Joshua Kors
Encyclopedia
Joshua Kors is an investigative reporter for The Nation
. He covers military and veterans' issues.
, where he attended Las Lomas High School
. He has a master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in New York and graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College
.
on stem-cell research.
From 2004 to 2005 Kors worked at KCBS
in San Francisco, while reporting on politics and education for the Contra Costa Times
.
Kors earned national attention in 2007 for his work uncovering the veterans' benefits scandal. His two-part series showed how military doctors are purposely misdiagnosing soldiers wounded in Iraq, labeling them mentally ill in order to deny them medical care and disability pay.
He continued his reporting with ABC News
, collaborating with Bob Woodruff on "World News Tonight" and "Nightline" pieces covering the scandal. The "Nightline" report was part of a series on the struggles of wounded soldiers, which won the Peabody Award
.
In July 2007 Kors testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which convened to investigate his reporting. His testimony led to the creation of several bills in Congress, including a new law governing military discharges signed by President Bush in January 2008.
His work is featured in the American Society of Magazine Editors
' recent anthology "The Best American Magazine Writing 2008."
Kors' reporting has been featured on CNN
, PBS
, BBC
, KGO Radio (ABC News, San Francisco), Washington Post Radio
and in print in the Huffington Post, Village Voice and Nieman Reports, Harvard's journalism quarterly.
, George Polk Award, IRE Award, National Headliner Award, Casey Medal, Deadline Club Award, Mental Health Media Award, the National Press Club
's Hume Award and the Military Reporters and Editors Award. He was also a finalist for the Michael Kelly Award, Livingston Award
, Tom Renner Award, John Bartlow Martin Award, Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, Molly Ivins Prize, Harvard University
's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting
and the American Bar Association
's Silver Gavel Award.
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
. He covers military and veterans' issues.
Life
Kors is from Walnut Creek, CaliforniaWalnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
, where he attended Las Lomas High School
Las Lomas High School
Las Lomas High School was founded in 1951 by Acalanes Union High School District, and the new school opened its doors in the fall of 1952 to its first graduating class. Las Lomas was the second of five schools built within the Acalanes Union High School District...
. He has a master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in New York and graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Career
Before moving to New York, Kors worked as a reporter for The Spectrum, a Gannett newspaper in southern Utah. His reports included an examination of the Utah National Guard and an interview with Senator Orrin HatchOrrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
on stem-cell research.
From 2004 to 2005 Kors worked at KCBS
KCBS (AM)
KCBS is an all-news radio station in San Francisco, California, that is a key West Coast flagship radio station of the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. Its transmitter is located in Novato, California. KCBS currently has studios on Battery Street, where it shares the location with co-owned KPIX...
in San Francisco, while reporting on politics and education for the Contra Costa Times
Contra Costa Times
The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.
Kors earned national attention in 2007 for his work uncovering the veterans' benefits scandal. His two-part series showed how military doctors are purposely misdiagnosing soldiers wounded in Iraq, labeling them mentally ill in order to deny them medical care and disability pay.
He continued his reporting with ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, collaborating with Bob Woodruff on "World News Tonight" and "Nightline" pieces covering the scandal. The "Nightline" report was part of a series on the struggles of wounded soldiers, which won the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
In July 2007 Kors testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which convened to investigate his reporting. His testimony led to the creation of several bills in Congress, including a new law governing military discharges signed by President Bush in January 2008.
His work is featured in the American Society of Magazine Editors
American Society of Magazine Editors
The American Society of Magazine Editors is an industry trade group for editors of magazines published in the United States. The group advocates on behalf of member organizations with respect to First Amendment issues, and serves as a networking hub for editors and other industry employees...
' recent anthology "The Best American Magazine Writing 2008."
Kors' reporting has been featured on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, KGO Radio (ABC News, San Francisco), Washington Post Radio
Washington Post Radio
Washington Post Radio was a short-lived attempt by Bonneville Broadcasting and the Washington Post to create a commercial long-form all-news radio network in the style of National Public Radio...
and in print in the Huffington Post, Village Voice and Nieman Reports, Harvard's journalism quarterly.
Awards
He is the winner of the National Magazine AwardNational Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards are a series of US awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are administered by the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City...
, George Polk Award, IRE Award, National Headliner Award, Casey Medal, Deadline Club Award, Mental Health Media Award, the National Press Club
National Press Club
The National Press Club is a professional organization and private social club for journalists. It is located in Washington, D.C. Its membership consists of journalists, former journalists, government information officers, and those considered to be regular news sources. It is well-known for its...
's Hume Award and the Military Reporters and Editors Award. He was also a finalist for the Michael Kelly Award, Livingston Award
Livingston Award
The Livingston Awards are American journalism awards issued to media professionals under the age of 35 for local, national, and international reporting...
, Tom Renner Award, John Bartlow Martin Award, Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, Molly Ivins Prize, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting
Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting
The Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting is an award for journalists administered by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. The program was launched in 1991, with the goal of exposing examples of poor government, and encouraging good...
and the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
's Silver Gavel Award.