Brian M. Rosenthal

My best clips

Arrested O.C. woman knew she could be deported, sacrificed for cause
The Orange County Register, 07/21/10, 748 words
What was supposed to be a short feature on an immigration demonstration in Washington turned into a huge breaking news story when a group of student activists, including an illegal immigrant from Orange County, staged a sit-in at a Senate office building. I was the only reporter to see the police arrest them, and I had still and video cameras with me. My story ran on the front page; online, it got 50,000 hits and 1,500 comments.

Feinstein presses Kagan on guns, abortion
The Orange County Register, 06/29/10, 696 words
Coverage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, from a hyperlocal angle.

Kirkland elementary alters 'Snow White' and some parents object
The Seattle Times, 02/05/10, 736 words
I got the idea for this article, about censorship issues at a local elementary school play, from a parent at the school. The day I broke the story, it was water cooler talk across the city.

Yearly count finds fewer homeless in King County
The Seattle Times 01/30/10, 883 words
Reporting for this article began at 2 a.m. It ended at 8 a.m., at which point writing began. AfterI finished the story, I still had a full day at work ahead of me. Needless to say, my sleeping schedule didn't quickly recover.

Body of climber recovered from Mount St. Helens
The Seattle Times, 02/17/10, 722 words
After getting reports that a climber had fallen into the crater of Mount St. Helens, my editor instructed me to monitor the situation on the mountain. After continuous calls revealed that authorities had found the man dead, I interviews his father and climbing partner so I could tell the climber's story.

Northwestern reaches $2 million settlement with the Sunshine family
The Daily Northwestern, 09/21/10, 1,828 words
My reporting into this case began two years before this story was published, when I initiated off-the-record conversations with the classmates, friends and family of a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning. The work paid off - I broke the news of settlement negotations between the family and the university and, a year later, broke the news of the settlement itself in an in-depth article which reopened a fierce debate on campus about who was to blame for the death.

City mayor builds long legacy
The Daily Northwestern, 11/25/08, 1,148 words
The most difficult part of this profile was finding out the age of Evanston's mayor. After research and sweet talking revealed she is 90, I intervied a variety of people to dig into a fascinating life. The Illinois College Press Association named the story the best feature story among all Ill. daily college newspapers in 2008.

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Breaking news clips

Arrested O.C. woman knew she could be deported, sacrificed for cause
The Orange County Register, 07/21/10, 748 words
What was supposed to be a short feature on an immigration demonstration in Washington turned into a huge breaking news story when a group of student activists, including an illegal immigrant from Orange County, staged a sit-in at a Senate office building. I was the only reporter to see the police arrest them, and I had still and video cameras with me. My story ran on the front page; online, it got 50,000 hits and 1,500 comments.

Body of climber recovered from Mount St. Helens
The Seattle Times, 02/17/10, 722 words
After getting reports that a climber had fallen into the crater of Mount St. Helens, my editor instructed me to monitor the situation on the mountain. After continuous calls revealed that authorities had found the man dead, I interviews his father and climbing partner so I could tell the climber's story.

Officials believe Reno man killed himself after setting fire to his home
Reno Gazette-Journal, 07/09/09, 566 words
After hearing a report on the police scanner of a "house explosion," I was one of the first reporters on the scene. As investigators tried to piece together what happened, I interviewed neighbors and bystanders to show the incident through a different perspective.

Obama discusses security
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 7/17/08, 670 words
I was thrilled to be assigned to cover a Barack Obama campaign event, as I'd never seen a presidential candidate before. The article, written on a tight deadline, covered the event but also examined the larger issue of Obama's chances in the Hooiser State.

Redmond Marine killed in Afghanistan memorialized as 'gift to this world'
The Seattle Times, 3/13/10, 466 words
A large military base, Joint Base Lewis-McCord is located close to Seattle, so I got used to reporting on casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the story of Lance Cpl. Eric Ward, a 19-year-old local Marine, was especially difficult as he was a cherished member of the community. A few weeks after covering the death, I drove an hour to his hometown to cover his memorial service.

Apparent burglar freed after 3 hours in chimney
The Seattle Times, 02/19/10, 587 words
When I heard on the police scanner that authorities were responding to a man was stuck in a chimney, I knew there had to be a good story behind it. There was.

