Journalism works: 34 ways the Detroit Free Press impacted your world in 2024
Journalism is not always fast.
Sure, the Free Press operates in a digital world where every second counts, but even in that highly competitive environment, patience is essential. It takes time to comb through public records. Analyzing data is typically not quick. Determining what questions to ask, and how to ask them, can be a tedious process.
But for us, the investment of time and energy is worth it. And the work featured in the sixth edition of the Detroit Free Press Community Impact Report affirms that fact.
Reporter John Wisely spent years investigating an unsolved murder in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The resulting serial podcast, "Where Secrets Go to Die," uncovered a pattern of police misconduct. This project was a robust team effort, engaging readers in a different way, and prompting a critical look at injustice in a rural area with little oversight.
Food writer Susan Selasky knew something wasn’t right when she started to review the money awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Restaurant Relief Fund. She teamed up with investigative reporter Jennifer Dixon — now retired — and the pair identified $7 million in questionable grants given to restaurants in Michigan. Prompted by the reporting team’s scrutiny, one restaurateur even started giving money back to the SBA before the investigation was published.
The Free Press staff is committed to journalism that holds systems, institutions and individuals accountable. This year’s impact report highlights work that has moved the needle, prompted important conversations and helped fix societal problems. As a staff, we are dedicated to this work, and we’re grateful that for nearly 200 years readers have shared their time with us.
Your readership is truly appreciated. Please continue to read the Detroit Free Press in print, at freep.com, and consider becoming a digital subscriber at freep.com/subscribe. As readers, you inspire us to tell the important stories, those that are hard, and those that help make Michigan a better place.
Thanks for your continued support,
Nicole Avery Nichols
Editor, VP, Detroit Free Press
Police reforms sought after misconduct exposed
The Detroit Free Press podcast "Where Secrets Go to Die," the first long-form narrative podcast produced by the Free Press, chronicled an unsolved murder in Michigan's Upper Peninsula — and exposed long-running police misconduct in that remote location.
Some local residents were shocked to learn of it, while others who said they had long known about the police misconduct were stunned to see it publicly exposed. At least one state lawmaker noted the issues uncovered by the podcast in his calls for reforms to the Michigan State Police. In a letter to the Free Press, state Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, said he plans to introduce legislation that would address the issues.
Investigation finds dubious government grants, resulting in recipient returning funds
A Free Press investigation found the U.S. Small Business Administrations Restaurant Relief Fund awarded more than $7 million in dubious grants to Michigan restaurants.
The fund was earmarked to provide grants to restaurants that suffered losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. A grant of more than $800,000 was awarded to a metro Detroit restaurant owner. The Free Press investigated the award and the owner, finding that the restaurant closed and was sold prior to the pandemic.
After the Free Press’ questions and investigation, the restaurateur returned nearly two-thirds of the grant to the SBA.
County says it has taken action to improve conditions in juvenile jail
The Free Press' three years of reporting on dangerous conditions at Wayne County's juvenile jail continues to spur change. In a March 2024 speech to residents, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans — who runs the juvenile jail — said the county has made significant improvements at the facility, including adding more in-house mental health treatment, hiring about 100 new staffers and boosting pay by 35%, funded by a $10 million budget increase. Since the summer of 2022, the Free Press has reported on the overcrowding and understaffing at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center, problems that led to what critics have called inhumane conditions. The newspaper continues to report on conditions at the jail, including interviewing a former employee who is worried someone could be seriously injured or killed.
Free Press obtains, publishes disclosures that prompt sweeping review from ethics watchdog
The administration of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan requires appointees to file annual conflict of interest disclosures. However, the city does not publicly post them anywhere, and when a Free Press reporter tried to obtain them, the city wanted to charge hundreds of dollars.
