Every journalist has a sense of mission and passion for improving our community, and that’s the goal of our accountability and investigative reporting.
Often, investigative reporting takes years to spur change, like the AJC’s coverage of the Atlanta schools cheating scandal. Other times, the change is more immediate, like this year when Dan Klepal reported on an unpopular parking restriction near SunTrust Park in Cobb County, which would have kept property owners near the park from making money off of game-day parking. Cobb County reconsidered after an outcry.
Sometimes changes happen even before a story is published. When DeKalb reporter Mark Niesse was writing about delinquent water bills, two hotels paid up shortly after he called them for comment.
It’s especially rewarding when our journalism can right an injustice that’s been in place for many years. Probably the most outstanding recent example was a front-page story in November revealing that DNA evidence in fourteen cases of child sex abuse could lead to new investigations. That DNA would never have been available without investigative reporter Willoughby Mariano’s work in 2015 on untested rape kits.
And then there are the stores that are not written as investigative journalism and don’t involve passing laws or accusing people of wrongdoing. They just touch readers’ hearts in a way that causes action. Like when when food editor Ligaya Figueras wrote about a new pot pie place in Marietta, and business boomed so much the owner’s mom had to come out of retirement to help him.
One of my favorites is the story of the Braves’ longest-serving usher, Walter Banks, who was not sure he’d make the move to Cobb since he didn’t like to drive at night. A civic-minded company has stepped up to solve the problem.
Below, for you reading, is a list of stories published in 2016 that brought about change, or stories of change in 2016 from stories published earlier. We appreciate the support of subscribers and readers who allow us to do this kind of work that makes a difference in our community and the lives of people who live here.
- Shawn McIntosh, deputy managing editor, investigations
Top stories of 2016
- 'We're not dirtbags': Marietta to review 'shameful' pension plan
- Hapeville official leaves trail of fraud allegations, ruined lives
- Once-shelved evidence of child sexual assaults yields DNA hits
- Georgia legislators' business interests, duties often get tangled
- Doctors & Sex Abuse: A broken system forgives sexually abusive doctors in every state, our investigation finds
- In Boy Scout sex abuse case, small-town secrets revealed
- SunTrust Park parking restricted near Cobb County stadium
- Gwinnett moms quest to make son with Down syndrome a model goes viral
- Ga. nurses say Secretary of State Kemp putting 'patients at risk'
- Usher for the ages: Walter Banks looks back over his 50 years with the Atlanta Braves
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