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Confessions of an Investigative Reporter by Matthew Schwarz: book review

 



 

Confessions of an Investigative Reporter (2020) is the memoir of Matthew Schwarz’s forty years in the profession from 1977 to 2020, filing around 10,000 reports for seven television stations in America. 

 

Matthew Schwarz begins with, ‘I sat next to a serial killer. A berserk gypsy swung a baseball bat at my head. I was caught in the middle of a full-scale brawl at a public meeting …’

 

In Part 1 New York Confessions 1983-2003, he writes about his investigation of serial murderer ‘Son of Sam’ David Berkowitz and his shooting spree in 1976-1977 – and his life behind bars. Instead of the usual ten minute interview, he had to prepare for an hour-long interview for a segment of eight minutes and four seconds on Channel 9 in 1992. This career highlight “led to my downfall at the station.” 

 

He writes of investigating the condition of pet animals in aeroplane cargo holds during long-distance flights in 1998. He writes of exposing the unscrupulous practices of a car dealership in the late 1990s. And of celebrity interviews, including Donald Trump several times in the late 1980s and 1990s. He also investigated medical mistakes. 

 

In Part 2 Tampa Confessions  2005-2009, he investigates doctors, painkillers, and deaths. He tells of catching prominent people lying on camera. And times when he was asked to lie on TV to make the story more sensational. 

 

In Part 3 Tucson Confessions 2013-2020, he writes of local social stories, such as a dental disaster and a dishonest realtor. When he was investigating a moving and storage company, he was called ‘an investigative turd.’ 

 

Part 4 You Didn’t Ask Me But … includes his insights on the memorable characters he has worked with over the years. This part is funny and fast-paced. He also mentions the mistakes he’s made throughout his forty years on air. This is my favourite section of the book.   

 

 

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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author  of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce  (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

 

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