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LEA ZORA

@leazora

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Fellow @ire_nicar
🏆Emmy Winning Journalist
Investigative Reporter @scrippsnews
Prev. @vice @buzzfeed @natgeo

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✨Sometimes the right move doesn’t look glamorous — it looks strategic. 🎯Leaving LA for Texas has stretched me, grounded me, and opened doors I couldn’t see before.

And because “everything is content” this is the beginning of a new series…and a new season. More to come. #losangeles #texas #changeisgood by @leazora

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9 months ago

Woo, August was a wild ride! Finally picked up my first ever Emmy trophy! Our team at Vice News Tonight won a 2021 News and Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Newscast for our coverage throughout 2020.

Caught up with old classmates and colleagues at NABJ in Vegas. Caught Covid for the first time while there 🤦🏾‍♀️😩. While recovering, my dog child Toby officially entered old age, a family friend passed away anddd my mother causally mentioned that our childhood home of almost 40 years sold and would be knocked down to build a mansion. Too much.

Saying goodbye to our home stirred up a lot of emotions. Nobody prepares you for how to say goodbye to that part of your life…I’m going to miss Pinecrest, the peacocks, ocean breeze and our beloved MANGO TREE 😩😩😩. I’m currently trying to propagate the branches and plant seeds of the last fruits we plucked. Standby for progress 🥹.

Life is going to keep throwing things my way so I’m taking it day by day…As my birthday approaches though, I feel a sense of renewal and hope. Hope for new goals, friendships and adventures. 🙏🏾💕✨ taken in Miami, Florida by @leazora

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4 years ago

🚨January is National Birth Defect Awareness Month — 1 in 33 babies in the U.S. is born with a birth defect each year.

I’m investigating birth defects in South Texas—where some rates may be higher than expected. Do you know someone affected by a birth defect? Share or comment below.

#health #texas #babies taken in South Texas by @leazora

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8 months ago

A pretty incredible birthday gift came early: 2 Emmy nominations! 🥹🙏🏾

This has been a hard year in a lot of ways, which makes being recognized for this work especially meaningful. I’m really proud of these stories and of the people who helped make them happen.

“When Water Leaves Town” was a chance to do something I love - make a complicated story easy to understand AND enjoyable to watch. My team trusted me to get creative with the writing and format, so I used a conversational tone and a little humor to explain Corpus Christi’s drought contingency plan and what it could mean when the city’s water supply gets dangerously low.

The other nomination is for “Small Town, Big Paycheck,” was accountability journalism and documentary storytelling at its core. Mary Warner shared what it was like trying to get help from the public housing system while in/out of hospice care, including dealing with a broken elevator that made getting around her building incredibly difficult. Meanwhile, our team was investigating Gary Allsup, CEO of the Corpus Christi Housing Authority, whose compensation was nearly $800,000 a year in salary and bonuses, alongside questions surrounding the authority’s workforce housing deals and financial oversight.

I pushed leadership to let me bring Ana Conejo with me on her beat days because I understood the importance of including an experienced reporter/shooter who spoke Spanish and who could help quickly build trust and intimate access to a family in a predominantly Hispanic community.

Two very different stories. But both are reminders of why I love this work.

I’m grateful to the people who trusted us, collaborated with me, opened doors, and shared their stories.

And after a very hard year, I’m excited to say there’s some really exciting news on the horizon that I’ll be announcing soon. 🚀🙏🏾

In the meantime, you can watch the stories here:
https://lnkd.in/gTDy5UgT
https://lnkd.in/g4sh7wBa

#texas #emmys #reporter #investigative #documentary

Mary Warner

When Water Leaves Town

Housing Authority Investigation

🏆🏆🙏🏾 taken in Texas by @leazora

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14 hours ago

As an IRE Chauncey Bailey Journalists of Color Investigative Reporting Fellow, @leazora is building the skills, confidence and connections to take her investigative work further.

At #NABJ26 @nabjofficial in Atlanta, she pitched her fellowship project directly to civil rights attorney @attorneycrump , advocating for the importance of her story. She also connected with IRE Training Director @aviationqueen , who helped her strengthen her online portfolios and better showcase her work.

