Vote for iPost’s top story of 2023

• Share on
• 
• 
• 
• 

What’s your favorite story published this year by Investigative Post?

Editor Jim Heaney has selected a baker’s dozen stories for your consideration. We’re asking readers to vote for their top story in an online poll.

Investigative Post has produced 201 pieces of news content for the calendar year through Dec. 8. Broadcast versions were produced for more than 50 of them and aired on WGRZ TV News, our longtime partner. Some stories were deep-dive investigations, others follow-up to those reports, still others analyses, spot news stories and podcasts.

All five of our reporters produced stories that made our list. Story topics were eclectic, but most involved matters of social justice or government waste. 

Geoff Kelly’s story on the city clerk paid nearly $600,000 while on suspension was our most-read piece in 2023. His other nominated stories reported on the sorry condition  of Buffalo’s firefighting fleet, allegations of racism at the Roswell Park Cancer Center and the real estate firm owned by prominent developer Michael Joseph, and the city sewer authority’s hiring of Mayor Byron Brown’s son.

Nominated stories by J. Dale Shoemaker deal with economic issues. Stories include how tax breaks granted by industrial development agencies come at the expense of school finances; the failure of the Tesla solar plant in South Buffalo to live up to its promises; the never-ending tax breaks granted to Moog; a sewage transmission line from STAMP that could violate the Clean Water Act; and tax breaks offered (and later granted) to fast-food restaurants in Niagara Falls.

Other nominated stories include:

• The struggles of Erie County’s public library system, including reduced funding and patronage and a loss of neighborhood branches that created book deserts on the East Side, by Garrett Looker.
• An analysis of looting during the Christmas blizzard by I’Jaz Ja’ciel that found, contrary to most press reports and social media posts, most looting occurred in white neighborhoods.
• An investigation by Bruce Rushton that found Buffalo police, with scant public disclosure, have installed license plate readers primarily in minority neighborhoods.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us your favorite story in the online poll below.

You can only vote once.

Voting ends Friday, Dec. 29.

Appreciate our reporting? Support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation by Sunday, Dec. 31, and contributions of up to $1,000 will be matched. Donate here.