Alexandria, VA – Bill McMorris will soon be the new editor of Old Dominion Watchdog, an investigative online news site sponsored by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. McMorris, a seasoned journalist, is also a recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship.
“Bill is a talented investigative reporter who has proven to produce quality, unbiased, and accurate journalistic pieces. Bill’s terrific work on the phantom congressional district story was the driving force behind breaking that story to the mainstream media” said Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center. “Bill will do a terrific job keeping the elected officials in Virginia accountable and promoting government transparency.”
McMorris has served as a staff researcher and writer at the Franklin Center since 2009. A print journalist by training, he has written for the Santa Barbara News-Press and the National Journalism Center. While in Santa Barbara, McMorris produced a wide range of investigative work. His on-site coverage of a November 2008 wildfire revealed that the city had lost nearly ten times more homes than the fire department initially told the public. He also investigated charges of power abuse against the city’s police chief, as well as pay increases at the District Attorney’s Office following a series of lay-offs. McMorris was educated at Cornell University where he majored in government and history.
While at the Franklin Center, McMorris served as the lead journalist covering the trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for the Illinois Statehouse News Bureau. In addition, he produced the national story for the phantom congressional districts that ripped through the headlines.
In addition to publishing at the Old Dominion Watchdog website, news from the site is published on Watchdog.org, a national leading news website dedicated to providing investigative news to communities around than nation. Watchdog.org is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity.
About The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
The Franklin Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing investigative reporters and non-profit organizations at the state and local level with the training, expertise and technical support necessary to pursue journalistic endeavors. By networking with state-based think tanks, local non-profits, and independent Watchdog reporters across the country, the Franklin Center works against the growing tide of mediocrity and bias in the media and punditry of alternative online sources. The Franklin Center undertakes programs that promote investigative reporting and the education of the public about corruption, incompetence and abuse of public trust by elected officials. The Franklin Center is also a proud sponsor of Watchdog.org and StatehouseNewsOnline.com.
Tags: Bill McMorris, Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Jason Stverak, Journalism, National Journalism Center, Rod Blagojevich, Santa Barbara News-Press