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Feature article clips

City mayor builds long legacy
The Daily Northwestern, 11/25/08, 1,148 words
The most difficult part of this profile was finding out the age of Evanston's mayor. After research and sweet talking revealed she is 90, I intervied a variety of people to dig into a fascinating life. The Illinois College Press Association named the story the best feature story among all Ill. daily college newspapers in 2008.

O.C.'s Congress members take to Twitter
The Orange County Register, 08/08/10, 866 words
An enterpise feature, this article examines the Twitter habits of the six member of the Orange County congressional delegation and finds some interesting patterns. I took my own photos for the story and collected the information for the graphic.

Helping Haitian amputees a long-term effort for Seattle foundation
The Seattle Times, 2/22/10, 997 words
When a massive earthquake hit Haiti in January and the paper sent a couple staffers down to Haiti, I asked what I could to cover the story from a local angle. My editor pointed me in the direction of the Seattle-based Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, which I profiled in this feature.

Obama fans pour in from outside the U.S.
The Daily Northwestern, 11/6/08, 512 words
I arrived early to Grant Park on Nov. 4, 2008, to save a good spot to see the Barack Obama's speech, which I was sent to cover. But with my spot saved, I went to find another story. As I started talking to people waiting in line to enter the speech, I met travelers from all across the globe, from the Netherlands to Mexico. My story became their stories.

'Baby signing' gaining popularity
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 9/25/08, 635 words
Late in my time in Logansport, I found myself covering a trend I'd never heard of: baby signing, or teaching sign language to pre-verbal infants.

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In-depth article clips

Kirkland elementary alters 'Snow White' and some parents object
The Seattle Times, 02/05/10, 736 words
I got the idea for this article, about censorship issues at a local elementary school play, from a parent at the school. The day I broke the story, it was water cooler talk across the city.

Northwestern reaches $2 million settlement with the Sunshine family
The Daily Northwestern, 09/21/10, 1,828 words
My reporting into this case began two years before this story was published, when I initiated off-the-record conversations with the classmates, friends and family of a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning. The work paid off - I broke the news of settlement negotations between the family and the university and, a year later, broke the news of the settlement itself in an in-depth article which reopened a fierce debate on campus about who was to blame for the death.

Debate rages over superintendent
The Daily Northwestern, 03/6/09, 1,560 words
Probably the most challenging article I've written, this story involved dozens of difficult interviews, on and off the record, with current and former school board members, administrators, teachers, parents and community members about Evanston's controversial superintendent.

Washoe schools get major overhaul in summer
Reno Gazette-Journal, 06/21/09, 953 words
As the local school district poured millions into school rehabilitation, I went straight to the schools, parents and students to show the impact of the projects.

A lot riding on 'quiet pavement' in Bellevue as testing continues
The Seattle Times, 02/01/10, 925 words
Have you ever wondered why highways are so loud? Neither had I, until I wrote this in-depth article about testing on "quiet pavement" technology that could provide instant relief to people who live and work near highways.

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Government reporting

O.C. lawmaker owns stock in oil spill's rig operator
The Orange County Register, 06/18/10, 651 words
On my fourth day on the job, my editor assigned me to write about the newly released financial disclosure statements of the members of Congress from Orange County. "We cover these statements every year," she said. "Find something interesting." So I did.

Some legislators back putting ads on school buses to raise money
The Seattle Times, 02/07/10, 624 words
The first quote sums up this story well: "When I learned that the education budget had been cut so sharply, I almost cried. I thought about it and thought about it. What could I do? And suddenly I saw a beautiful yellow school bus passing by, without an ad, and I said, 'What an interesting thought.'"

Uncertainty lingers as Nevada state worker furloughs begin today
Reno Gazette-Journal, 07/01/09, 843 words
My first significant look into Nevada politics, this article examined the status of a law mandating furloughs for state employees. In interviewing spokespeople for seven state agencies, I discovered that even as the furloughs were supposed to begin, many departments were still confused about how to implement them.

City faces employee 'exodus'
The Daily Northwestern, 05/16/08, 870 words
When several high-ranking city bureaucrats retired at around the same time, I was one of the first ones to notice. While officials gave a budgetary reason for the departures, I sensed there was a deeper reason and, after interviewing most of the retiring department heads, I discovered it: "philosophical differences" with the city manager.

Working out the system's kinks
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 09/5/08, 880 words
To get sources for this article analyzing a change in distribution of Indiana welfare benefits, I stood outside Logansport's Medicaid office and talked with those entering and leaving.

