Now more than ever, media plays a critical role in our society. The Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence (CJIE) promotes the highest ideals of journalism by preparing a new generation of journalists for careers in investigative reporting. Launched in 2016 by Carol Marin, Don Moseley and DePaul University’s College of Communication, the CJIE is a bridge between the academic and professional world.

The Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence:

• Collaborates with the Journalism program on courses and programming
• Teaches an Advanced Reporting course on investigative journalism for DePaul undergraduate seniors and graduate students, with resulting projects appearing on a variety of media platforms
• Hosts guest speakers and events related to current issues and topics in the profession
• Recognizes journalists whose work embodies integrity and excellence
• Helps transition students into the journalism profession by serving as a liaison to media professionals
• Facilitates internship opportunities with major news outlets
• Provides Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expertise to journalists in the Midwest

By learning from seasoned professionals and accessing Chicago’s vast resources, the CJIE empowers students to navigate a changing journalism industry with the principles of truth, accuracy, fairness and context.

Center Director

Lisa Parker joined the DePaul Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence as director in the fall 2024, following a term as a Visiting Center Fellow. Prior to joining the center, Lisa was with NBC5 Chicago, where she ran the consumer investigative unit for 27 years. Parker is the recipient of 17 Midwest Emmys, three Gracie Allen Alliance for Women in Media awards, as well as various other state and local awards.

Senior Faculty Fellows

A longtime investigative reporting team, Carol Marin and producer Don Moseley have earned national recognition for their dedication to integrity in journalism, including multiple Peabody Awards. Marin and Moseley founded the CJIE and served as co-directors from 2016 to 2024.

Carol Marin is a reporter. That may be the best, shortest way to sum up her career. She is the political editor at NBC5 News in Chicago and a regular interviewer for public broadcasting on WTTW's Chicago Tonight. Marin's television news career includes a stint as a correspondent for CBS News working for the news magazines 60 Minutes II and 60 Minutes, and as a prime time anchor for both WMAQ-TV and WBBM-TV. In 2016, Marin co-founded and served as co-director of the DePaul University Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence until 2024.

Don Moseley's career spans over 48-years reporting and producing the news. Most of those years were spent as an investigative and political producer at WMAQ-TV, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Chicago. He was also a CBS News producer, providing stories to 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes II, the CBS Evening News, 48 Hours, CBS Sunday Morning and WBBM-TV. In 2016 Moseley co-founded and served as co-director of the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence at DePaul University until 2024.

Current CJIE Fellows

Tom Jones is an investigative producer with ABC 7 Chicago. 

Ronald Zachara is a photojournalist with NBC Universal.  

Past CJIE Fellows

The Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence hosts journalists as visiting fellows in the college. CJIE fellows contribute to Advanced Reporting courses and engage with students about relevant topics in the industry, which exposes students to insights beyond the classroom.

Rachel Hinton (CMN '17) is an enterprise reporter for the Better Government Association. Prior to this role she was the chief political reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, where she started her career as intern. During her time at DePaul Hinton was a CJIE Advanced Reporting student and managing editor of The DePaulia.

Dan Sinker is a journalist, entrepreneur, artist, designer and cultural critic who has spent his career at the cutting edge of cultural movements. His work is regularly published in The Atlantic, Esquire and The New York Times.

Ben Welsh (CMN '04) is the editor of the LA Times Data and Graphics Department. At the Times, Welsh was a member of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning team that covered the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. He is a former Advanced Reporting student and the inaugural recipient of the CJIE's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Past Initiatives