It’s really easy to get complacent—or worse, burnout—in this job.
If you’ve never worked in a newsroom, you might be surprised at the number of professional pitches, press releases, government and business announcements, and even straight-up ads—or what may as well be ads—that flood our inboxes every day, hoping we’ll grant them coverage. We throw most of these out, truthfully, because they often aren’t relevant to the areas we cover.
Would you be surprised to learn that, no, I am not, in fact, interested in writing about the worst cities for dating in the EU?
I say this because if you go to any news website, you’d probably be surprised at the number of stories you’ll find that come from interested parties actively seeking out media attention, rather than the shoe leather-style investigation that people think of when they think of journalism. Granted, sometimes these pitches are newsworthy. It’s good to know that a local nonprofit organization got money for arts education,for instance.
But recapitulating what’s handed to you isn’t why most journalists or I got into this business. The best part of this job is writing stories that bring clarity to the noise and rumor-mongering that characterizes our modern media landscape. Or, alternatively, writing stories that people would rather not get out at all, even if they’re germane to the public interest.
Here are my top five stories or story series from 2025, all of which have either some kind of investigative or public interest bent to them. There are kinds of stories that can’t be expressed in a short press release or email, the kinds of stories that only a dedicated community newsroom could tell.
Homelessness in NKY (again)
I’d written about homelessness before, but early on in the year, I had the opportunity to accompany some service organizations during the yearly K-Counts, where professionals literally go around early in the morning and count the number of people living outside.
In reality, there was very little journalistic investigation during the K-Counts; I pretty much just followed the professionals around and talked to people as we encountered them.
Yet, it was that rare occasion where I got to tell a straightforward narrative about what happened to me. Oftentimes, journalists are really constrained in how they can use language because they have to be really clear about where and how they got their information and ensure that it’s well attributed and well synthesized in the final story. Not so in this story. I could just sit down and write.
Covington Schools sexual harassment investigation
I spent a year working on this story, and it was the hardest I’ve ever written for a variety of reasons.
Much of the information about what actually happened at the TLC was either not publicly accessible (unless you were really informed on where to look) or shrouded in rumor and fear. I had to really dig to find people who were willing to speak on the record about the problems.
The story ended up being profoundly taxing, both emotionally and in terms of actual reportage, but it’s the kind of story I got into journalism to cover, one that exposes wrongdoing and injustice, one that never would have gotten out if we had not written about it.
I still get letters about this story, and there’s still a lot that’s unknown. I don’t know what happened to the principal. Neither he nor his attorneys wanted to talk, but I think he was emblematic of deeper systemic problems at the district. Readers are free to reach their own judgements.
- Investigation finds Covington Schools failed to adequately ‘respond to reports of sexual harassment’
Union’s dissolution
Where were you when the government collapsed? I was covering the election last year, and I started getting phone calls on Election Day that the poll workers were distributing incorrect ballots at polling sites in Boone County.
Thus began a process that eventually culminated in the dissolution of Union’s city government, multiple court battles (that are still going on) and the, shall we say, cold-shouldered appointments of replacement legislators by the mayor.
Although other news outlets eventually caught wind of this story, I was the one who broke it and the one who’s followed it most consistently, but even I have not been able to report on every twist and turn.
Still, if you’re interested in society and human beings, you’ll find something interesting: conflict, politics, law, intrigue and the overall workings of democratic institutions. Even if you’re displeased with how the Union City Commission is currently composed, there’s a lot to learn here about how things work (or don’t work, depending on who you ask).
- Union residents may have gotten the wrong ballots. What now?
- Judge rules Union election contest can continue
- Court ousts all Union commissioners amid election troubles
- Prior commissioners snubbed in Union commissioner appointments
- Some Boone County election results improperly certified, motion says
Search and seizure in Covington
I was not the first (or the last) person to report on this Covington Police officer’s search practices, but I occupy a peculiar vantage point to report on it.
I go to every Covington Board of Commissioners meeting, and I’m often the only reporter there. So, when I heard the mayor’s level criticism of media coverage of a lawsuit against this particular officer, I knew I had to investigate.
What emerged was a story in which there were competing narratives about what is just and good, which I think journalism can help unpack when done well.
What’s more, the story served as a good jumping-off point to discuss broader social and political questions about American life: What, in fact, does the law consider a legal police search under the U.S. Constitution? What effect do search policies have on a community’s relationship with the police? What does a legal challenge against these policies look like in practice? The answers may surprise you.
Trouble at Kenton County Animal Services
It’s not always easy to get people to talk to you when you’re investigating something.
That was not the case in this story. Numerous people who were directly involved were angry with how the shelter handled the case of Romulus and Remus, the pit bulls, and the overall conditions at the shelter.
Coupled with public records and statements at public meetings, I was able to craft a story about the conditions at the shelter and things going on behind the scenes. Whether this will lead to changes remains to be seen.
See you next year!