BOSTON – Signaling a growing partnership, WGBH News and the nonprofit New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) hired Paul Singer, formerly an editor with USA Today and Roll Call in Washington, as their investigations editor beginning officially on March 19.
Singer will direct NECIR’s reporters and help them produce stories for news partners in print, digital, radio and television. He also will edit WGBH reporters assigned to special projects.
With startup funding from a generous grant from the Barr Foundation, the position was created after collaboration between the two news organizations grew and a need was identified for more investigative journalism.
Singer brings with him experience as both an investigative journalist and editor, as well as the ability to design and implement a projected training program. Prior to joining WGBH, Singer served as the Washington Correspondent and Politics Editor at USA Today. Before that, he designed and ran the investigations unit for Roll Call.
“We are eager to bring more investigative journalism to our audience across all platforms,” said Kate Zachry, WGBH News Director. “There are important stories that need to be told, and Paul is an exciting addition to a talented team of journalists.”
“Paul’s arrival will move the New England Center for Investigative Reporting in exciting new directions for our second decade, while staying true to our mission of exposing injustice and holding power accountable,” said Burt Glass, NECIR’s executive director.
Singer brings a strong track record of holding political figures accountable with stories he’s written or edited. His investigation for USA Today of unusual office expenses by Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) helped lead to the representative’s resignation and criminal charges. Investigations led by Singer’s team of reporters at Roll Call resulted in several Congressional ethics committee investigations, an FBI probe of one member, and changes in ethics rules.
Singer also taught journalism courses on political coverage and journalism ethics at Georgetown University, and reported forNational Journal, Associated Press and United Press International.
About WGBH News
WGBH News is among the fastest growing local news providers in greater Boston and draws on the talent of a multi-platform newsroom that includes 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR, television and digital reporting. The WGBH newsroom continues to invest in substantive local coverage and has established dedicated desks for innovation, higher education and politics as well as unique partnerships to expand on that commitment, including with WNYC’s The Takeaway, PRI’s The World, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, and The GroundTruth Project.
About NECIR: The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University seeks to expose injustice by both producing and teaching in-depth, impactful journalism. NECIR stories reach wide audiences and spur action through mainstream news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and WGBH. NECIR reporters share their skills with student and mid-career journalists through workshops and classes to further expand NECIR’s impact.
