We were looking for strong writers with a track record of unique stories who were ready to jump into our highly collaborative, multiplatform newsroom. Our job posting added this wishlist: “We value good team players, voracious idea generators, humility and a constant willingness to teach, learn and experiment.” Hundreds applied, and two applicants particularly aligned with those core values.

So meet the newest members of our investigative team:

Patrick MichaelsPatrick Michels comes to us from the Texas Observer, where he’s written long-form magazine pieces on a wide variety of topics, including education reform, crime and politics. Here’s his investigation of the dangers of driving an armored car and another about the Wild West of guardianships. He recently helped launch a long-form narrative podcast there called “Observatory.” Patrick previously edited and covered gas drilling and online education at the Texas Independent. He will continue to delve into a variety of topics here.

Aaron Sankin CIR HeadshotAaron Sankin comes from the all-digital world, where he has covered the intersection of national politics and tech policy at The Daily Dot. He was the co-author of an investigation with a 17-year-old hacking expert about a suburban Chicago family under relentless cyberattack. Aaron previously helped found The Huffington Post’s San Francisco office, where he covered city politics and state government. He will take over the digital privacy/cybersecurity beat here, with a particular focus on socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.  

Watch for their bylines soon.

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Amy Pyle is editor in chief at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, guiding a team of editors, reporters and producers who produce unique in-depth national stories for the web, radio and video. Her primary goals are exposing wrongdoing and holding those responsible accountable, and increasing diversity in the ranks of investigative reporters. In the past year, CIR has established a fellowship program for aspiring investigative journalists of color and another for women filmmakers. Amy has worked at CIR since 2012, previously serving as a senior editor and managing editor. Rehab Racket, a collaboration with CNN that she managed on fraud in government-funded drug and alcohol rehabilitation, won the top broadcast award from Investigative Reporters and Editors. The Reveal radio version of an investigation she oversaw on an epidemic of opiate prescriptions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs won a George Foster Peabody Award. Previously, as assistant managing editor for investigations at The Sacramento Bee, she managed “Chief's Disease,” a story about pension spiking at the California Highway Patrol, which won George Polk Award. Amy worked as a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times for more than a decade where, as assistant city editor, she directed coverage from the parking lot of the Times’ quake-damaged San Fernando Valley office in the early morning hours after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. That work earned the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting. Amy has a bachelor’s degree in French from Mills College and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.