BEN PAVIOUR
Investigative reporter, Richmond, VA
2024 New York Times Local Investigations Fellow
SELECTED CLIPS
From Gambling to Garbage, Coal Country Mines for the Next Big Thing
As President Trump pledges to revive “beautiful” coal, Virginia’s coal counties have largely moved on to new ventures. But who stands to benefit?
VPM & NPR
I was the first to report on a problem that had caused eligible voters to be stricken from the state's rolls.
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My reporting led the state to reinstate at least 3,400 voters. It sparked an investigation from the state inspector general and calls for a broader inquiry from the U.S. Department of Justice.
This award-winning investigative podcast dug into alleged misconduct in the Virginia crime lab. I conducted dozens of interviews, helped write and narrate the show and discovered a new line of reporting that formed the basis for episode 11 of the series.
ABOUT
I'm an experienced reporter specializing in government accountability based in Richmond, Va.
In 2024, I was selected as a New York Times Local Investigations Fellow, pursuing investigations into Virginia's judiciary and economic development projects in coal country.
Before that, I covered state politics and later, criminal justice for VPM, the NPR affiliate in Richmond.
My work appears regularly on NPR and I was a member of NPR's 2020 Election Collaborative. I was listed as one of the Washington Post's outstanding politics reporters to follow in Virginia ahead of the November 2020 elections. My work has been recognized with multiple regional Murrow awards, PRINDI awards, and Virginias AP Broadcaster awards since beginning audio journalism in 2018.
I previously led politics coverage for The Cambodia Daily before its forced closure in September 2017. My stories have since appeared in The Washington Monthly, BBC News and more.
CONTACT
Email me: bpaviour14-at-gmail-dot-com