Investigative Reporter Curtis Brodner ’19 Covers Critical Issues Behind Affordable Housing
In his new role at The Jersey Vindicator, he exposes the complex policies, culture and economics that determine where residents can afford to live.
Zoning disputes. Unmet obligations. Missed deadlines. Curtis Brodner is seeing it all firsthand. As a hard-hitting investigative reporter, he explains the emotionally charged issues that drive housing costs, as well as childcare, healthcare, groceries, utilities, welfare, “and anything else that makes it hard to afford to live in New Jersey,” he says.
The Jersey Vindicator is a partner of the nonprofit Report for America, an organization that places reporters at local news organizations to identify issues and trends that might otherwise remain hidden. There, Brodner hopes his reporting will “not only shine light on systemic dysfunction or wrongdoing by public figures but also take the first step toward fixing those problems.”
After graduating from Purchase’s journalism program, Brodner covered breaking news and local government for New York media outlets, including 1010 WINS, WCBS 880, NewsBreak, and Bklyner. He says at those outlets, and at TJV, he has used, “every day,” the skills he acquired at the Purchase publication, The Phoenix, and in Purchase’s journalism classes.
“I learned fundamentals like AP Style and interview techniques, but more important was the way Purchase shaped my reporting philosophy.
“Professors encouraged me to hold power to account. They supported me when I tackled ambitious investigations that others may have considered too risky for an undergraduate student.”
“College campuses are a great place to practice local reporting,” says Brodner, “and I entered the workforce well equipped to make good on the values I developed at Purchase.”
Brodner went on to earn a master’s degree at Columbia University, where he was a fellow at the Center for Investigative Journalism covering the criminal justice system for New York Focus. More recently, Curtis worked as a research assistant for The New York Times columnist, Gail Collins.
Brodner says no matter how exciting the topic of an investigation is, the work can be tedious, labor-intensive, and require pages of records, data analysis, and hours spent over language.
“It’s more like being a paralegal than a detective in a noir film,” he says, “but the payoff is immense. No other format of journalism has the same potential for making change.”
Recent stories by Curtis Brodner:
New Jersey bans AI-powered rent-setting software used by landlords • Jersey Vindicator