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.
Nov 1
2016
Jim Heaney talks with Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom about a story published Monday by Investigative Post on the Buffalo Police Department’s failure to update its “use of force” training for officers. The interview runs from 36:53 to 49:13
Oct 14
2016
In this episode of Investigative Postcast, Lee Coppola talks with Jim Heaney about his career as an investigative reporter and journalism educator. Coppola discussed the best story he did for The Buffalo News, which became the basis of a book and Hollywood film; his experience as a television reporter; and what prompted him to take the job as dean of the School of Journalism at St. Bonaventure University. Coppola also discussed what’s been gained and lost as reporters take advantage of technology to research and produce stories. Investigative Post is honoring Coppola for distinguished service to local journalism at[...]
Oct 11
2016
The fall from grace is just about complete for Alain Kaloyeros. The so-called “nano-tech guru” who Gov. Andrew Cuomo has praised as a “near genius” has resigned as CEO of SUNY Polytechnic Institute. His success building a nano-technology sector in the Albany area prompted Cuomo to put Kaloyeros in charge of his initiative to revitalize the upstate economy through a series a big-ticket projects in Buffalo, Dunkirk, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica. But reporting by Investigative Post into the awarding of a lucrative contract to LPCiminelli to build a factory for SolarCity triggered investigations by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and State Attorney General Eric[...]
Oct 6
2016
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[...]
Sep 23
2016
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[...]
Sep 22
2016
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[...]
Sep 15
2016
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[...]
Sep 12
2016
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.