As the nation approaches a pivotal election day, join the Institute for Public Leadership for a thought-provoking exploration of the complex social challenges shaping our nation's future. Paul Solotaroff, award-winning investigative journalist and longtime contributing editor at Rolling Stone, will discuss his recent frontline reporting on gangs and policing in Los Angeles while weaving in insights from his decades of hard-hitting journalism.
Paul Solotaroff has been a contributing editor at Rolling Stone for thirty years following stints at GQ and Vanity Fair. His investigative journalism has exposed major scandals, including the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital controversy, the NFL concussion pandemic, and the league's pain-medication crisis. Solotaroff's work has also been instrumental in freeing the wrongly convicted, including six men from death row or life-without-parole sentences, and nearly 50,000 defendants in Massachusetts through his story "And Justice For None."
Solotaroff's impactful reporting has led to several prestigious documentary series. "How to Fix a Drug Scandal" (Netflix, 2020) triggered the largest mass exoneration in U.S. history and led to groundbreaking reparations. "Free Meek" (Amazon Prime, 2019) exposed corruption in the Philadelphia justice system, resulting in significant legal and law enforcement reforms. His work on "3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets," which won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, shed light on Florida's controversial stand-your-ground law and propelled Jordan Davis's mother, Lucy McBath, into a successful political career.
Throughout his career, Solotaroff has consistently given voice to the voiceless, approaching his subjects with the passion and rigor of an artist. He is the author of four non-fiction books, including two national bestsellers. His accolades include being a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist in Feature Writing, a National Magazine Award finalist, and winning both the National Press Club Award and the Insignia Award for excellence in investigative journalism.
Solotaroff's unique background, including his time at the Iowa Writers Workshop, Yale School of Drama, and NYU Silver School of Social Work, has shaped his distinctive approach to journalism. He sees his mission as not just covering facts, but changing them through the power and specificity of his reporting, whether by exposing corruption or highlighting innovative solutions to social problems.