After a battle, the city eventually acquiesced, releasing hundreds of records. Despite releasing the information in a wonky format, the Free Press worked to publish the disclosures in a format easily accessible to Detroiters. The Free Press also used the data to show that at least four out of 10 of the highest-ranking city officials don't actually live in Detroit — including the city's then-deputy mayor, who has since been appointed interim police chief. Subsequently, the Detroit Board of Ethics realized many of the appointees who filed a disclosure with Duggan's administration also needed to file disclosures with that board. The leader of the organization sent out a slew of letters to mayoral appointees in the fall of 2024. Although the Duggan administration initially fought making the information available to the ethics board, it eventually gave in, culminating in the release of 89 additional disclosures. Overall, Free Press reporting led to the most disclosures ever received by the board in a year.
Investigation into unconstitutional acts by judges raises awareness ahead of possible high court decision
In 2019, the Michigan Supreme Court determined that trial court judges cannot sentence someone as though they committed a crime for which they were found not guilty. While this act is now considered unconstitutional, the Free Press found an unknown number of people remain in Michigan prisons for exactly this reason — sentenced to years in prison despite a not guilty verdict.
We highlighted the case of two men: one who shot and killed two people, the second who watched him. The shooter was convicted of two murders and sentenced to life without parole. But he has since been released from prison, since he was under 18 at the time of the shooting. The other man was found not guilty of murdering either person. But the judge determined he played a role in at least one of their deaths, and sentenced him to at least 50 years in prison. Now, despite not pulling the trigger — and spending the last 33 years in prison on a sentence deemed unconstitutional — he must wait longer in prison.
Lawyers for this man and others who face similar circumstances asked the Michigan Supreme Court to weigh in and make their 2019 ruling retroactive, so it would apply to any case in the past. The Court of Appeals rejected this argument, but the state's highest court could take up the issue at any time.
The Free Press investigation brought substantial attention to an issue that is not well understood but impacts an unknown number of Michiganders.
Detroit judges may no longer use online chat feature after Freep investigation
The Free Press immediately jumped on the case of 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King after he had a teen girl detained and threatened with jail for falling asleep in his courtroom. But the Free Press went beyond the initial headlines to uncover arguably more disturbing behavior: King routinely used an online chat associated with livestreaming his proceedings on YouTube to engage with viewers of his court. And while many of those interactions could be considered harmless, others clearly dealt with the substance of proceedings — and happened while King was on the bench.
His superiors, state officials and other lawyers criticized his actions, but the Free Press showed they had known about his conduct for years. After Free Press reporting, 36th District Chief Judge William McConico said no judge in his court could use the YouTube chat function any longer. This change will have a direct impact on justice in Detroit: Multiple defense lawyers have argued King's use of the chat directly correlated with his decisions on cases.
Wayne County cancels contract of former CFO after domestic violence charges revealed
Former Wayne County CFO Tony Saunders had a lucrative consulting contract with the county canceled after the Free Press revealed details of the contract — and an incident that resulted in Saunders being charged with domestic violence in the beating of his wife in their home.
We also reported on a second incident that resulted in Saunders being charged with domestic violence.
After 18 years, Detroit police reopen investigation into woman killed during 2006 Super Bowl
With the NFL returning to Detroit for a major event with the 2024 draft, the Free Press looked back at an unsolved murder committed the last time the NFL staged a major event in Detroit — the 2006 Super Bowl.
As a result of our queries, Detroit police said they would use new technology and resources to see whether evidence they collected 18 years ago would generate new leads that could help them catch the killer.
Free Press uncovers secret agreements between prosecutor and Oxford High officials after school shooting
After the historic convictions of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the first parents in America to be held responsible for a mass school shooting, the families of the victims shifted their focus to Oxford High School, where their son killed four students and injured seven people, including a teacher. They argued that school officials also made mistakes that day, and wanted them held accountable. But the prosecutor dealt families' hopes a blow when she announced no school officials would be charged. A Free Press investigation discovered two key school officials who had drawn scrutiny over their decisions involving the shooter had signed confidential agreements with the prosecutor's office that protected them from liability. They had signed these "proffer agreements" early on — as the prosecutor built her case against the Crumbleys — and would go on to testify against them. The Free Press investigation prompted the prosecutor's office to release the agreements, which are now the focal point of Jennifer Crumbley's appeal. Her lawyer argues the confidential agreements that we discovered amount to suppressed evidence and Brady violations, and says they are grounds for tossing Jennifer Crumbley's conviction.
