The investigative news unit at NBC includes consumer news which covers issues like scams and safety issues. The Telemundo and NBC I-Team has helped give 20 million dollars back to consumers across the country.
When I first heard the words consumer news, I was confused. How does investigative journalism tie in with consumers? I soon found out how much research goes into these stories. Throughout the extensive undercover and research process that went into each consumer story, I felt like I was actually making a difference through reporting. While with the I-Team, I helped one woman get $12,000 dollars back after she felt she was ripped off by a home improvement company. I also had the opportunity to interview consumers for a variety of stories.
My first interview was with a man named Angel. He had been scammed by a company called “Anime Poko,” which sold anime merchandise to fans. He purchased a Batman Joker figurine as a Christmas gift for his brother. “I always want to give them the most and best they want,” he told me in the interview. Instead of getting that perfect gift for his brother, he was scammed out of nearly $100 dollars and never heard back from the company.
When I was first assigned the story, I reached out to Angel immediately and got his back story.
After, I set up an interview with him and started to think about what expert or professional I could talk to so the story had validity. I interviewed someone from the Better Business Bureau who shed light on how to be a smart shopper both online and in person.
“it was just a bummer,” Angel said while describing how he felt when he went to check the mail. I quickly realized that consumer stories are appealing because of the human element to them. That’s how you turn tip line complaints into compelling stories.