Reporting Experience
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. (AM, Sun. circ. 298,000)
February 1989 - September 1992
I was an investigative and local government reporter. My last assignment as a special writer included computer-assisted reporting on public housing. I also helped uncover secret meetings by the local housing authority board. A subsequent lawsuit by the newspaper resulted in court supervision of the board for one year.
I concentrated on the for-profit trade school industry for one year. I wrote more than 40 articles and revealed that the chairman of the state regulatory board had financial ties to a chain of schools under fire from former students and federal officials.
In only my second week at the newspaper, I broke the story of the city employee union director's suspension for using $10,000 in union funds to quiet allegations of sexual harassment. By keeping in touch with labor sources for two years, I later broke the story of his forced retirement, the international union's takeover of the local and his guilty plea to federal charges.
Tulsa World, Tulsa, Okla. (AM, Sun. circ. 232,120)
September 1984 - February 1989
As the political reporter, I covered the 1988 presidential campaign and Republican National Convention. In reporting on Oklahoma congressional races, I used campaign finance documents to trace an illegal contribution to an incumbent congressman; the Federal Election Commission used the same analysis when it later fined the congressman. I also coordinated coverage of more than 30 legislative races. I earlier covered City Hall, police and general assignment.
Tulsa Tribune, Tulsa, Okla. (PM, circ. 79,000)
I was the police reporter from June to September 1984.
The Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University, July 1983 - May 1984
I won awards for a series on the governor preparing state budget cuts while denying they were needed; an article on how student seating for basketball games was reduced despite administration claims to the contrary; and a story on inter-racial dating.
WPRG-FM, Louisiana State University, August 1982 - May 1983
As an assistant news director, I produced and read on-air hourly newscasts and supervised a team of reporters. As a sports reporter, I covered LSU basketball games and produced the morning sportscast once each week.
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