Juror explains key factors in groundbreaking conviction
After the conviction of the father of the Oxford High School shooter, the Free Press was the only news media outlet to get an interview with a juror, and explain to the public what drove the jury to reach a guilty verdict in this unprecedented and high profile case.
We found the jury foreman in his home on a country road, and he explained that the storage of the gun was a key issue, along with the shooter's claims that his dad ignored his pleas for mental health treatment.
We provided readers nationwide with an exclusive, inside view into the deliberation room of this historic case, and explained what issues mattered most to the jury.
Michigan's fatally flawed system for tracking lobbyists' freebies to lawmakers
Eye On Michigan, a student investigative reporting program that partners with the Free Press, revealed that the state's system for tracking freebies is broken.
Nevertheless, student reporters, working with Free Press data analysts, found that lobbyists lavished more than $6 million in free meals and trips on Michigan lawmakers between 2001-2023, even though flaws in the system make it impossible to determine how much state officials really got.
Eye on Michigan and the Freep also created a searchable database revealing how much lobbyists reported giving to every lawmaker who served between 2001 and 2023.
Candidate for U.S. Senate loses close race after investigation reveals he registered to vote at a home where he does not live
Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Elissa Slotkin were engaged in one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the nation when the Free Press revealed that Rogers was registered to vote at a home that was under construction, did not have a certificate of occupancy, and was not where he actually lived.
Our investigation raised other questions about whether Rogers, who also owned a mansion in Florida, was truly living where he said he was after moving to Michigan a year before the election. Our investigation prompted other news organizations, from MSNBC to our competitor The Detroit News, to run their own versions of our story after we first published it.
While Republican Donald Trump won Michigan by nearly 1.5% — with a margin of 49.73% to Kamala Harris' 48.31% — Republican Rogers lost by less than 1.3% — receiving 48.30% to Slotkin's 48.64% in one of the closest U.S. Senate races in the country.
Biden drops out of race on day Free Press poll shows him lagging badly in Michigan
On July 21, we released a poll done for the Detroit Free Press and its media partners that revealed a shocking response: President Joe Biden, then the Democratic nominee, trailed Republican candidate President Donald Trump by 7 points in Michigan.
It was a historically bad showing for a Democratic nominee — especially in a state Biden won four years before by 3 points, and that had gone for a GOP nominee (by a much smaller margin) once in 36 years.
The poll was cited by other outlets — notably Politico, who deemed it the "Dem freakout of the day," noting, "Democrats have been sending this poll to us all morning. "Brutal," said one former senior Biden official. President Biden dropped out of the presidential race later that same day.
GM suspends arrest powers for contracted private security force at Renaissance Center
A day after our monthslong investigation into allegations of racism and abuse by white private security officers against Black visitors at General Motors' Renaissance Center office complex published in November 2023, GM kicked officers named in federal lawsuits off its properties in Detroit. In January, GM went a step further: The company suspended the private security force’s arrest powers, removed handcuffs from officer uniforms and reduced the number of armed officers in the complex.
Wayne County judge candidate defeated after history of violence against women revealed
Voters didn't know much about Wayne County Probate Court judge candidate Daniel Mercier until the Free Press began digging into his background, which revealed that multiple women had accused him of attacking them as well as a history of lying and bad debt.
Our investigation found that two women in Michigan obtained personal protection orders against Mercier and that he was convicted in Florida of domestic violence. Mercier finished last in the four-person race.
Senator introduced legislation to prevent Michigan from taking foster kids' benefits
After the Free Press published an article detailing how the state of Michigan takes federal financial benefits from children in foster care to reimburse itself for the cost of their care, state Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, introduced legislation to end the practice. Although Irwin said the issue had previously been brought to his attention by a constituent, he told the Free Press the article was "helpful in highlighting the concern and propelling the conversation." The legislation introduced by Irwin differs from a previously introduced bill referenced in the story by allowing foster children to keep 100% of their benefit money, which is typically awarded to children who have disabilities or are orphans, instead of an age-based percentage.
