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March 21, 2024

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Watchdog efforts create change

Most investigative journalists – often deemed “watchdogs” – take pride in shining a light in society’s dark crevices.

Three of the best watchdogs in America, and winners of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with The Blade, will be “Speaking Truth to Power,” tonight at 7 p.m. in the Union Ballroom.

In fall 2003, Mike Sallah, Joe Mahr and Mitch Weiss of The Blade brought to light Vietnam-era atrocities by an elite Army unit known as the “Tiger Force” – sparking a federal investigation into claims of Vietnam civilian abuse from roughly 30 years ago.

Their exhaustive series dissected the actions of a 45 member, all-volunteer Tiger Force unit that – from May to November of 1967- allegedly murdered hundreds of innocent men, women and children in South Vietnam.

In 1971, Army investigators were made aware of these events, and an inquiry found that 18 Tiger Force members had participated in up to 20 war crimes.

While this was the longest war-crimes investigation in the Vietnam War, nobody was charged, and by 1975 the crimes had been forgotten.

But by drawing out testimony from Tiger Force soldiers and South Vietnam civilians who had lived through the horrors of 1967, The Blade’s trio brought readers from across the nation face-to-face with the demons regretful soldiers still carry, and the heart-wrenching loss that still aches the families of murdered South Vietnamese villagers.

Having now moved on to other newspapers around the country, Sallah, Mahr and Weiss agreed to speak at the University tonight because of the relationships they built at BGSU while with The Blade.

In the past, Sallah has spoken to communications and history classes at the University, but the trio’s work with Melissa Spirek, associate professor of journalism, played a major role in today’s visit to BGSU.

While working at The Blade, Sallah, Mahr and Weiss would bounce ideas off of Spirek from time to time, with both sides benefiting from the relationship.

“She provides great resources to not just students, but professionals in northwest Ohio,” Sallah said.

And as The Blade trio and Spirek challenged each other with story ideas, journalism students at BGSU have benefitted from the brainstorming.

“They [Sallah, Mahr and Weiss] push me to a higher level,” Spirek said, “which gets me excited and helps me bring my students to a higher level as well.”

Mahr also worked with Spirek, and his wife had taught English 111 at the University while he reported for The Blade.

Now working as a investigative reporter/editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mahr enjoys the challenge that comes from digging beneath the surface for investigative stories.

“You can create change – or at least educate,” Mahr said. “And sometimes we can’t control what happens after we run a story. But often the change that’s created is icing on the cake.”

Weiss, now the investigative business editor at the Charlotte Observer, enjoys taking the extra time to examine in-depth topics.

“You can really sink your teeth into a subject, you can uncover wrongdoing, and you can make a difference,” Weiss said. “You can right wrongs.”

The role that investigative reporters like Sallah, Mahr and Weiss play in preserving democracy through their work is something students should celebrate tonight, said Terry Rentner, chair of the journalism department.

“All students could walk away knowing that these stories can impact their lives,” Rentner said, “and the importance of the media’s role in bringing them to us.”

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