Christopher Goffard
{{short description|American journalist}}
{{infobox writer
|name=Christopher Goffard
|occupation={{flatlist|
- Journalist
- author
- podcaster
}}
|nationality=American
|alma_mater=Cornell University
}}
Christopher Goffard is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, author, and podcaster.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and podcaster set for Nov. 13 lecture|url=https://news.psu.edu/story/594965/2019/10/25/campus-life/pulitzer-prize-winning-journalist-and-podcaster-set-nov-13|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102095300/https://news.psu.edu/story/594965/2019/10/25/campus-life/pulitzer-prize-winning-journalist-and-podcaster-set-nov-13 |archive-date=2019-11-02 |access-date=2020-06-29|website=Penn State News}}{{Cite web|last=Spilker|first=Zoe|date=2018-01-24|title=Pulitzer winner Goffard explains the power of serialized narratives|url=https://mediaschool.indiana.edu/news-events/news/item.html?n=pulitzer-winner-goffard-explains-the-power-of-serialized-narratives|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314193313/https://mediaschool.indiana.edu/news-events/news/item.html?n=pulitzer-winner-goffard-explains-the-power-of-serialized-narratives |archive-date=2019-03-14 |access-date=2020-06-29|website=Indiana University Bloomington}} He is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for the Best First Novel.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-06-29|title=Christopher Goffard|url=https://www.latimes.com/people/christopher-goffard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909212653/https://www.latimes.com/people/christopher-goffard |archive-date=2019-09-09 |access-date=|website=L.A.Times}} His podcast Dirty John has been downloaded more than 50 million times.{{Cite web|last=Goffard|first=Christopher|date=|title=Dirty John|url=https://wondery.com/shows/dirty-john/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330024452/https://wondery.com/shows/dirty-john/ |archive-date=2018-03-30 |access-date=2020-06-29|website=Wondery}}{{Cite web|last=Settembre|first=Jeanette|date=2018-12-14|title=Exclusive: Producer of the 'Dirty John' podcast to debut new true crime series|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exclusive-producer-of-the-dirty-john-podcast-to-debut-new-true-crime-series-2018-12-14|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214194433/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exclusive-producer-of-the-dirty-john-podcast-to-debut-new-true-crime-series-2018-12-14 |archive-date=2018-12-14 |access-date=2020-06-29|website=MarketWatch}}
Life and career
Goffard grew up in Los Angeles, California and graduated from Cornell University with an English degree.{{cite web|url=http://christophergoffard.com/|title=Christopher Goffard: Journalist and Author - Home|website=christophergoffard.com}} His career first started by covering city hall, law enforcement, and court beats for The St. Petersburg Times. Goffard's last story for St. Petersburg Times was "The $40 lawyer".{{cite web|url=https://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/the-40-lawyer/|title=The $40 Lawyer|website=Nieman Storyboard}} In January 2006 Goffard became a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times.
He wrote his first crime novel Snitch Jacket (2007) and was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award For Best First Novel in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://theedgars.com/awards/|title=Edgars Database - Search the Edgars Database|publisher=|access-date=2019-04-24|archive-date=2020-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731232503/http://theedgars.com/awards/|url-status=dead}} His writing continued in 2011 with his second non-fiction book, You Will See Fire: A Search For Justice In Kenya (2012). Goffard's two-part series jump-started the Los Angeles Times’ first ebook A Nightmare Made Real.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-jun-26-la-me-accused-20110626-story.html|title=Could this be happening? A man's nightmare made real|date=26 June 2011|newspaper=LA Times}} Goffard also launched his podcast Dirty John in October 2017, which was later adapted into a TV series of the same name.{{Cite web|last=Herzog|first=Kenny|date=2018-12-13|title=How Dirty John Actors Compare to Their Real-life Counterparts|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/true-story-of-dirty-john.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213173910/https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/true-story-of-dirty-john.html |archive-date=2018-12-13 |access-date=2019-08-08|website=www.vulture.com}}
Pulitzer Prize
Goffard led the Pulitzer Prize-winning team of reporters who wrote "How Bell Hit Bottom" in 2010.{{Cite web|last=Goffard|first=Christopher|date=2010-12-28|title=How Bell Hit Bottom|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2010-dec-28-la-me-bell-origins-20101228-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629005407/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2010-dec-28-la-me-bell-origins-20101228-story.html |archive-date=2020-06-29 |access-date=2020-06-29|website=L.A.Times}}
In 2007, Goffard became a Pulitzer Prize finalist for feature writing.{{cite web |title=Finalist: Christopher Goffard of The St. Petersburg Times |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/christopher-goffard |website=www.pulitzer.org |accessdate=19 June 2019 |language=en}} In 2010, he was part of the investigative reporting team covering the city officials corruption of public funds in Bell, California.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/la-bio-christopher-goffard-staff.html|title=Christopher Goffard|website=Los Angeles Times}} The Los Angeles Times won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for public service. Goffard again became a Pulitzer Prize finalist for feature writing in 2014 for his story "The Manhunt For Christopher Dorner".{{cite web |title=Finalist: Christopher Goffard of Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/christopher-goffard-0 |website=www.pulitzer.org |accessdate=19 June 2019 |language=en}}
Other awards
"How Bell Hit Bottom" also won the George Polk Award for local reporting, the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting, and the American Society of News Editors Distinguished Writing Award for Local Accountability Reporting.
References
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Category:Los Angeles Times people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American crime writers
Category:American crime reporters
Category:Journalists from Los Angeles
Category:American crime podcasters
Category:21st-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American novelists
Category:American male journalists