Readers donate $25,000 to dad taking care of his dying teenage son
After the Free Press wrote a story about Trae Hawthorne, a 15-year-old dying of cancer in a small town in rural Michigan, Trae started a fundraiser not for himself, but for his father, whom he calls "my hero" for quitting two jobs to stay at home full time with his dying son.
The teenager did it not only to raise much-needed funds for the family, but also to let the world know about his dad's selflessness. The act received little attention until the Detroit Free Press wrote about it.
Readers responded with hundreds of small donations that added up in a matter of days to $25,000 and counting.
‘Coldwater Kitchen’ documentary goes international
The documentary film "Coldwater Kitchen," produced by the Detroit Free Press, was selected for the 2025 American Film Showcase, the flagship film and TV exchange program of the U.S. Department of State. "Coldwater Kitchen" chronicles the lives of the men enrolled in the unique culinary arts vocational program at Michigan's Coldwater prison, and the life of the man who runs the program, Chef Jimmy Lee Hill.
Funded by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and produced by USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, American Film Showcase works with more than 60 U.S. embassies or consulates each year to host international film screenings and train global storytellers. Coldwater Kitchen co-director Brian Kaufman traveled to Fiji in November 2024 to lead a multiday video journalism workshop for Fijian journalists.
Working with nearly a dozen reporters from print, television and radio outlets, Kaufman taught character-driven video storytelling techniques designed for journalists who work alone or in small teams, drawing from his repertoire of video projects over a nearly 20-year career at the Detroit Free Press. In addition to the Fiji program, American Film Showcase organized international screenings of "Coldwater Kitchen" in Georgia and India, with more engagements expected in 2025. Locally, the film continues to find a wide audience through community engagement screenings. The Michigan Justice Fund, steadfast supporters of "Coldwater Kitchen," hosted screenings of the film for elected officials and advocates working in support of community members directly affected by incarceration.
The men featured in the film regularly accompany its screenings for panel discussions and dinner and movie events. Chef Dink Dawson and Executive Producer Desiré Vincent Levy spoke at the 2024 Michigan Works! annual conference about the importance of vocational training for returning citizens. In July, Chef Jimmy Lee Hill, Chef Dink Dawson and Chef Ernest Davis, along with the entire film team, traveled to New York City for screenings at Platform by the James Beard Foundation and the IFC Center.
Public hearing held, conversation advances around Michigan energy rates
An exploration of how energy rates are determined in Michigan, with a uniquely personal approach to explaining a complex process, generated broader conversation around DTE Energy's 10 straight years of rate increase requests. A Michigan Radio interview that followed publication furthered the discussion, and the piece brought attention to calls for a Detroit public hearing on the matter — which Michigan Public Service Commission officials initially said was unlikely. The MPSC held the hearing, and heard from dozens of angry Detroiters on persistent rate increases. The commission ultimately approved a gas rate increase that was lower than DTE requested. MPSC is still considering an electric rate increase that would raise average annual household billing by $135.
Cash-strapped Highland Park School District abandons plan to spend $1 million on abandoned building
Highland Park is a cash-strapped school district that has only a couple of employees, no students and no schools, yet the district was planning to spend $1 million on an abandoned building it hoped to turn into an administration building and potential education center.
The building is the same one the district sold about 15 years earlier for less than $100,000 to a developer who was supposed to tear it down. After the Free Press revealed the district's plan, board members rejected the deal.
Detroit officials agree to explore opening riverfront parks on fireworks night
A colorful description of the annual Ford fireworks night in Detroit brought attention to the city's long-standing policy of closing riverfront parks to spectators during the display. Detroiters often settle for a sliver of a view of the fireworks despite what could be spectacular viewing from the city's pristine riverfront parks. The parks are closed in an effort to avoid security issues, with little public discussion on the curious strategy.
After the Free Press column published, the city council president and the city's Chief Operating Officer promised to explore reopening the parks during next year's display.
