The No Snitch Project

Newport News, Virginia experienced a troubling rise in homicides, and according to local police, a deeply rooted “no snitching” culture was making it difficult to solve the crimes.

As a Knight Digital Media Fellow in the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at The Ohio State University, I investigated this issue in depth, producing a series of stories that explored the complex reasons behind the community’s reluctance to cooperate with law enforcement.

The project shed light on the social dynamics, fear, and mistrust that fuel the silence—and it was honored as a finalist for the Online Video Journalism Award from the Online News Association.