From developing her investigative project to learning how to tell her own professional story, Lea is putting her fellowship experience into action. 📰✨

We love seeing our Chauncey Bailey Fellows grow, connect and champion their work! by @leazora

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a month ago

Every great investigative story starts with someone asking the right question—and having the support to pursue the answer.

Current Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellow @leazora is using this fellowship to investigate birth defects in South Texas connected to environmental pollution while expanding her investigative toolkit through IRE's training, mentorship and data journalism resources.

The fellowship offers journalists of color the opportunity to:
• Receive yearlong mentorship from experienced investigative journalists.
• Attend IRE's Data Journalism Bootcamp, NICAR and the IRE Conference.
• Build advanced investigative and data reporting skills.
• Produce an ambitious investigative project that serves their community.

If you have an investigative project you've been waiting to pursue, this fellowship can help you take it further.

Applications are due Sept. 1. Find the application in the link in bio.

We encourage eligible journalists to apply and share this opportunity with someone who should.

#InvestigativeJournalism #Journalism #Leadership #DataJournalism #IRE #NICAR by @leazora

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2 months ago

Neighbors living near the STX Beef processing plant say recurring odors remain a problem despite previous enforcement action. One longtime resident says recent conditions were among the worst he’s experienced in more than 30 years. State records show TCEQ has received 35 odor complaints over the past six months and is conducting a new investigation.

#corpuschristi #texas #beef by @leazora

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2 months ago

💧America’s biggest desalination project is running out of money 💸

The agency says it could run out of funding by the end of August, raising new questions about the future of America’s largest proposed desalination project.

This reel breaks down the first story in a four-part investigative series reported by producer, Rachel Denny Clow, in partnership with @propublica @texas_tribune and KRIS 6 News.

Using internal emails, board meetings and public records, the investigation examines the project’s finances, oversight and who controls South Texas’ water future.

Read the full investigation on KRIStv.com.

#texas #drought #corpuschristi #nra taken in South Texas by @leazora

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3 months ago

My first Investigative Reporters & Editors conference complete! Talk about a jam-packed week/end 😮‍💨. It was soo great to connect with fellow Columbia J School alum, Scripps colleagues, mentors, friends and to meet inspiring investigative reporters and entrepreneurs! I was even able to squeeze in a little sight seeing and family time 🥹. I’m leaving D.C. with solid reporting tools, helpful feedback, support for my fellowship project + career and my spirit revived. @ire_nicar is easily one of the most supportive institutions I’ve been apart of. Incredibly grateful for this fellowship opportunity 🙏🏾

#reporter #IRE #CUJ #Scripps taken in Washington, D.C. by @leazora

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3 months ago

It is with the most profound sadness that I share that my beloved Toby has crossed the rainbow bridge. This dog lived a FULL life. He traveled more than most people, made his INTERNATIONAL on camera tv debut before me and found ways everyday to comfort me and make people smile. He is family yes but also my soul dog, without a doubt. His googly eyes, long tongue and kooky energy will be sorely missed. To know Toby is to love him. Rest well honey. Until we meet again 😭

What’s your favorite memory of Mr. Toby? 🥹 by @leazora

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3 months ago

“Your affidavits of adverse possession are complete nonsense.”

A Nueces County judge sharply criticized Corpus Christi Crónica founder Eric Tunchez during a hearing tied to an ongoing dispute over properties connected to the Peters family estate.

The judge issued a permanent injunction continuing restrictions on collecting rent, managing the properties, or representing himself as connected to several homes involved in the case.

Tonight at 10PM on KRIS 6 News.

#CorpusChristi #Texas #squatters #reporter #cronica taken in Downtown Corpus Christi by @leazora

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5 months ago

One year at Scripps! 🎥✨

These are some of the stories I’m most proud to have worked on. Thank you to everyone who trusted me with their stories and to the teammates who made this work possible. More to comeee!

#ReporterLife #Investigative #Texas by @leazora

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4 months ago