Boy abandoned in Jamaica by adoptive parents returns to Michigan
When the Free Press learned that a Michigan boy had been abandoned in Jamaica by his adoptive parents for months, we pushed government agencies to explain why no one was helping return the boy home after his Jamaican boarding school was shut down over abuse claims. The Free Press learned his parents never went back to get him, and that government agencies dragged their feet for months, ignoring the boy's pleas for help and his lawyers' requests for intervention. Our reporting would not only detail this boy's hellish nightmare, but exposed the numerous failures of all levels of government, and the lengths advocates went to get him home.
In the end, our reporting caught the attention of many in the boy's hometown of Traverse City, and inspired a woman to step up and offer to take him in as a foster child.
As journalists, we aspire to open the world's eyes to the suffering and mistreatment of vulnerable individuals, with the hopes that we can bring about changes and help people. This enterprise piece did just that.
Michigan family seeks novel prosecution after teen driver killed their son — they want his mom charged, too
After a teen driver killed his friend in a high-speed car crash, the victim's family reached out to us about a possible legal issue they wanted to pursue: They wanted the driver's mom charged, too, maintaining she knew her son was a reckless driver through an app she had on his phone, but never took the keys away.
The Free Press investigated, and produced an enterprise story that showed how technology may now be used to hold parents accountable for their child's actions. In this case, the Free Press obtained records that showed the driver had a history of speeding over 100 mph, and his mom would warn him through texts to slow down.
The story went national as it touched on themes and problems that resonate with families all over: Problematic teenagers. Family fights. Divorce. It was also a story of unimaginable pain, grief, and loss. When we think of impactful journalism — stories that make people feel, think, or act more carefully — this gut-wrenching piece delivers.
Thousands of Detroiters remain on water affordability plan
After the Free Press wrote about obstacles that barred Detroiters in poverty from a program that reduces monthly water bills to as low as $18 a month, and wipes away back water debt — participants were required to verify that they were still income-eligible to remain on the plan — at least 3,000 households contacted the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, which is administering the program, according to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), to get reconnected.
Mobile home residents reach out about housing conditions
After we wrote about Michigan mobile home residents fighting rent hikes and worsening conditions, we received a flood of emails from residents also dealing with mobile home troubles or who appreciated the coverage. Readers reached out about rising rent, undrinkable water, aged sewer lines and overall neglect.
Students across the country learned about a coming memorial ceremony for a longtime Detroit educator
After a community member reached out about a memorial service for a longtime Detroit educator, Alfredine Wiley, the Free Press published a story that highlighted Wiley's life. For most of her career, Wiley worked as head of the counseling department at Detroit's Cass Technical High School. After the story was published, Wiley's daughters reported that former students from all over the country who had been touched by Alfredine Wiley were sending RSVPs for the Sept. 14 memorial service.
After a more than 20-year wait, a Detroiter was finally able to thank her high school counselor
Priscilla Wade, a successful psychologist in Okemos, reached out to the Free Press in hopes of being able to thank the high school counselor who made it possible for her to attend college in the 1970s. The former high school counselor, Dr. Arthur Divers, was the subject of a "Detroit Is..." feature published the previous year.
Wade's outreach to the Free Press helped her to reach Divers, whom she invited, along with Divers' daughter, to Osborn High School's Class of 1974 50th Reunion. A story about Wade's long quest to thank Divers was the subject of a "Detroit Is ..." feature on Sept. 8, 2024. Wade and others on the reunion's organizing committee also used the story to spread the word in the community about the reunion, which was held Sept. 20, 2024.
Article helps 87-year-old first-time author spread the word about her book
A Feb. 4, 2004 "Detroit Is ..." feature about 87-year-old, first-time author Frances Lewis, significantly helped to spread the word about Lewis' life story, which began in Detroit's Black Bottom. Following the publication of the story, the Free Press received several messages from readers who wanted to purchase Lewis' book.
