They sought specialized training to better understand a highly technical topic and even became certified lead inspectors.
The Times sent the three reporters to Georgia to take the courses needed to earn certifications as lead inspectors. Not only did they learn how to take samples needed to test for lead in soil, they learned about the health risks of lead exposure and regulations imposed by federal agencies, including OSHA and the EPA.
“For me, it made concrete a lot of the more technical details in terms of how lead reacts with the human body and how to measure it,” Murray says. “There were hands-on activities where we learned how to sample different things, like lead in the soil and lead in paint, and the supplies needed and how to make sure you were getting an appropriate sample.”
After completing the training, the journalists took samples of soil outside the Gopher plant to check for contamination in the neighboring community. They gathered about 70 soil samples and sent them off for testing.
Dozens of the samples had elevated levels of lead, the Times reported.
“The highest concentrations were closest to the plant,” the reporters write. “Two results, taken within 1,500 feet, were higher than what the federal government considers dangerous for kids.”
They spoke to employees in person, in their homes.
Had Johnson, Woolington and Murray not been able to earn factory workers’ trust, they would not have been able to dig into the problem as deeply as they did. Employees’ personal stories about what they saw and experienced and how they and their families were affected helped the public understand how dire the situation had become. What employees told the journalists also helped direct their reporting.
Johnson says he knew it would be tough to get employees to share information, so the journalists avoided contacting them at work or on social media.
“We wanted to be very strategic and so those early interviews were crucial,” he explains. “You can’t go do a big Facebook blast of folks. You can’t do willy-nilly email blasting because that stuff gets back [to an employer] and can get leaked.”
Johnson and his colleagues chose to approach workers at their homes, away from their supervisors and coworkers. They spoke with former employees at home, too, in hopes they would be able to speak more freely. The reporters also wanted to do interviews in person so workers could see in their faces that they cared about them and the story.
“When you’re trying to get the big story, the big impact — to get past the secrecy — the best way is the old way,” Johnson says. “You have to show up and they have to look you in the eyes and feel your humanity.”
While journalists often use Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms as reporting and interviewing tools, Johnson warns against relying on them too much.
“These tools are convenient — we all use them,” he says. “On some stories in some circumstances, they actually don’t get you what you want and actually work against you. You have to go grab those shoes and burn them on the pavement. You just got to do it.”
They asked for photos and video.
The journalists interviewed more than 100 current or former employees, some of whom shared photographs and videos taken inside the Gopher factory. Those images — featured prominently in the series — allowed the reporting team and the public to see what working conditions were like.
“This story emphasized the importance of always (always, always!) asking your sources for any photographs or video they have to help you understand, prove and tell your story,” Woolington wrote by email. “The photographs and videos we were able to obtain from workers became a foundational part of not only our reporting but also storytelling. They gave us a look inside the factory and allowed us to see the conditions workers were facing. We were also able to provide readers with this same benefit. Describing poisonous dust clouds through writing is one thing. Allowing readers to see the footage and experience it themselves elevates the story to another level of understanding and proof.”
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