Write and submit on Brightspace TWO one-paragraph pitches for investigative stories on any of the following topics (you're writing just pitches for this assignment, not entire articles). 

• The story of Louisiana’s prison system, in which Louisianans no longer want to be the mass-incarceration capital of America, but can’t seem to stop
• The story of fentanyl in New Orleans, which has become one of America’s fentanyl hotspots
• The story of Charity Hospital, a mainstay of healthcare for New Orleans’s Black community until Hurricane Katrina hit
• The story of Formosa Plastics, one of the world’s most notorious industrial outlaws, and its battle with communities in Louisiana’s river parishes
• The story of New Orleans’ Claiborne Avenue, which was once a thriving corridor of the city’s Black community and now lies under an interstate highway
• The story of the New Orleans Police Department, and why it has been under a federal consent decree since 2013
• Gentrification in New Orleans: the story of one neighborhood, or one group of people, or one household, that has been significantly affected by gentrification (for this story, you must follow a money trail, and not just point out demographic or cultural changes in a particular neighborhood)
• Science, medicine, race, and fallacious logic: the story of how "genetics" has been cited, without scientific cause, as a justification for differences in the study and/or treatment of people of different races in science and healthcare (for this story, you must look at a specific case or cases and not just discuss the topic broadly)
• Pitch your own topic, which must be approved before you start working on the story

Both pitches must have 1) a problem and 2) a central question. Both pitches must also propose an investigative story—not an essay, policy proposal, opinion piece, or statement of facts. If you're having trouble with your pitches, or if you want me to look at them to make sure you're on the right track before you turn them in...Slack me! I'll help you brainstorm.

You’ll read both pitches to the class next week, and we’ll give you feedback to help you decide which one to turn into an article (due on the last day of class).