St. Patrick Senior Center, Lewis' home away from home, also was contacted by many in the community, and as a result, St. Patrick Senior later hosted a book signing for Lewis. Among the interested community members that were anxious to learn more about Lewis was an eighth grade homeroom class at St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School in Grosse Pointe Park taught by Mary White.
The Free Press was contacted by White, who was eager to connect her students to Lewis, which included making arrangements for her students to attend the book signing. White said her students were interested in Lewis' life and journalism.
Macomb County Sheriff candidate who got improper tax break loses close election
We investigated whether Terence Mekoski, the Republican nominee for Macomb County sheriff, committed voter fraud by registering to vote in a town where he did not live, or received a property tax break he did not deserve because he listed a home where he did not live full-time as his principal residence.
Our first step was to determine where Mekoski really lived, since multiple addresses were associated with him.
After examining public records and knocking on doors, the Free Press determined that Mekoski was legally registered to vote at his in-laws' home in Shelby Township. We also determined that he was not entitled to a property tax break he had been receiving at a home in Oregon Township.
Our inquiries prompted township officials to investigate, and Mekoski acknowledged that he was not entitled to the property tax break he had been receiving.
Our story raised questions about Mekoski's integrity and attention to detail, and he lost a close race by a margin of 52% to 48% in a county that his fellow Republican Donald Trump won by a margin of 56% to 42%.
Mom finds support for grieving children
After friends sent links to a Free Press story about a camp for children who lost someone to suicide, a mom signed up two of her kids.
In March 2024, the Free Press wrote about a grief camp for kids that was coming to Michigan for the first time ever. Friends of a metro Detroit mom sent her links to the story, knowing that her husband and the father of her children had died from suicide. She enrolled her kids in the camp. We got to know her daughter. And while she and her daughter do not wish to participate in a further story about attending the camp, she believes it was beneficial to the grieving process.
Free Press builds civic pride bringing community behind scenes of long-neglected train station's renovation
As the Michigan Central Station reopening came to fruition, the Free Press followed along and produced coverage that got people excited about the historic train depot that had been closed since 1988 and became a symbol of blight Free Press coverage of the reopening of Michigan Central Station, the historic train depot that had been closed since 1988 and had become a symbol of blight, helped build excitement and pride as it reopened as a community center and mobility innovation incubator.
The Free Press told how Ford Motor Co., which bought the derelict building in 2018, spared no expense or detail to restore the station, going so far as to reopen a limestone quarry in Indiana to ensure matching materials. We told of a flooded secret basement, a Romanian clockmaker, the significance of graffiti and how the station had become a community third place, mixing neighborhood youths, bona fide artists and homeless people. Companion stories told of the importance of the station to neighborhoods on both sides of the signature building. Finally, we celebrated with the city as a star-studded concert formally opened the station.
When the Free Press saved Thanksgiving ... and a marriage?
Nearly everyone cooks, but not all know how. Along with a host of other Thanksgiving tips and techniques, we told our readers how to spatchcock a turkey — splitting it along the backbone and cooking it flat — a method that shortens cooking time. The story prompted this email from a happy reader:
"Happy belated Thanksgiving! Had to send you a note to thank you for writing the article about spatchcocking. I had said to (my wife) the previous week that we were going to spatchcock the turkey this year due to time constraints. She gave me 'the look' and asked me to explain this method, and why. She was very skeptical of me, and this new method. You then penned your article, and she approved of said technique. Our bird turned out great and was a big hit. An 18-pound bird that I brined as well. Thanks for helping to maintain marital bliss."
We're in the dictionary
Merriam-Webster.com cited a sentence that appeared in a Free Press story as an example of the correct use of the word "opioid."
Thanks, Mr. President
A "Detroit Is ..." story about the life of 104-year-old Detroiter Julia Esaw, which included her excitement for being able to cast a vote for Kamala Harris in the presidential election, was published on Nov. 3, 2024.
Former President Barack Obama tweeted a link to the story on the social media platform X the next day. Obama used the tweet to help drum up support for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the hours leading up to the Nov. 5 election. Obama's tweet put the story in front of thousands.