Andrew W. Lehren, the 2012 James H. Ottaway Sr. Professor of Journalism at SUNY New Paltz, decided to take a break from some of his heavier investigative stories to cover one of his hobbies: marathon running. Then found a 25-year-old Italian man successfully ran the race and won – in the 61 and up age group.
Lehren said that examining documents and data like he did for this story and many others are important for journalists in his lecture, “The Art of Investigative Reporting” on Wednesday, April 4.
On Wednesday, April 4, the New York Times reporter spoke before a crowd of students, faculty and administrators in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium.
Lehren said the data and documents are where he finds his investigative stories, specifically the ones that other writers haven’t stumbled upon.
“There are more stories than reporters,” Lehren said.
Lehren’s Ottaway seminar focuses on enterprise and investigative reporting. Chair of the Ottaway Committee Lisa Phillips said his influence has made students excited to
approach data and documents to better their stories.
“He’s taken them into another dimension of journalism,” Phillips said.
Fourth-year sociology major Alicia Loscalzo said she found Lehren’s use of data and public documents in his reporting to be particularly fascinating.
“It’s interesting that the information is out there,” Loscalzo said.
Lehren was one of the lead reporters on The New York Times Wikileaks stories which detailed diplomatic cables, war logs from Afghanistan and Iraq and dossiers of Guantanamo Bay detainees. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and is a graduate of Lehigh University.