Behind the Story, a new collaborative series by the San Francisco Film Society and the Center for Investigative Reporting, will give audiences an insider’s look at the backstory of some of the major reports undertaken by CIR at a time when the world of journalism is undergoing a period of radical transformation and traditional models are evolving to accommodate multi-platform, multi-partner and trans-media approaches.
 
Under Suspicion, the first evening of the series, charts the development of a series of stories, interviews, videos and an animation that CIR produced in collaboration with NPR to mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The joint investigation uncovered that Department of Homeland Security programs such as See Something, Say Something and Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting have resulted in suspicious activity reports about innocent citizens, often without their knowledge. The investigation zeroes in on one location, the Mall of America near Minneapolis, where a large private security operation has questioned thousands of people, often passing their information on to police and even the FBI. Most mall visitors interviewed by CIR and NPR say they were unaware that suspicious activity reports describing their encounters with mall security were shared with local police and could remain in law enforcement files for indefinite periods of time. The project raises questions about the price Americans have paid for increased security since the terrorist attacks.

Editors and reporters from CIR will present video, audio and animated content, elucidating the story behind the story and addressing the key issues raised.
 
The Center for Investigative Reporting is the nation’s oldest nonprofit investigative news organization. CIR reports have reached the public through television, print, radio and the web, appearing in outlets such as 60 Minutes, PBS Frontline, NPR, NewsHour, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Politico and U.S. News & World Report. CIR stories have received numerous journalism awards including the Alfred I. du Pont-Columbia University Silver Baton, George Polk Award, Emmy Award, Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, and a National Magazine Award for Reporting Excellence. More importantly, its reports have sparked congressional hearings and legislation, United Nations resolutions, public interest lawsuits and change in corporate policies. For more information, visit cironline.org.