PRESS RELEASE

Al Jazeera America names Trevor Aaronson to 16-member investigative unit

NEW YORK – (July 24, 2013) – Al Jazeera America, the new American news channel scheduled to launch in late August, today announced that veteran investigative reporter and author Trevor Aaronson will be joining the channel’s 16-person investigative unit.

Aaronson will serve as an investigative digital reporter based in Washington, D.C. He brings strong credentials to the investigative team, having served as the co-founder and associate director of the nonprofit Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. He is also the author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism (Ig Publishing, January 2013). The book examined the FBI’s controversial use of informants and stings in domestic counterterrorism cases.

Aaronson has won more than two dozen awards, including The Molly National Journalism Prize, which is named for the late newspaper columnist and author Molly Ivins, and the international Data Journalism Award.

“Trevor is a determined, no-nonsense reporter who will shed light on the dark corridors of power in government and uncover abuses of the public trust,’’ said Ed Pound, senior executive producer and head of Al Jazeera America’s investigative unit. “He will be a big asset to the investigative operation as we focus on issues of great importance to Americans.’’

Aaronson worked previously as an investigative reporter and editor at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis and as a staff writer at Miami New Times and New Times-Broward Palm Beach.

“Al Jazeera America is committed to producing ambitious, impactful investigative journalism,’’ Aaronson says. “We are headed to America’s halls of power to tell the stories that aren’t being told.”