On Background: Meet Ames Alexander, our investigative reporter
This mini Q&A vignette is a part of an ongoing series called “On Background” to reacquaint readers with the team working in our newsroom. Responses edited for clarity.
Ames Alexander, a longtime investigative reporter for The Charlotte Observer, has examined the neglect of residents in short-staffed nursing homes, the mistreatment of injured poultry workers, rampant corruption in state prisons and many other subjects.
His stories have won dozens of state and national awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award and the Gerald Loeb award. He was a key member of two reporting teams that were named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he has written for the Observer since 1993.
How did you get into journalism?
My parents were both journalists, and as a teenager I swore I’d never do what they did. But by the time I enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, I’d come to love writing. I tried my hand at the Daily Pennsylvanian, the school’s excellent student newspaper.
One of my first stories was covering a short-people’s convention in Philadelphia — an assignment that gave me a chance to meet an actor who played a role as a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz movie. He had a fascinating life story, and because I was a reporter, I got to talk to him at length about it. That’s how I remember catching the journalism bug.
What excites you about this field?
I’ve been working as an investigative reporter for more than 30 years, and I absolutely love the job. When government agencies and other big institutions fail people, it’s our job to find out why.
It’s not always glamorous work. We have to sift through mounds of arcane public records, analyze massive databases and talk to people who sometimes wish we’d just go away. But the stories we work on can be incredibly rewarding. Many of them have spurred reforms. Some may even save lives. That’s what excites me more than anything else.
What is the most interesting aspect of your beat/job?
I really like tackling the puzzles that confront investigative reporters. Often those puzzles come in the form of questions: Who’s affected by this problem? How did things get this way? Why haven’t government agencies, companies or other private entities done something about it? Answering the “why” questions can often be the most challenging — and interesting — part of the job.
Words of wisdom you’ve received?
“Follow the paper trail.” “Omit needless words.” “Make readers see.”
Proud life moments?
Investigating Mecklenburg County’s short-staffed ambulance service in the 1990s is among many proud moments. I found that in hundreds of cases, it was taking paramedics more than 10 minutes to get to heart attack victims. As a result, many people were dying as they waited for ambulances. Largely as a result of those stories, the county commissioners hired more paramedics, bought more ambulances and put the overwhelmed EMS service under new management. Those steps saved lives.
I also was so proud to see two college graduations: my oldest son’s commencement at UNC Chapel Hill in 2019, and my youngest son’s graduation from the University of Pennsylvania last year.
Something you’d like to improve?
I began working as a reporter well before Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were a thing. So I’ve been a little slow about building my social media presence. I’d like to improve that.
Fun fact about you?
Decades ago, I helped my parents build a log cabin in the mountains of western North Carolina. (Since then, workers who actually knew what they were doing have expanded the place into a beautiful log house.)
This story was originally published February 13, 2023 at 1:14 PM.
