Ruben Castaneda

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Street SE #*** Washington, DC 200**-***-*** 7133 adx3t7@r.postjobfree.com PROFILE

Nationally recognized journalist with more than 25 years of experience writing and editing for targeted and general audiences. Skilled at using court records and developing a wide array of sources to produce compelling criminal justice stories, several of which compelled official investigations and reform. My coverage in The Washington Post led directly to the federal civil rights conviction of a former Prince George’s County canine unit officer and the revamping of the entire squad. I broke stories about Maryland state judges that led to the federal civil rights conviction of one judge and the resignation of another. S Street Rising, my memoir of covering the D.C. crime beat during the crack era, was released in 2014 by Bloomsbury USA. The Washington Post placed S Street Rising on its list of 50 notable works of nonfiction in 2014. SELECT PUBLICATIONS

The Story of Pictureman Washington City Paper

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/553336/the-story-of-pictureman/ What’s The Plan? Washington City Paper

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/176104/whats-the-plan/ Lives Cut Short: COVID-19’s Heavy Burden on Latinos U.S. News https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-06-01/lives-cut-short-covid-19-takes- heavy-toll-on-older-latinos

Redemption Song Politico Magazine

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/11/redemption-song-113126/ S Street Rising

http://sstreetrising.net/reviews/

EXPERIENCE

Ruben Castaneda, 2

U.S. News & World Report, Washington, D.C.

Reporter (September 2016-present)

Work with SEO specialists to conceptualize, report and write eight to 12 pieces per month on health topics, including the Covid-19 pandemic and social determinants of health. Please see profile page at https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/ruben-castaneda.

• Leveraged competitive grant funding from the Dennis A. Hunt Health Journalism Fund to report and write a series of articles about the impact of Trump administration policies on the children of undocumented immigrants. Developed contacts and conducted interviews in immigrant communities in Los Angeles, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon.

• Regular topics include diet and nutrition, managing chronic health conditions and exercise and wellness.

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, Washington, D.C. Communications officer (June 2016-September 2016)

Developed press strategy, wrote and edited internal communications and revised and authored external op-eds and commentary pieces.

General Dynamics Information Technology, Rockville, MD Senior Editor (November 2011- June 2016)

Conceptualized, assigned, and edited articles for an international website for a Latin American and Caribbean audience.

• Provided guidance to writers based in Latin America and in the United States.

• Produced detailed, data-driven monthly reports describing the performance and impact of the website for the Department of Defense.

The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.

Staff Writer (1989 - 2011)

Wrote award-winning stories on crime and social issues that led to prosecutions, official investigations and institutional reforms. Wrote four full-length Post magazine articles, one of which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

1997 – 2011: Covered federal and state courts in Prince George’s County, MD

• Revealed alleged wrongdoing by Maryland State District Court Judge Richard A. Palumbo in a series of articles in 2005 that led to Palumbo’s removal from the bench and an investigation into his conduct by the state Commission on Judicial Disabilities. Palumbo retired in July 2006 rather than face a public hearing.

• Exposed a pattern of brutality by the county police canine unit in an April 1999 investigative story. The article led directly to the federal investigation, indictment, and conviction of Ruben Castaneda, 3

former canine officer Stephanie C. Mohr. A federal jury convicted Mohr of a civil rights violation, and the judge sentenced her to 10 years in prison. The police department revamped the canine squad and reformed its policies to cut down on dog bites. 1993 – 1996: Lead writer on the D.C. crime beat, day shift

• Produced numerous articles about high-profile investigations and the lives of local gangsters. Interviewed drug gang members in the city’s toughest neighborhoods.

• Nominated by Washington Post editors for a Pulitzer Prize for the 1995 magazine article

“Officer Down: The Reckoning,” which described deep racial tensions within the D.C. police department after a white officer fatally shot a black officer he believed was a bandit. 1992 – 1993: Social issues beat

• Covered homelessness, public housing, and other social issues.

• Wrote news stories about court cases involving the D.C. foster care system and profiled a social worker as she visited clients in bad, but legally acceptable, conditions. 1989 – 1992: Night police beat

• Responded quickly to crime scenes and wrote news stories on tight deadlines.

• Developed enterprise stories on criminals, their victims, and police. Wrote feature stories about fashion preferences of gang members and late-night chess matches on Dupont Circle. Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Los Angeles, CA

Staff Writer (1983 - 1989)

• Wrote about immigration, local, state and national political campaigns, crime, and natural disasters.

• Covered the Mexico City earthquake and aftershock in September 1985. Wrote multiple news and feature articles. Adapted to the loss of power in Mexico City by hiring travelers to serve as couriers to deliver my copy to my co-workers. FELLOWSHIPS

• One of 17 journalists chosen nationwide by the Gerontological Society of America for a ang aging in October, 2021.

• One of 15 journalists nationwide chosen by the National Press Foundation for a deep dive into reporting on the opioids crisis in April 2018.

• One of 24 national fellows chosen by the Center for Health Journalism at USC Annenberg. I received a grant from the Dennis A. Hunt Journalism Fund and produced a five-part series, published in U.S. News, on how the Trump administration’s immigration policies affect the Ruben Castaneda, 4

physical, emotional and mental health of children of undocumented immigrants, their parents, and health care workers and educators. The fellowship took place in July, 2017. EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Southern California. SELECTED AWARDS

• Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild Front Page Award for feature writing for a Washington Post Sunday Magazine article, “Cracked,” a first-person piece describing my struggle with drug addiction while covering the crime beat, published December, 2007.

• Sigma Delta Chi (Society of Professional Journalists) first place award in local magazine reporting for “Officer Down: The Reckoning,” a Washington Post Sunday Magazine cover story describing deep racial divisions within the D.C. police force following a police shooting. Published November, 1995.

• National Association of Hispanic Journalists, first place in the print category for “Officer Down: The Reckoning.”

LANGUAGES

Conversational Spanish.

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