Inside the Newsroom | Tainted Jewelry

My job is fun. Don’t get me wrong. It’s tough. It’s exhausting. But it’s also pretty darn awesome. That’s especially true when it comes to the different children-oriented projects I’ve led during my first two years at the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The center and its projects – California Watch and The Bay Citizen – focus on solution-oriented reporting with the potential to improve people’s quality of life.

Our work does not end with the publication of an investigation. We want to ensure those most affected get the information they need to better understand and address the issue. 

With a California Watch series on earthquake safety at California schools, that meant engaging children. Working with an education specialist from the Red Cross of Los Angeles, I wrote a coloring book aimed at teaching children about earthquake safety.

Earlier this year, we debuted a section on its website dedicated exclusively to children. That’s where you’ll find an interactive version of the coloring book, a map of where Sunny the California Watchdog – our little mascot – has traveled and puppet show videos. The first of these videos relates to many California Watch stories and teaches children about clean water.

Today, we launch a new video, and it has roots in the Bay Area. Two years ago, Joanna Lin and Mandy Hofmockel reported on Rainbow Apparel, a national retailer the state had repeatedly cited for selling lead-tainted jewelry. In our new video – Junior Watchdogs: Keeping Kids Safe from Lead – Sunny talks to children about the potential dangers of lead and the need to keep jewelry out of their mouths. It’s a quick, fun watch. And you can check it out below or on our Junior Watchdogs section on our website.

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