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Political reporting

Biden campaigns for Sen. Murray, defends administration
The Seattle Times, 02/13/10, 445 words
I had the privilege of serving as the lone pool reporter for this fundraiser in Seattle. I filed my pool report about 20 minutes after the event ended, and my story shortly thereafter.

Obama discusses security
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 07/17/08, 670 words
I was thrilled to be assigned to cover a Barack Obama campaign event, as I'd never seen a presidential candidate before. The article, written on a tight deadline, covered the event but also examined the larger issue of Obama's chances in the Hooiser State.

District incumbent hopes for another big win
The Daily Northwestern, 02/04/08, 839 words
As part of our coverage of the 2008 Illinois primaries, I profiled Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., to get her thoughts and her campaign, then-Sen. Barack Obama's campaign and government in general. It was my first interview of a major political official.

Congressional candidates clash over energy policy: Challenger’s statement on incumbent’s voting record sparks debate
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 08/27/08, 893 words
To complete this article, on a critical issue in a campaign for U.S. Representative, I had to navigate the choppy waters of a tight and bitter campaign. I received angry e-mails from both candidates after the article was published, which I viewed as a good thing.

Officials still puzzled by low student turnout
The Daily Northwestern, 04/13/09, 785 words
Student turnout dropped sharply in the 2009 Evanston municipal election; at one on-campus precinct, where 219 people in the last election, just 34 voted there in 2009. The day after the election, I set out to find the reason for the dramatic drop, interviewing city officials, former candidates and the students themselves.

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Crime reporting

Apparent burglar freed after 3 hours in chimney
The Seattle Times, 02/19/10, 587 words
When I heard on the police scanner that authorities were responding to a man was stuck in a chimney, I knew there had to be a good story behind it. There was.

Reno fire officials say water reduced to hydrants before Alexander arson
Reno Gazette-Journal, 08/04/09, 524 words
In the days after a massive arson fire destroyed 22 vacant apartment buildings in south Reno, suspicion and speculated swirled. But the mystery deepened a few days later, when fire officials revealed that the first responders found low water pressure at the nearest hydrants. This article investigated the issue.

Arrested O.C. woman knew she could be deported, sacrificed for cause
The Orange County Register, 07/21/10, 748 words
What was supposed to be a short feature on an immigration demonstration in Washington turned into a huge breaking news story when a group of student activists, including an illegal immigrant from Orange County, staged a sit-in at a Senate office building. I was the only reporter to see the police arrest them, and I had still and video cameras with me. My story ran on the front page; online, it got 50,000 hits and 1,500 comments.

'We need to band together': Gunshots disrupt anti-violence meeting
The Daily Northwestern, 04/28/08, 591 words
After two shootings and eight citizen reports of gunshots, the residents of south Evanston's 8th ward called a meeting to discuss the violence. Halfway through, the meeting was interrupted by a familiar sound: gunshots. It was the first time I ever heard that particular sound.

Local middle school janitor charged in theft
The Daily Northwestern, 03/03/08, 1,042 words
Midway through my first year on the college paper, I had the opportunity to cover what I thought was a pretty crazy story: an Evanston man was arrested when police found more than $100,000 of stolen property in his basement. Two weeks later, the story got crazier: we found out that the arrested man had been working as a janitor at a local middle school.

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Court reporting

Hank Skinner case headed to Supreme Court
The Daily Northwestern, 05/25/10, 593 words
When a group of Northwestern students "won the lottery" of having the wrongful death case they had worked on be accepted for consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court, I wrote about what it meant for the defendant, the students and the future of the American system of criminal defense.

Former pharmacy technician gets 60-days in jail for sale of stolen pills
Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 06/28/08, 585 words
Three week into an internship that represented my first professional journalism experience, the courts reporter got married and went on his honeymoon, leaving me to cover the everyday criminal cases of Cass County. For two weeks, I attended many hearings like this one, where a 30-year-old pharmacy technician was sentenced after pleading guilty to selling pills she store from the store where she worked.

Feinstein presses Kagan on guns, abortion
The Orange County Register, 06/29/10, 696 words
Coverage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, from a hyperlocal angle.

Northwestern reaches $2 million settlement with the Sunshine family
The Daily Northwestern, 09/21/10, 1,828 words
My reporting into this case began two years before this story was published, when I initiated off-the-record conversations with the classmates, friends and family of a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning. The work paid off - I broke the news of settlement negotations between the family and the university and, a year later, broke the news of the settlement itself in an in-depth article which reopened a fierce debate on campus about who was to blame for the death.

