David Armstrong
Skilled investigative reporter with more than 25years experience in researching and producing reports on governmental agencies, corporations, non-profit entities, academic institutions and research organizations. Expertise in computer-assisted reporting, including use of Access and other programs to examine large data sets. Has produced work across multiple platforms, including Web-based publications, print, television, magazines, radio and newspapers.
EXPERIENCE:
STAT
2015-Present
Senior Enterprise Reporter
• Extensive coverage of the opioid epidemic. The story “Dope Sick” is an 8,000 word, interactive narrative about two best friends who grow up to share an addiction for opioids – and the devastating series of events that result when they unwittingly ingest fentanyl. Led an effort to successfully pursue sealed court records documenting the marketing of prescription painkillers. Investigated the role of Chinese labs in providing the bulk of illicit fentanyl to North American drug dealers.
• Led an investigation that revealed how college football players with a history of incapacitating concussions are allowed to transfer to colleges that will permit them to play. This happens even after doctors at one school determine that the risk to a player’s health is so severe that he should be permanently banned from contact sports.
Bloomberg News/Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine 2010-2015
Reporter, Projects & Investigations Team
• Series on the mistreatment of brain-injured Americans in expensive facilities promising cutting-edge care. Led to state investigations, a lawsuit by one of the largest insurers in the countryagainst a major treatment centerand the eventual bankruptcy of one of the largest brain-injury facilities in the country.
• Conceived series of reports on the inappropriate use of popular cardiac stents. Stories included feature on cardiologist who made $6 million a year implanting stents later found to unnecessary and a scheme at one of the country’s most prestigious hospital to generate stent volume by scheduling “emergency” cases. Worked with data visualization team to develop interactive map of stenting rates across the country as well as a 360 degree look inside a cardiac stenting lab. Narrated, filmed, and helped produce video version of story.
• Exposed the financial incentives leading to huge profits earned by doctors performing back surgeries that frequently don’twork. The stories examined work at large, traditionalhospitals as well as doctor-owned companies that heavily advertise on television and the Web.
• Conducted a computer-assisted analysis matching newly released Medicare payment data with a second database of physicians sanctioned by Medicare or banned from the federal program. The resulting story showed how doctors collected millions of dollars from Medicare even after losing their license to practice.
• Other stories include additional reporters on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, a series of reports on the pain industry anda magazine feature on foreign bribery by a large U.S. company.
The Wall Street Journal
2000-2009
Investigative reporter
• Medical investigations reporting on conflicts of interest. Revealed how executives and doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, renowned for its heart care, invested in companies whose medical devices were being tested on clinic patients. Prompted review and changes at the clinic. Reported on failure of researchers to report financial ties when publishing in prestigious medical journals, resulting in studies promoting costly or potentially dangerous treatments. Disclosed financial incentives to doctors ordering MRI and laboratory tests for patients. Reported on illegal off-label marketing of pharmaceuticals.
• Investigative reports on the activities of short sellers and executives at publicly-traded companies. Stories include reports on financial wrongdoing at Tyco Inc.; the manipulation of a stock by short sellers; and a behind the scenes story of a secret investigation by a publicly traded company of one of its own board members.
• Coverage of events surrounding September 11. Stories included detailed examinations of security failures at airports; the ill-fated effort to create a terrorist watch list, and detailed reports on activities and backgrounds of terrorists.
Boston University
1997-Present
Adjunct professor of journalism
• Developed a course for undergraduate and graduate students on the use of advanced reporting techniques, including the use of Excel and database software to analyze and produce stories from large data sets. This course requires students to utilize public records laws at the state and federal level as a method for obtaining large government data sets. Students also become familiar with the use of mapping software and other data visualization tools; social networking analysis; and advanced Web searching techniques.
• Created a three-day boot camp for graduate students enrolled in the science and medical journalism program. This intensive course focuses on obtaining data for stories and learning how to analyze and interpret it using software such as Microsoft Access.
Northeastern University
1996
Adjunct professor of journalism
• Developed a course for undergraduate students on the use of the Internet as a reporting tool as well as training in use of database software.
The Boston Globe
1993-2000
Investigative reporter
• Investigation on elevator and escalator safety: Documented lax inspections, irresponsible management, no-show safety inspectors, cozy relationships between manufactures and inspectors, rising number of accidents, and inadequate regulations. Report included database analysis of inspections and safety records on 30,000 elevators and escalators.State’s public safety commissioner resigned position.
• Report on the anachronistic ways of the Boston Fire Department which resulted in racial tension, wasteful spending and conflicts with other agencies. Reports prompted the resignation of fire commissioner and creation of special commission that recommended overhaul of department.
• Series of stories that revealed the role of the government as a major polluter, both in the U.S. and abroad, as well as lax government efforts to enforce environmental laws.
The Boston Herald
1988-1993
Investigative, general assignment and political reporter
• Computer analysis of 3.5 million parking tickets that discovered more than 60,000 motorists had unwittingly overpaid the city $2 million in fines. City of Boston was forced to refund much of the money.
