Pulitzer Prize-winning Barstow talks coverage and advice for journalists

David Barstow, a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, defended the use of “fighting words” in the New York Times’ coverage of Trump’s financial history at a Wednesday Q&A session titled, “The State of Investigative Journalism.” hosted by Prof. Debbie Cenziper at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.

To a crowd of 150, Barstow discussed his career and shared advice with aspiring investigative journalists. “It’s really great to be home at Medill,” he told The Daily. “It’s amazing to see this astonishing new generation of really smart, talented people taking up the banner of reporting.”

Barstow recently completed a 20-year career at The Times. When he was a full-time reporter, his investigative work uncovered corruption in both public and private spheres.

The Q&A focused on the nation’s perception of journalism. “It’s a really brutal business to go into right now,” Barstow said at the event. “Today, it’s a much starker contest between the world of truth and the kingdom of lies. There’s a greater willingness for political leaders and business leaders to just spout utter nonsense.”

Cenziper, who moderated the conversation and serves as an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, said she agreed with Barstow’s view about shifts in the journalism landscape.

“The media industry is changing every day, and has changed pretty dramatically in recent years,” she said. “There’s no better journalist in the country to talk about the changing state of investigative reporting than David Barstow.”

Barstow earned his first Pulitzer Prize in 2004, examining insufficient safety standards in American workplaces. His other award-winning projects include a 2009 article about schemes within the Pentagon to further the Iraq War and a 2013 exposé on Walmart’s use of bribery with Mexican officials.

“All you really need in the end is two basic ingredients,” Barstow said. “You need abnormal curiosity, and you need relentless persistence. If you have those two things, you can do really great journalism. And if you don’t, no number of journalism classes will get you there.”