Idaho Statesman’s best work of 2022 included investigations, housing plight, polls and more

Schoolchildren placed in closet-like rooms.

State officials hiding their drug buys for executions.

A police chief under criminal investigation.

These were just three of the most consequential stories produced by Idaho Statesman journalists in 2022 — a year in which the reinvestment in our newsroom that occurred in 2021 developed into one important report after another.

Highlights included:

▪ Education reporter Becca Savransky’s investigation of the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in Idaho schools. Her report detailed several instances that left children traumatized and families seeking answers. It also showed how the state failed to take action to create standards and the inconsistent practices that fostered. Earlier in the year, Becca’s 2021 reporting on dyslexia was cited during the Legislature’s attempt to tackle that issue.

▪ Investigative reporter Kevin Fixler’s report detailed how Idaho implements the death penalty, including methods the state used to acquire the necessary drugs and keep that process from the public.

▪ Reporters Alex Brizee, Ian Max Stevenson and Joni Auden Land spent much of the year trying to get answers from the city of Boise on issues surrounding the police department, including a criminal investigation of Chief Ryan Lee, Lee’s resignation, the firing of police accountability director Jesus Jara and a former captain’s ties to an organization known for white supremacist views.

▪ A team of reporters produced the Affording Boise series, which put a spotlight on people trying to navigate the Boise area’s rental market amid escalating prices. The series put faces on one of our area’s most pressing issues — and resonated with readers.

▪ We commissioned a statewide poll on key issues, including abortion, LGBTQ rights and marijuana, and published a series of stories with the results.

▪ We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area with a series of stories. The two primary reports told the history of the SNRA’s formation and first 50 years and looked at the area’s future challenges. Both of those stories, from Nicole Blanchard and Ian Max Stevenson, included a new digital storytelling technique.

▪ More recently, we have been digging for information on the quadruple homicide at the University of Idaho. We have had reporter Angela Palermo working remotely from Moscow since the day after the four students were found, to maintain a presence there. We also sent Kevin Fixler to Moscow for a few days. He and Angela collaborated on a story based on interviews with neighbors.

▪ We added a new position to our newsroom: service reporter. Shaun Goodwin specializes in utility content that aspires to answer common reader questions and provide useful information (weather stories, for instance) — and sometimes just fun stories, like the best bars for watching March Madness. His coverage was a hit with readers.

▪ And we addressed a long-standing reader wish by putting our latest news into the eEdition, which is no longer reliant upon the print deadline.

That’s just a small taste of the impactful work that came out of our newsroom this year, and it shows what’s possible when a newsroom has the support of its community through readership, subscriptions, donations, tips and feedback.

Thank you to all of our readers for making this work possible. Can’t wait to see what our staff produces in 2023!

Chadd Cripe is in his second year as the Idaho Statesman editor. He has been on staff since 1996. Contact him at ccripe@idahostatesman.com.