• Investigation of the agency charged with training police officers: discovered illegal hiring practices and improper billing. Resulted in indictments against agency head, state legislator and lobbyist.
• Produced “Abused by the System” – a detailed report detailing rapes, beatings, and neglect in state institutions and group homes for the mentally ill and retarded.
The Brockton Enterprise
1986-1988
City Hall and general assignment reporter
• Exposed rampant nepotism in city government, resulting in the firing of two employees and a state Ethics Commission fine against a high ranking city official.
• Revealed illegal favors performed for campaign contributors to mayor.
TheSyracuse Herald Journal
1985-1986
General assignment reporter
• Exposed a no-show job arrangement between city of Syracuse and largest employee union.
EDUCATION:
Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. 1982-1986
Bachelor of Science
Dual Major: Journalism and Political Science
ADVANCED TRAINING:
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill1995
Training in database software and statistical methods.
University of Missouri1989
Computer-assisted reporting training, including use of database programs.
AWARDS:
2016 Online News Association Awards – Sports
(Disqualified after concussions, college football players recruited back onto the field)
2015 Society of the Silurians Excellence in Journalism Awards
(Emergency by Appointment at Mount Sinai)
2014 New York Press Club Journalism Award – Feature Reporting
(Crimes of the Heart)
2012 Association of Health Care Journalists Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism – First Place, Beat Reporting
(Profit in pain business)
2011 National Headliner Award
(Medicine and Money)
2011 Society of American Business Editors andWritersBest in Business Award
(Medicine and Money)
2011 NYSSCPA Excellence in Financial Journalism Award
(Medicine and Money)
2007 New York Press Club Consumer Journalism Award
(Health-care crisis stories)
2007 Deadline Club award finalist
(Conflicts in health care)
2007 Health Care Journalism Award finalist
(Conflicts in health care)
2003 Unity Awards in Media
(Abuse of autistic children)
2002 Pulitzer Prize
(Coverage of Sept. 11 attacks with other staff of Wall Street Journal)
1997 Associated Press Award for Enterprise Reporting
(Series of reports on juvenile crime in small, rural Massachusetts towns)
1995 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for Large Newspapers
(Three part series on elevator and escalator safety)
Sevellon Brown Public Service Award (New England Associated Press News Executives)
(Elevator-escalator series)
1994 George Polk Award
(Elevator-escalator series)
Best Reporter in Boston - Boston Magazine 1993
Livingston Awards 1992 Finalist
(Five-part series on abuse of mentally ill and retarded)
1992 Associated Press Award for Enterprise Reporting
(Five-part series on abuse of mentally ill and retarded)
1991 Associated Press Award for Spot News Coverage
(Amtrak train crash in Boston)
LECTURES/SPEAKING:
The McGill Lecture – University of Georgia – October 2016
The future of investigative journalism
HUBweek – September 2016
Panel discussion – The Science of Addiction: How Opioids Work in the Brain
Computer-Assisted Reporting Boot Camp for Boston University Science & Medical Journalism Graduate Students – January 2014 and January 2015
Created and directed three-day seminar in advanced reporting techniques for journalism students
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Annual Meeting
San Diego, Calif. – October, 2010
Panel discussion – Conflicts of Interest: Institutional, Political and Legal Responses
New England First Amendment Coalition FOIA and Investigative Reporting Conference – May 2009
“Public Records”
New England Associated Press News Executives Association - Providence, RI - September 2006
“FOI - You can do this at home: A practical guide for editors and reporters on when to use the Freedom of Information Act, when not to use it, approaches to take, using the human touch, dealing with fees, etc”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference -Fort Worth, TX-June 2006
“Medical Reporting”
ColumbiaUniversity - New York City - September 2005
"Probing the health industry”
Health Coverage Fellowship - Boston, MA - May 2005
"Getting Sourced"
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference –Atlanta, GA - June 2004
“Unearthing stories in SEC documents”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference - New York City - 2000
“Making sense of environmental databases”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference – Kansas City, MO – 1999
“Public safety scams and snafus: Probing police and fire departments”
New England Scholastic Press Association – Boston, MA - 1999
“Keynote speech: Journalism and the Internet”
National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting – Boston, MA – 1999
“Crime in depth: Policing your police”
New England Newspaper Association Conference on Investigative and Computer-Assisted Reporting – Boston, MA – 1998
“Computer-Assisted Reporting”
National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting – Nashville, TN – 1997
“Finding and negotiating for data”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference – Providence, RI – 1996
“Put it on the Net and get out of the way”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference - Miami, FL – 1995
“Going Undercover: Techniques and tips from journalist who have done it”
New England Press Association – Boston, MA – 1994
“Database reporting”
BostonUniversity – Boston, MA – 1993
“What should the media know? The conflict between public records and personal privacy”
Investigative Reporters and Editors National Conference - New York City – 1993
“Starting a computer assisted reporting program”
REFERENCES:
Excellent references available upon request