Nevada Press Association The best in Nevada journalism since 1924
Anjeanette Damon, reporter, RGJ, Beat: Government Watchdog
By Kim Palchikoff
How did you get into reporting?
I made up my mind in middle school that I wanted to be a journalist. I worked on the high school newspaper and graduated with a journalism degree from UNR. I started at the Reno Gazette Journal as an intern for the business section in 1997.
From there I took on larger and larger beats, starting with the night cops beat, then day cops, then city council, then the state Legislature and politics beat. In 2010, I left the RGJ for a position as politics reporter and then politics editor at the Las Vegas Sun. During that time I also hosted a statewide political talk show, To the Point with Anjeanette Damon.
I returned to the RGJ four years later to focus on government watchdog and investigation work.
My passion is accountability journalism, shining a light on problems that are being overlooked by policymakers and keeping the electorate informed of what their elected officials are up to.
What has been your favorite story?
Oh, I don’t think it’s possible to choose just one! My favorites range from the small and quirky to the deep and impactful.
The quirky examples include the drunk casino worker who called me because he was worried about the pack of chihuahuas his neighbor was keeping in her car, or the prosecutor from Detroit who became enraged when a prostitute he somehow obtained from the bell desk at a major casino stole his watch and wallet.
Of course, I’m most proud of more meaningful work, such as my investigation into a spike in deaths at the Washoe County Jail that the sheriff sought to keep quiet or my work on the squalid conditions that state mental health clients were living in.
What makes reporting on Reno/Nevada unique?
I don’t know if journalism in Reno is unique exactly. But this is a fabulous news town with its grit and eccentric characters.
What does a government watchdog reporter do?
The focus is accountability journalism, keeping an eye on the decisions made by government officials, examining their motivations and explaining how those decisions affect the community. For example, the stories I did two years ago about the flooding of Swan Lake north of Reno. Local governments knew the lake would inundate existing homeowners without major interventions, but approved development anyway without investing in the flood improvements.
You’ve voyaged into broadcast journalism as well. What’s that like?
I’m just wrapping up work on Season 2 of The City, an investigative podcast by USA TODAY. The podcast chronicled the fight over Reno’s strip clubs as the city struggles with its identity. The project was two years in the making and I’m really proud of it.
This was my first foray into audio reporting and I loved it! Audio is such an intimate medium and conveys so much more than the written word. It’s amazing what people will say into the microphone!
The community has responded really positively to the work, which has been so validating. My favorite response was from a woman who said the podcast has convinced her to become more involved in her community and to pay better attention to what local governments and businesses are doing. There’s no better payoff than fostering better civic engagement.
What do you when you are not reporting on something?
If I’m not at my desk writing and reporting, I’m exploring the outdoors and climbing mountains. I love to ski, hike, backpack and camp. I’ve walked more than 1,200 miles in the last two years. After picking up skiing for the first time in my late 30s, I’m starting to leave the resorts behind this year and learn backcountry skiing. I also spend a lot of time at my teenage son’s basketball games and track meets.
How would most people describe you?
I think people would describe me as tough but fair and principled and as someone who loves her profession. I’m not sure there’s anything most people don’t know about me! My life is pretty much an open book (thank you, Instagram and Twitter!). I do have a small tattoo that most people probably don’t know about.
