CLAIRE HEALY is an Esserman Investigative Fellow at the Miami Herald. Prior to her current role, she wrote for the Washington Post, where she was a 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist for “Searching for Maura.”
— Miami Herald
Claire Healy: Investigative Reporter
Introduction to Claire Healy. 2:08 min. Interview: Raymond Elman. Post-Production: Lee Skye. Music: Sono Recorded via ZOOM 6/15/2026, Miami.
Healy grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her father is an architect, and her mother is a sculptor. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she studied Spanish, Arabic, and political science. For her junior year, she studied in Jordan and Cuba.
The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 5 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.
SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:10 min.
Tell us about your position as an Esserman Investigative Fellow at the Miami Herald.
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 1:14 min.
You are working on the Epstein story and the Alligator Alcatraz story. How did you get assigned to two of the hottest topics in America in 2026?
DEVELOP A VOICE: 0:27 sec.
Do most Esserman Investigative Fellows continue to work for the Herald following the fellowship?
UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 0:58 sec.
Have you ever experienced political pressure at the Washington Post or the Miami Herald to report a story through a certain lens?
CRITICAL THINKING: 2:57 min.
What are your thoughts regarding the decline of the public’s trust in the news media?
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 0:56 sec.
Where did you grow up, and what was your first awareness of art of any discipline?
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 1:19 min.
Where did you go to school, and what did you learn that still informs you today?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 2:56 min.
Did you take courses in Arabic, Spanish, and political science with the intent of becoming a journalist?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:40 sec.
Did any of your friends in college have the same level of self-awareness and world-awareness that you had?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 3:26 min
What was your initial awareness of “the news,” when did you start consuming it, and in what format?
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 1:19 min
Did your multi-language magazine go out of existence when you graduated?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 4:40 min.
How did you transition from waitressing to the Washington Post?
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 3:30 min.
Tell us more about your investigation of the Smithsonian brain collection.
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:48 min.
It sounds like the Smithsonian cooperated with you. Weren’t they wary of a negative reaction to your story?
STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 1:41 min.
This is such an extraordinary story. Was the reaction local or national?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:31 sec.
You must have felt extraordinary pride in the results of your investigative reporting.
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 2:20 min.
Did the Washington Post and the Miami Herald value your ability to communicate in Arabic and Spanish?
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 2:54 min.
How have you approached reporting on the Jeffrey Epstein story?
OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 2:56 min.
Why don’t the Epstein victims simply compile a list of abusers? Are they terrified of the consequences?
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:21 min.
Have you seen a comprehensive list of abusers?
OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 1:47 min.
I have long said that reporters on a tight deadline have to become instant experts on the topic they are covering.
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:42 min
What’s your litmus test for the quality of your own writing?
DEVELOP A VOICE: 1:40 min
Who are some of your favorite journalists and writers?
UNDERSTANDS ARTISTS’ NEEDS: 0:50 sec.
You are very photogenic and a terrific conversationalist, do you have any aspirations for being a broadcast journalist?
STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 1:10 min.
What type of reporting and writing do you want to be doing in the future?
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:06 min.
Do you allow the subjects of your stories to see your story before it’s published?
EMPATHY: 1:18 min.
You have reported on a lot of challenging stories. Which story was the most challenging?
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:50 min.
What do non-journalists generally misunderstand about the practice of journalism, and, therefore, hold the media in low regard in 2026?
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:59 min.
The use of anonymous sources in reporting seems to be more prevalent than ever. What are your thoughts about this practice?
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 1:20 min.
Is there a new topic on your radar screen that you would like to explore?
RESILIENCE: 2:21 min.
You seem so confident. Do you ever experience the “Impostor Syndrome”?
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:47 sec.
What’s your favorite movie?
