalism depends on you!
The webinar will give practical guidance for editors on how to manage and edit an investigative story
What happens when local news disappears? Polluters pollute more. Governments become less accountable. Entire communities are left in the dark.
Since 2009, InvestigateWest has been building something the Pacific Northwest desperately needed: a nonprofit investigative newsroom — and the civic infrastructure to spread accountability journalism across the region.
An InvestigateWest review found at least 30 people charged with trafficking without evidence of selling or distribution. They face mandatory minimum prison terms.
