Eileen Sullivan is an investigative reporter for The Associated Press, focusing on national security, law enforcement and privacy issues. Previously, she covered the Department of Homeland Security for the AP and for Congressional Quarterly and Federal Times. In 2012, Sullivan and three other AP reporters won the Pulitzer, Goldsmith and Polk awards for a series of stories that revealed the New York Police Department's secret programs to spy on Muslims throughout the Northeast since Sept. 11, 2001. Sullivan began her career with the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, N.J. She graduated from Villanova University with a degree in English.
Interview with Current Day Journalist: Eileen Sullivan
-How do you prepare for a story?
"I read as much as possible, and I talk to as many people as possible to get a better understanding of the subject matter. If the topic is somewhat controversial, for instance, if it's an issue where there are two very different positions, I always make sure to talk to several people on all sides of the debate. I've found that I learn so much more this way, and I keep coming up with new questions. I also find that I'll start looking in one direction and it will lead me to others."
-How do you choose your topics?
"It depends. In some cases, I'll look at news and dig a little bit deeper. There are always stories within stories. I also look for trends. For example, my colleague and I recently did a story about a trend we saw emerging about law enforcement surveillance. We had been reading about cases around the country regarding powerful surveillance equipment used by state and local law enforcement. States were responding to public records requests about the equipment with similar language. We learned the federal government had been quietly advising some local police departments on how to keep from disclosing details about the surveillance equipment. We saw a trend, and we were able to tell a story about what the federal government was doing to try to keep information from being publicly disclosed. And when I'm trying to drill down on a story, I always ask myself about the "nut graf," which is a paragraph high in the story that explains the news value. If I can't clearly state why this story is significant, why the reader should be reading it, then that's a pretty good indication that the story may not actually be a story."
-Which story are you most proud of?
"My colleagues and I did a series of stories a few years ago about the New York Police Department spying on Muslim communities in New York to help prevent terrorist attacks. The series was important because it addressed national security and constitutional rights, one of the most consistent themes that emerged after the 2001 terror attacks. The implications of the surveillance program weren't clear, but our stories gave people the opportunity to debate whether such activities are justified."
-Are there any current events that you are looking into?
"Of course! The best place to find stories is the news. In many cases I’ll read something and find an angle that I want to dig deeper into. And for the past six months, I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about Fourth Amendment issues. There’s a lot of news lately regarding this, from National Security Agency reforms to how local police do their jobs. Technology has outpaced the laws by decades. "
-How do you deal with bias?
"I make sure I talk to people from all sides of a story and that all sides are represented in my stories. I also have great editors who act as a different set of eyes to ensure that everything is objective. When I get critical feedback from across the political spectrum on a story, I know I'm doing my job."
-How do you prepare for a story?
"I read as much as possible, and I talk to as many people as possible to get a better understanding of the subject matter. If the topic is somewhat controversial, for instance, if it's an issue where there are two very different positions, I always make sure to talk to several people on all sides of the debate. I've found that I learn so much more this way, and I keep coming up with new questions. I also find that I'll start looking in one direction and it will lead me to others."
-How do you choose your topics?
"It depends. In some cases, I'll look at news and dig a little bit deeper. There are always stories within stories. I also look for trends. For example, my colleague and I recently did a story about a trend we saw emerging about law enforcement surveillance. We had been reading about cases around the country regarding powerful surveillance equipment used by state and local law enforcement. States were responding to public records requests about the equipment with similar language. We learned the federal government had been quietly advising some local police departments on how to keep from disclosing details about the surveillance equipment. We saw a trend, and we were able to tell a story about what the federal government was doing to try to keep information from being publicly disclosed. And when I'm trying to drill down on a story, I always ask myself about the "nut graf," which is a paragraph high in the story that explains the news value. If I can't clearly state why this story is significant, why the reader should be reading it, then that's a pretty good indication that the story may not actually be a story."
-Which story are you most proud of?
"My colleagues and I did a series of stories a few years ago about the New York Police Department spying on Muslim communities in New York to help prevent terrorist attacks. The series was important because it addressed national security and constitutional rights, one of the most consistent themes that emerged after the 2001 terror attacks. The implications of the surveillance program weren't clear, but our stories gave people the opportunity to debate whether such activities are justified."
-Are there any current events that you are looking into?
"Of course! The best place to find stories is the news. In many cases I’ll read something and find an angle that I want to dig deeper into. And for the past six months, I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about Fourth Amendment issues. There’s a lot of news lately regarding this, from National Security Agency reforms to how local police do their jobs. Technology has outpaced the laws by decades. "
-How do you deal with bias?
"I make sure I talk to people from all sides of a story and that all sides are represented in my stories. I also have great editors who act as a different set of eyes to ensure that everything is objective. When I get critical feedback from across the political spectrum on a story, I know I'm doing my job."