Investigations that make a difference in people’s lives: Help support The Star’s work
The investigations team at The Kansas City Star focuses on stories that make a difference in people’s lives. Stories that go deep to fully examine problems in our communities and find solutions. Personal stories that give a voice to the voiceless and hold officials accountable.
And, most importantly, stories that bring change. It is work that takes time and resources.
In 2017, we revealed how Kansans are hurt by a state government that was among the most secretive in the country. We drew back the curtain on how lawmakers concoct legislation out of public view, talked to Medicaid recipients who weren’t consulted on changes to their health care plans, and told the story of a Texas man who said Kansas’ child welfare agency was more worried about its image than letting the truth be known after his son’s death.
Reaction to the investigation was swift, leading to numerous new laws and executive orders and a commitment to more open government. The series also was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service, journalism’s highest honor.
Last year, Judy Thomas and I, through a year-long project, showed that many children who grow up in foster care suffer life-long harm from the very government that was supposed to make their lives better. The six-part series — which included work by Eric Adler and many others — led to legislative changes in several states and prompted a “call for action” from attorneys, advocates and state agencies.
Earlier this year, in the first several weeks of the pandemic, The Star gave readers timely information about their loved ones in nursing homes — information that families were unable to get from the homes. In Johnson County, where facilities weren’t being identified, The Star fought to get names and ultimately did.
And today, we are investigating unlicensed reform schools in Missouri and allegations of child abuse. About a dozen stories have been published so far, and lawmakers already are proposing legislative changes that are needed to address the problem.
Investigative journalism is painstaking, sometimes expensive work. For last year’s foster care project, reporters and videographers traveled more than 7,000 miles to interview former foster children. But it is worth it for us because it’s valuable to the community where we live.
By giving, you can help support the kind of in-depth investigative and accountability stories you have come to expect from The Star. Journalism that makes an impact in our community and region. It’s the kind of reporting you can’t find anywhere else in Kansas City.
Donate by visiting: https://givebutter.com/TheKansasCityStar
