Investing in Investigations
Investing in Investigations | American Journalism Review
One of the major casualties of the digital revolution has been investigative reporting at legacy news outlets. But apparently the new owner of the Orange County Register didn’t get the memo.
The Santa Ana, California-based daily is adding four reporters to its watchdog roster.
“The new owners are investing in the paper,” says Chris Knap, the Register’s investigations editor. “Investigative reporting is one of the things they wanted to focus on.”
In July, 2100 Trust, a Boston investment company, acquired the paper from its longtime owner. Just two months later, the Register posted three job openings for three investigative reporters, one for legal and social issues, one for computer-assisted reporting and one for education. The paper will also be hiring a business investigator.
“Investigative reporting is one of the most important roles a newspaper plays in its community,” says Aaron Kushner, publisher of the Register and CEO of its parent company, Freedom Communications. “It was a very easy and straightforward decision to expand.”