City considers options after NRA gun ban lawsuit
The Daily Northwestern, 09/23/08, 793 words
The Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia vs. Heller shook up the American gun scene. In the city of Evanston, which had one of the strictest gun bans in the country, the consequences were doubtlessly going to be substantial. I covered how exactly the city was responding and what the consequenes would be.

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Education reporting

Debate rages over superintendent
The Daily Northwestern, 03/06/09, 1,560 words
Probably the most challenging article I've written, this story involved dozens of difficult interviews, on and off the record, with current and former school board members, administrators, teachers, parents and community members about Evanston's controversial superintendent.

Washoe schools get major overhaul in summer
Reno Gazette-Journal, 06/21/09, 953 words
As the local school district poured millions into school rehabilitation, I went straight to the schools, parents and students to show the impact of the projects.

Kirkland elementary alters 'Snow White' and some parents object
The Seattle Times, 02/05/10, 736 words
I got the idea for this article, about censorship issues at a local elementary school play, from a parent at the school. The day I broke the story, it was water cooler talk across the city.

School sets strict rules for special-ed students
The Daily Northwestern, 09/22/08, 721 words
At the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, I found out about a behavior modification program for special ed students at a local elementary school. A parent was suing the school because she thought the program was oppressive. After reading about the program, described in the article, most of our readers agreed. Eight months later, the lawsuit became the subject of one of the few columns I have written (read the column, which was named the 10th best column by U.S. college students in 2009, here).

ETHS test scores improve in 2008, still fall short of NCLB standards
The Daily Northwestern, 10/02/08, 647 words
Every year, there is significant drama surrounding the release of No Child Left Behind statistics. In 2008, the local high school's scores improves, but not enough to meet the law's standards. The school had never (and still has not) met the standards.

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The Orange County Register (DC Bureau) (Circ. 199,000)

Read all 31 articles here.

Arrested O.C. woman knew she could be deported, sacrificed for cause
07/21/10, 748 words
What was supposed to be a short feature on an immigration demonstration in Washington turned into a huge breaking news story when a group of student activists, including an illegal immigrant from Orange County, staged a sit-in at a Senate office building. I was the only reporter to see the police arrest them, and I had still and video cameras with me. My story ran on the front page; online, it got 50,000 hits and 1,500 comments.

O.C.'s Congress members take to Twitter
08/08/10, 866 words
An enterpise feature, this article examines the Twitter habits of the six member of the Orange County congressional delegation and finds some interesting patterns. I took my own photos for the story and collected the information for the graphic.

Feinstein presses Kagan on guns, abortion
06/29/10, 696 words
Coverage of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan, from a hyperlocal angle.

O.C. lawmaker owns stock in oil spill's rig operator
06/18/10, 651 words
On my fourth day on the job, my editor assigned me to write about the newly released financial disclosure statements of the members of Congress from Orange County. "We cover these statements every year," she said. "Find something interesting." So I did.

Rep. Royce fights to fix Fannie, Freddie
06/22/10, 684 words
When my editor sent me to cover Rep. Ed Royce's work at the financial regulation bill conference committee, I thought I wouldn't have much to cover. After all, Royce was a Republican with virtually no power. The story became his fruitless efforts.

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The Seattle Times (Circ. 264,000)

Read all 64 articles here.

Kirkland elementary alters 'Snow White' and some parents object
02/05/10, 736 words
I got the idea for this article, about censorship issues at a local elementary school play, from a parent at the school. The day I broke the story, it was water cooler talk across the city.

Yearly count finds fewer homeless in King County
01/30/10, 883 words
Reporting for this article began at 2 a.m. It ended at 8 a.m., at which point writing began. AfterI finished the story, I still had a full day at work ahead of me. Needless to say, my sleeping schedule didn't quickly recover.

Biden campaigns for Sen. Murray, defends administration
02/13/10, 445 words
I had the privilege of serving as the lone pool reporter for this fundraiser in Seattle. I filed my pool report about 20 minutes after the event ended, and my story shortly thereafter.

Body of climber recovered from Mount St. Helens
02/17/10, 722 words
After getting reports that a climber had fallen into the crater of Mount St. Helens, my editor instructed me to monitor the situation on the mountain. After continuous calls revealed that authorities had found the man dead, I interviews his father and climbing partner so I could tell the climber's story.

