Provide names of other journalists involved.
Beth Macy and Ralph Berrier Jr.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
October 23, 2011; October 30, 2011; November 6, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
We explored the issue on several timely and personal fronts, in stories that broke news, offered rich context and drew on the power of narrative storytelling. We grounded our reporting in a regional perspective: Southwest Virginia, because of its rural nature, faces unique challenges in providing services to needy vets. They often must travel great distances and overcome their perception of being stigmatized in their small-town communities. The series also informed readers of the significance of the PTSD treatment and research happening in one community in our region. Salem, Va., is home to a huge Veterans Affairs hospital and a new $1 million Center for Traumatic Stress. The facility sets the Salem VA apart from its peers nationwide and demonstrates the dramatic improvements that have occurred in the treatment since the war in Afghanistan began 10 years ago.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
For the Micah Sword story, we filed FOIA requests with two police departments for reports on the shooting incident. Both were denied (citing ongoing investigations), but our repeated requests did push the police to talk to us at length about what was in the report. We also attempted (unsuccessfully) to get Sword’s medical file, and we were able to see documents from his parents’ divorce. We found official documentation to be particularly helpful in making sense out of this messy he-said/she-said story. For the Anthony Sowers story, we relied upon VA documents provided by the family that summarized Anthony’s sessions with counselors. Those documents detailed his military service, his counseling history, his diagnosis of PTSD and the prescribed treatments for the disorder. The documents also provided insights into the traumas he suffered in Iraq that might have contributed to Anthony’s later problems with depression and anxiety. I had copies of Anthony’s US Army discharge and a certificate of commendation that provided details of his service in Iraq. For the series we used a 2010 Virginia Tech study on lack of care for Southwest Virginia PTSD casualties gave background and context. The website www.globalsecurity.com gave background on Camp Taji and forward operating bases in Iraq.
Explain types of human sources used.
Veterans, social workers, families of veterans, friends of veterans, veteran services, psychologists, VA government officials, psychiatrists, higher education administrators, police, veteran advocates, VA critics
Results:
We’ve heard feedback from many veterans and their families.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections of clarifications.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Even if a FOIA request is officially denied, it doesn’t mean that the record-holder won’t talk to you about the contents of the file in a less formal way.