Brian Dugger Email & Phone Number

Toledo, Ohio

I am a relentless Murrow and Emmy Award-winning investigator who holds politicians accountable and gives a voice to the voiceless. I focus on relationships and building trust among sources to uncover stories. Years of experience allow me to collect and dig through public records to find the important nuggets. I’m an engaging storyteller who has the ability to break down complicated issues into easy-to-understand scripts.I collaborate with a photographer and artists to bring those scripts to life, using multiple cameras, an Osmo, drone, graphics, and even studio technology.When COVID began to sweep across the country, I learned everything I could about it and began tracking daily numbers so that I could identify trends for WTOL’s viewers. I offer facts, not fear, in weekly talkbacks, investigations, and daily Twitter updates, becoming the go-to COVID and vaccine source for viewers and local politicians. I understand the power of all the platforms at my disposal, and my investigations use broadcast, digital, marketing, and social media platforms to produce results and changes. A 2019 investigation into appointed counsel caps resulted in judicial change for multiple counties. After two men claimed to be wrongfully convicted, I investigated and the men have now returned to court after being imprisoned for 23 years. I used all of our platforms to present a 2021 cold case, gaining access to records and interrogation videos. The package and videos have now been viewed close to 1 million times.My investigations get results and cause change. And I tell the stories well, winning multiple national awards, AP’s reporter of the year, and script writing of the year.

Toledo

I was responsible for writing articles on a variety of topics, including music, beer, medicine, and general interest. I created the “Noted in Toledo” podcast and also began a series of Facebook Live videos with nationally known musical artists. I was one of the first reporters to begin integrating audio into my digital stories.

Toledo, Ohio

As a member of the editorial board, I was responsible for editorials and columns supporting the positions of The Blade. I created the Behind the Reader’s Forum video series, which gave the readers a greater voice on controversial topics. Identifying opioids as one of the area’s most destructive problems, I organized and participated in a televised forum on the opioid epidemic. I also participated in numerous televised forums and debates with local and national politicians. As an op-ed columnist, I investigated the finding of a veteran’s ashes abandoned in a storage unit. That series of columns resulted in Frank Moses being buried in a military funeral after a parade of bikers carried his ashes to the cemetery. Other columns highlighted the service of other World War II veterans, including a pilot whose story became part of a Library of Congress project.

Toledo, Ohio Area

I wrote monthly columns on upcoming events that would interest craft beer drinkers. I wrote feature articles on breweries and trends in the craft beer industry and created the first “Best of” beer contest in Toledo.

Toledo, Ohio Area

I identified the fact that country music readers were underserved by The Blade. Toledo was, and still is, a country music market. I wrote monthly columns on local and national country music acts, plus regular profiles on popular or upcoming national acts and concert previews and reviews. As I have throughout my career, I immersed myself into a topic that I previously knew little about and became a Nashville insider, traveling often to Music City and developing relationships with industry leaders and artists.

Toledo, Ohio Area

I was a trusted designer and supervisory editor. I was responsible for A1 and Second News designs. As the Sports slot editor, I was responsible for section design, story and photo selection, and supervision of nightly staff. As the news desk slot editor, I supervised the nightly editing staff and ensured that headlines and stories were engaging and accurate. I was appointed as one of the paper’s experts on Libercus, a completely new editing and design system. During an early system meltdown, I was able to brainstorm and work with a fellow designer to create a solution that allowed us to publish. If we did not, The Blade would have missed publication for one of the few times in its more than 100-year history.

Toledo, Ohio Area

As a member of the state desk, I produced features, investigations, and breaking news coverage. A typical day could be coverage of a triple homicide or deadly fire, a look at how a state law could change business at local strip clubs, or an investigation into a potential cancer cluster. State editor described me as “one of the top writers that The Blade has.”

Willoughby, Ohio

Responsible for story selection, editing, headlines, design of weekend newspaper, and supervision of newsroom staff

Willoughby, Ohio

Wrote News, Features, and High School Sports stories.

Willoughby, Ohio

Responsible for editing, headline writing, and design for News, Business, and Religious sections.

Chesterland, Ohio

Supervisor in Employment Law division, responsible for designing and editing newsletters and books.