Andrews and Dempsey

    It seems to me that investigative reporting is where it’s at. A couple weeks ago I listened to Matt Doig, of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, talk about investigative reporting. Yesterday I was able to listen to both Steve Andrews, Senior Investigative Reporter, and Gordon Dempsey, Producer, discuss some of their investigative stories.

     By far the best story I heard from them was about the State Attorney, Harry Lee Coe, who was betting on horse races at work and “borrowing” money from employees.  I could barely wrap my head around the idea that Andrews story that led to the investigation of Coe’s financial records led to Coe’s suicide.  I kept thinking to myself that to be in this business you must have thick skin. Both Andrews and Dempsey revealed that they received death threats among other things after the suicide.

 “When I am doing an investigative report, I know everything about you. I know where you live, where you have lunch, the car you drive, even where you take your dry cleaning.”

    

    That statement alone from Andrews left an impact on me. It seems that to able to be an investigative reporter you have to get in deep with the person you are reporting on. Even though Coe lived in an apartment and his address was not listed Dempsey was still able to find out where he lived. Dempsey told us that he waited outside of Coe’s work and waited for him to leave and then followed him. Dempsey joked about how Coe drove like a mad man and it took him several tries to finally find Coe’s apartment.

      The story itself was an ethic decision to pursue because once Andrews requested Coe’s computer records, there was word that those files were being deleted. Instead of reporting on the files being deleted and giving up the newsroom decided to report the crime to law enforcement. Once that was set in motion it was all downhill for Coe.

      The main thing I took away for this experience was to be a great investigative reporter you have to stick with the story and sometimes make ethical decisions as a citizen of the community and not a reporter.