Some legislators back putting ads on school buses to raise money
02/07/10, 624 words
The first quote sums up this story well: "When I learned that the education budget had been cut so sharply, I almost cried. I thought about it and thought about it. What could I do? And suddenly I saw a beautiful yellow school bus passing by, without an ad, and I said, 'What an interesting thought.'"

Apparent burglar freed after 3 hours in chimney
02/19/10, 587 words
When I heard on the police scanner that authorities were responding to a man was stuck in a chimney, I knew there had to be a good story behind it. There was.

Top of page

Reno Gazette-Journal (Circ. 62,000)

Read all 91 articles here (Full texts are only visible by subscribers).

Officials believe Reno man killed himself after setting fire to his home
07/09/09, 566 words
After hearing a report on the police scanner of a "house explosion," I was one of the first reporters on the scene. As investigators tried to piece together what happened, I interviewed neighbors and bystanders to show the incident through a different perspective.

Uncertainty lingers as Nevada state worker furloughs begin today
07/01/09, 843 words
My first significant look into Nevada politics, this article examined the status of a law mandating furloughs for state employees. In interviewing spokespeople for seven state agencies, I discovered that even as the furloughs were supposed to begin, many departments were still confused about how to implement them.

Residents celebrate gay pride during festival
08/16/09, 594 words
Coverage of the 13th annual Reno Gay Pride festival.

Reno fire officials say water reduced to hydrants before Alexander arson
08/04/09, 524 words
In the days after a massive arson fire destroyed 22 vacant apartment buildings in south Reno, suspicion and speculated swirled. But the mystery deepened a few days later, when fire officials revealed that the first responders found low water pressure at the nearest hydrants. This article investigated the issue.

Washoe schools get major overhaul in summer
06/21/09, 953 words
As the local school district poured millions into school rehabilitation, I went straight to the schools, parents and students to show the impact of the projects.

Top of page

The Daily Northwestern (Circ. 7,500)

Read all 223 articles here.

Debate rages over superintendent
03/6/09, 1,560 words
Probably the most challenging article I've written, this story involved dozens of difficult interviews, on and off the record, with current and former school board members, administrators, teachers, parents and community members about Evanston's controversial superintendent.

City mayor builds long legacy
11/25/08, 1,148 words
The most difficult part of this profile was finding out the age of Evanston's mayor. After research and sweet talking revealed she is 90, I intervied a variety of people to dig into a fascinating life. The Illinois College Press Association named the story the best feature story among all Ill. daily college newspapers in 2008.

NU could face suit in Sunshine death; NU reaches $2 million settlement with Sunshine family
07/09/09, 1,136 words; 09/21/10, 1,828 words
My reporting into this case began months before any story was published, when I initiated off-the-record conversations with the classmates, friends and family of a Northwestern student who died of alcohol poisoning. Months of work paid off - I broke the news of settlement negotations between the family and the university and, a year later, broke the news of the settlement itself. Each article featured in-depth reporting which reopened a fierce debate on campus about who was to blame for the death.

'This is our moment'
11/5/08, 510 words
After witnessing Barack Obama deliver his Election Night speech in Chicago, I raced through the crowds to find wireless Internet so I could file this story, which I did minutes after the speech ended.

City faces employee 'exodus'
05/16/08, 870 words
When several high-ranking city bureaucrats retired at around the same time, I was one of the first ones to notice. While officials gave a budgetary reason for the departures, I sensed there was a deeper reason and, after interviewing most of the retiring department heads, I discovered it: "philosophical differences" with the city manager.

Top of page

Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Circ. 11,000)

Read all 58 articles here.

Obama discusses security
07/17/08, 670 words
I was thrilled to be assigned to cover a Barack Obama campaign event, as I'd never seen a presidential candidate before. The article, written on a tight deadline, covered the event but also examined the larger issue of Obama's chances in the Hooiser State.

Working out the system's kinks
09/5/08, 880 words
To get sources for this article analyzing a change in distribution of Indiana welfare benefits, I stood outside Logansport's Medicaid office and talked with those entering and leaving.

'Baby signing' gaining popularity
09/25/08, 635 words
Late in my time in Logansport, I found myself covering a trend I'd never heard of: baby signing, or teaching sign language to pre-verbal infants.

End of an era
08/31/08, 1,875 words
When officials decided to close the 160-year-old County Home, a long-time home for residents "down on their luck," I decided the community fixture deserved an obituary. I spent hours combing through historical records and interviewing home residents and officials to write it.