For the eighth year, the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government (CFOG) will hold a panel discussion of top Connecticut journalists describing how they landed major news stories in the state in the past year.

The quick thinking, ethical guidelines, courage and sheer hard work of Connecticut journalists will be on display on Feb. 8 when CFOG holds the “The Stories Behind the Big Stories of 2023” event. It is set for 5 p.m. at the Elmwood Community Center at 1106 New Britain Ave. in West Hartford.

The discussion will be moderated by veteran television journalist Leslie Mayes.

The panelists are:

• Caitlin Burchill, an investigative consumer reporter for NBC Connecticut
• Alison Cross, a reporter for the Hartford Courant
• Ginny Monk, the Connecticut Mirror’s children’s issues and housing reporter
• Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, an investigative reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media
• Camila Vallejo, a former reporter for Connecticut Public

The journalists will discuss the major stories they broke in 2023, including Rabe Thomas’ important series on Bridgeport’s failure to comply with the state’s Freedom of Information Act and Hearst’s coverage of a scandal involving false tickets issued by the Connecticut State Police. Monk will discuss how she gained the trust of a Hartford mother whose young son died by falling out of a window to tell a moving story of the forces that shaped the toddler’s life and death.

Vallejo will explain her compelling coverage of a New Haven mother’s eviction – told in English and Spanish – after the tenant complained to her landlord about rats and other housing violations in her apartment. Cross will detail the difficulties she faced when covering several sensitive stories about clashes involving the First Amendment and free speech.

Burchill will describe how she and videographer/producer Steve Pancione used hidden cameras to capture security lapses in a parking garage at Bradley International Airport.

The event is sponsored by CFOG, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 by residents of Connecticut interested in promoting open government and the public’s right-to-know. Its programs are carried out by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the news media, academia, the law and government.

The panel discussion is sure to be fascinating for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes work of reporters and editors in the demanding field of journalism today. The event is designed to help the public understand the resourcefulness and professional tools journalists use every day to uncover the motives and truth behind important stories.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with a reception, and the panel discussion will follow from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A $10 donation is requested, which includes refreshments.

Tickets can be purchased in advance here: Stories Behind the Big Stories.

Walk-ins are also welcome and can pay at the door with cash, checks made out to CFOG or credit cards through PayPal.

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