Inside the Strib: What does it take to publish a big investigative project?

When protests flare in the Twin Cities, Liz Sawyer is often there, covering them for the Star Tribune.

She joined the Star Tribune in 2014 as a night reporter and covered Jamar Clark's death in 2015 and the protests that followed. She also helped lead our coverage of the deaths of Philando Castile and George Floyd.

She was one of the lead reporters on our "Juvenile Injustice" series, recently named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Sawyer, who now covers Minneapolis crime and policing, has reported extensively on Minnesota law enforcement, state prisons and the youth justice system.

A Michigan native, Sawyer graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in newspaper and online journalism. She lives in Robbinsdale with her husband and rescue pup, Bandit.

How did the idea for "Juvenile Injustice" come about?

After the murder of George Floyd, the Twin Cities experienced a surge in violent crime and brazen carjackings in 2020. Police and elected officials attributed much of the violence to juveniles – whose lives were upturned during the pandemic and suddenly lacked the stability of school and sports to keep them out of trouble. In one case, a group of teens fleeing police in a stolen vehicle crashed into a tree, killing everyone inside. None of them was old enough to drive.

A narrative began to emerge: Juvenile crime had spiraled out of control in Minneapolis, largely driven by a revolving door of repeat offenders. As a reporter on the public safety team, I sought to verify whether those allegations were true. I teamed up with investigative reporter Chris Serres and data editor MaryJo Webster to analyze arrest data and connect with mothers of teens entangled in the juvenile justice system. Soon, a much larger story emerged about Minnesota's high recidivism rate, a dearth of rehabilitative services and the patchwork of laws failing to hold troubled youth accountable for their crimes. That lack of intervention caused a series of profound ripple effects on survivors, who felt betrayed by an ineffective justice system, and beleaguered families of the kids, whose experiences with the convoluted court process often caused further generational trauma.

What was the most difficult part of reporting this?

Building trust. This topic is so sensitive that we had to assure people that our intent was to expose flaws in the system, not cast judgment on individual parents or the actions of their kids. People put a lot of trust in you to tell their stories and we take that seriously. It takes an immense amount of courage to be vulnerable with a perfect stranger — especially a journalist.

What does it take for a mutipart project like this to come together? How many people were involved, etc.?

A project this large takes well over 20 people to get published. There's a lot of work behind the scenes – from digital design and graphics to copy editing and headline writing. Videographer Mark Vancleave spent months producing a video to show the heartbreaking toll a lack of intervention can have on families. And photographer Jerry Holt, who dedicated over a year to the project, had hundreds of frames to wade through for his final edit. This was truly a team effort.

Were there times you didn't think it would all happen?

Three months into the project, I was ready to give up. But a beloved mentor encouraged me to find a partner and keep going. I'm so glad I did.

When did you know you wanted to become a reporter? Why?

By 15, I'd given up on my pipe dream of becoming a surgeon (following an unhealthy obsession with the TV drama Grey's Anatomy.) I joined my high school newspaper staff as a sophomore and quickly fell in love with journalism. Reporting gave me an excuse to ask lots of questions and meet people I never would have in my daily life. It satisfied my intense curiosity in a way nothing else seemed to. And I truly believed in its service mission.

What are your favorite parts of your job?

I'm an unabashed extrovert, so I enjoy getting to meet new people from all walks of life. Everyone has a story to tell – and it's a privilege to listen. Oftentimes, I get to share those experiences with our readers.

You're constantly learning new things about random topics and confronting new perspectives.

You have covered various beats at the Star Tribune, but it seems you always go back to covering public safety. What about that keeps pulling you back?

This beat is critically important, especially right now. The future of policing in Minneapolis has broad implications on the welfare of its citizens. Beyond that, I am heartened by the incredible resilience of community members who have suffered unimaginable losses from gun violence. Talking to people on the worst days of their lives is by far the hardest part of my job, but probably the most important. They deserve a voice.

It certainly weighs on you, though. My mom wishes I could just write feature stories about puppies.

What's the best career advice you've received so far?

Whenever you think you're done with an interview, ask one more question. Often, it's some variation of: "Is there anything else I didn't ask that you want to talk about today?" You'd be surprised what sort of answers that might elicit.