Jim Heaney

Jim Heaney is editor and executive director of Investigative Post. He was an investigative reporter with The Buffalo News from 1986 to 2011 and a reporter and editor with The Orlando Sentinel from 1980-86. His coverage over the years has focused on economic development, local and state government, politics, education, housing and transportation, and he was an early practitioner of computer-assisted reporting. Heaney has won more than 20 journalism awards and was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Oct 6

2016

Podcast: Margaret Sullivan on the media

In this episode of Investigative Postcast, Margaret Sullivan talks with Jim Heaney about the current state of the press and her work as media columnist with The Washington Post. Sullivan, who previously served as editor in chief of The Buffalo News and public editor of New York Times, also discussed the state of investigative reporting, which will be the topic of her keynote address at a gala dinner Oct. 19 hosted by Investigative Post, a nonprofit investigative reporting center based in Buffalo, N.Y. (Order your tickets here.) “Local investigative reporting is threatened throughout the country and really needs to be[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 23

2016

Double talk from Cuomo on ‘Billion indictments

Gov. Andrew Cuomo obviously believes the best defense is a good offense. The governor came to town Friday, fresh off the indictment of three of his close associates and two of his major campaign contributors and attempted to claim victory. He told a gathering at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery that Buffalo is booming and announced a second phase of the Buffalo Billion program is coming as soon as Howard Zemsky figures out what it should involve. In short, Cuomo tried to change the topic. Only after his remarks before a sympathetic audience at the art gallery did he address the[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 22

2016

An indictment of Cuomo’s MO

I did a slew of interviews Thursday after news broke that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara indicted three Cuomo insiders and five development company officials on a variety of corruption charges. One question came up time and time again: “Was I surprised?” The answer, in a word, is “No.” I spelled out my reasoning in a blog post back in May. As I wrote then: The Cuomo crowd is obsessed with secrecy and operates with the mistaken notion that the rules don’t apply to them. The governor may or may not have knowledge of the supposed misdeeds of some of his[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 15

2016

Podcast: Arbetter on Cuomo, state politics

In this episode of Investigative Postcast, our new podcast, listen to some highlights of Jim Heaney’s conversation with Susan Arbetter, the award-winning host and producer of The Capitol Pressroom. Heaney interviewed Arbetter in front of a live audience at the Burchfield Penney Art Center on Tuesday. In this excerpt: Arbetter’s thoughts on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the diminished power of WNY’s legislative delegation, and why Carl Paladino is never going to be governor. This is our second podcast: Last week’s featured Arbetter talking about her approach to producing The Capitol Pressroom. Also worth a listen: Heaney’s interview with Arbetter last week about the latest developments[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 12

2016

Heaney talks SolarCity on ‘Pressroom

Jim Heaney and Susan Arbetter discuss Elon Musk’s ongoing challenges involving SolarCity and her upcoming visit to Buffalo on Tuesday for an event hosted by Investigative Post. Interview was recorded Sept. 7 and broadcast Sept. 9 on The Capitol Pressroom. Interview runs from 12:42 to 22:11.

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 8

2016

Honors for iPost’s Dan Telvock

Dan Telvock’s coverage of environmental issues – from lead poisoning in Buffalo to a toxic landfill in Wheatfield to water pollution at Gallagher Beach – has been recognized for excellence by the Society of Environmental Journalists. Telvock placed second among 36 entries for outstanding beat reporting in a small market. Here’s what the judge’s had to say about Telvock’s reporting: Dan Telvock’s dogged reporting on water contamination and lead poisoning holds local officials accountable on behalf of Buffalo residents. His use of data showed that more children in Buffalo suffer from elevated levels of lead in their blood compared to[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Sep 8

2016

Introducing Investigative Post’s podcast

Jim Heaney interviews Susan Arbetter, the award-winning host and producer of The Capitol Pressroom, on the inaugural episode of Investigative Postcast. Our plan is to post a new episode every Thursday featuring an Investigative Post journalist interviewing a newsmaker or discussing a recent story they’ve produced. Episodes will be available on our website, and, in the near future, on iTunes. In today’s episode, Arbetter tells us about her approach to the job, her trick for waking up at an ungodly hour, and the role WBFO in Buffalo played in launching The Capitol Pressroom. You can hear more from Susan Arbetter next Tuesday (Sept. 13) at an event at the Burchfield[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Aug 26

2016

Heaney talks Buffalo lead testing on ‘Pressroom

Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom interviews Jim Heaney about Investigative Post’s recent story on problems with Buffalo’s program to test drinking water for lead. The interview, which broadcast Aug. 25, runs from 22:33 to 37:04. Heaney will interview Arbetter in front of a live audience Sept. 13 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. She will discuss state politics, her trials and tribulations as a female, entrepreneurial journalist, her best and worst interviews and the future of public radio. Tickets are $10; admission is free for Silver, Gold and Platinum Investigative Post members. Tickets and memberships can be purchased online here.[...]

Posted 8 years ago