Michael Donoghue
Vermont’s renowned crime, sports, and investigative reporter is an FOI champion, regarded as one of the ‘Deans of New England journalism’
Longtime Vermont journalist Mike Donoghue has always been passionate about reporting the news and using valuable public records to tell stories. After more than five decades of chasing many of the biggest stories in the state, he is well-known for his prolific investigative reporting and is considered one of the “Deans of New England Journalism.”
The Vermont Standard is fortunate to have hired Donoghue as a senior correspondent after he retired from a legendary news and sports writing career at the Burlington Free Press, which began in 1968 while he was attending South Burlington High School. From the smallest towns and boards to the Statehouse and state government, he continues to use his reporting skills to be the public’s eyes and ears.
In an age when misinformation and disinformation proliferate with particular help from social media, Donoghue remains dedicated to finding the facts and digging for the truth. He loves to cite the old journalism adage, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out,” adding “How do you really know something is true?”
Throughout his career, Donoghue has been tenacious in going after public records, whether it was the 150 highest-paid state employees or the 100 top state pensioners. He also used public records to find the worst drunk driver in Vermont — 16 DWI convictions — when the Department of Motor Vehicles said it had no idea.
Even when he took a stint in the Free Press Sports Department, Donoghue used public records to break open stories, including the UVM Hockey hazing scandal that led to the cancellation of the end of the 1999-2000 season and criminal charges.
Donoghue lets public records speak for themselves and oftentimes his reporting has led to substantial changes in Vermont, including state laws.
He personally challenged efforts to close Vermont courtrooms to the public or seal court records. He was a driving force as he helped lead the charge to get newspaper and TV cameras into courtrooms while he was president of the Vermont Press Association in the mid-1980s (a leadership role he continues to fill today).
The Vermont Legislature has solicited his help when they work on trying to improve the Vermont Open Meeting Law, the Vermont Public Records Law, and other transparency issues.
Donoghue’s interest in obtaining public records began as a young reporter when he was told a sitting Vermont Governor was passing out pardons like candy. He was eventually told there were 40 full and unconditional pardons, but no names were released. How did the public really know there were 40? As Donoghue pressed for the records, a lawsuit was filed to block the release and a 21-month legal battle soon played out in the courts. It eventually reached the Vermont Supreme Court.
The justices unanimously ruled a pardon was a public act of the Governor and had to be released with no strings attached. When the Governor’s Office released the list, there were actually about 280 pardons. And Donoghue had to alert the Governor’s office they had left a half dozen other names and crimes off the list that he knew about.
It was about the same time that he learned a longtime, decorated police officer had lied and framed innocent people with drug charges.
Things aren’t always as they seem and people aren’t necessarily forthcoming – that’s why Donoghue stresses the need to dig deeper, look for multiple sources, and take nothing for granted.
In one case, a female Milton school teacher went missing in 1980 without much investigation. Donoghue was determined not to let anyone forget about her. He promised her family that he would write about her every year until she was found. He kept writing stories questioning why nothing was being done about it and also stories saying who the prime suspect was, her former boyfriend who had fled the state. After ten years, a new prosecutor at last took the case. When the killer was arrested and gave up the location of the body, the family, including her son, who was only two years old when she was shot in the back of the head, could finally have some peace of mind. They could now bury her. The victim’s father led a standing ovation for Donoghue at the end of her funeral.
Donoghue’s track record inspires other journalists — to the degree that the top transparency honor for all print and electronic journalists in New England is named the Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award and given annually by the New England First Amendment Coalition – a group that includes journalists, lawyers, academics, historians, and private citizens.
Donoghue has received numerous awards and he’s been inducted into five Halls of Fame. He is among 30 inaugural members of the New England Press Association Hall of Fame (2000) and one of 3 charter members selected nationwide by the Society of Professional Journalists and The National Freedom of Information Coalition for their Heroes of the 50 States in their Open Government Hall of Fame (2003).
Donoghue has helped educate generations of journalists — he was an adjunct professor at St. Michael’s College for three decades and he is often asked to train or speak to professional journalists across the country and as far away as Ireland. He also taught at the Vermont Police Academy.
When Donoghue retired from the Free Press, former governor Peter Shumlin said, “All I can say is it’s a huge loss to the public.” Stowe Reporter Executive Editor Tom Kearney added in an editorial, “There’s nobody like him in New England’s journalism and there may never be again. It’s doubtful that anyone will ever have his insatiable curiosity, sense of justice and dogged refusal to take no for an answer.”
Once, while receiving an honorary degree, Donoghue offered graduates a one-word speech: “Curiosity” before sitting down to a standing ovation. He later returned to the podium to stress that one impressionable word should be a guiding light throughout their life. “Ask questions.”
For 171 years, the Vermont Standard has been proud to provide the independent local journalism that informs and connects our community. We salute – and are deeply inspired by – our nation’s greatest journalists who have played such an important role in informing the public and keeping America’s democracy strong.
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