I MPACT FROM THE EDITOR Investigative Post continued to grow in 2021. We added two reporters to the staff, launched a YouTube channel, relaunched our podcast series and expanded our social media presence. Our news coverage provided extensive coverage of the mayor’s race and exposed dysfunction in Buffalo public schools and waste in government subsidy programs. We continued to tell the stories that need to be told, stories other news outlets overlook or ignore. Financially, we raised a record amount of money and put Investigative Post on solid financial footing. 2021 HIGHLIGHTS • Tracking waste: Our reporting uncovered huge subsidies for dubious projects and a large public investment in a rural industrial park that stands largely vacant. • Bills stadium coverage: We produced a series of penetrating stories on the proposed stadium that explored whether taxpayers stand to benefit from an infusion of public money in the project. • Political reporting: We produced more than 60 stories on the race for Buffalo mayor and produced “Money In Politics,” which documents the influence of campaign donations. • State of the city: We reported that Buffalo’s poverty rate remains stubbornly high and its violent crime rate, while declining, remains one of the highest in the nation. • Environmental reporting: Stories included the threat posed by “forever chemicals” in local waterways and the continued danger posed by radioactivity at theWest Valley Demonstration Project. • Failing schools: Our digging resulted in stories about scandalously low attendance in city schools and the frequent absences of the district’s superintendent. We distribute our work throughWGRZ (NBC), WBFO and The Capitol Pressroom (NPR), Buffalo Spree, and our website. Through this network, we can reach an audience of up to 150,000 readers, viewers, and listeners per story. “Investigative Post has been a consistent advocate for getting the facts out to the community so citizens can make informed choices when there are threats to our ecosystem and waterways.” — BUFFALO NIAGARA WATERKEEPER “I don’t like the tone of everything you publish, but so what. The work is important and the partnership key.” — THOMAS HYDE, DONOR
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTcyNDA=