GeneralLast Updated on 8 months by General
Wendy Halloran is a renowned investigative journalist in the United States, earning both duPont and Emmy awards for her relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a passion for holding the powerful accountable and giving a voice to the voiceless, she has made significant contributions to the field of broadcast journalism.
One of her most notable achievements is the 2015 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, which is equivalent to the Pulitzer Prize in broadcast journalism. This prestigious award recognized her investigation into the Phoenix Fire Department arson squad. In this investigation, she uncovered the wrongful accusations and arrests of innocent individuals for arson fires that were not intentionally set. Her work shed light on the abuse of power within this institution.
In addition to the duPont Award, Wendy Halloran has received other accolades, including the 2015 National Headliner Award, 2015 regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and a 2013 National Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Finalist award, all for her outstanding investigative journalism.
Halloran has built an impressive career working with major television networks, including ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates in various cities such as Las Vegas, Huntsville, and Phoenix. Her dedication to investigative reporting led to multiple National Headliner Awards for consecutive years, showcasing her consistency and excellence in this field. Before her tenure at 2 News, she served as an investigative reporter for WSB TV in Atlanta.
Her work has had a profound impact on society, resulting in criminal convictions, the overturning of a 1.6-million-dollar civil jury verdict, and the release of Debra Milke from Arizona’s death row. Wendy Halloran has been a driving force in exposing injustice, police misconduct, and cases of wrongful accusation and conviction. She shed light on the inadequate healthcare in the Arizona prison system, which led to preventable deaths while private prison contractors profited. Her investigative series titled “Watching Tony Die” prompted the Arizona Department of Corrections to retrain corrections officers, addressing issues related to first aid, suicide response, and suicide prevention.
Furthermore, Halloran’s investigations have triggered policy changes, legislation, resignations, internal affairs investigations, firings, grand jury indictments, arrests, jail sentences, felony convictions, and prison sentences. Her work even prompted inquiries at the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command and the U.S. Department of the Army after she exposed individuals with top-secret security clearance holding counterfeit credentials. This led to legislative actions in Congress. In one poignant investigation titled “Deadly Grade: The Kendra Parton Story,” she exposed bullying in academia, leading Scottsdale Community College to posthumously award an A.A. degree to Parton, who had left evidence of being mistreated by her instructors before tragically taking her own life.
Wendy Halloran’s outstanding work has been featured in prominent media outlets, including NBC News, Dateline: The Hansen Files, MSNBC.com, ABC’s Nightline, The Guardian, Al-Jazeera America, USA Today, The Arizona Republic, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and National Public Radio (NPR). Her research on the credibility of government witnesses who lied or engaged in deceptive behavior has been cited in a study on the death penalty by the American Bar Association. She also made her national debut in the 2020 season premiere of ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ on Investigation Discovery in an episode titled “Behind Closed Doors.”
As a dedicated member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), the professional organization for investigative journalists, Wendy Halloran continues to make a significant impact on the world of journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration with an emphasis on Criminal Law from San Diego State University and completed the Broadcast Journalism program at the University of Nevada-Reno Reynolds School of Journalism. In 2017, she earned a Journalism Law School fellowship from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California, further enhancing her expertise in the field. Wendy Halloran’s commitment to uncovering the truth and advocating for justice remains unwavering, solidifying her reputation as a prominent figure in American journalism.