Carol Marbin Miller is a Pulitzer-finalist investigative reporter at The Miami Herald, specializing in accountability journalism around child welfare, healthcare systems, and government transparency. With over 25 years of experience, her work has reshaped Florida’s social services policies through landmark series like "Innocents Lost" and "Neglected to Death."
Focus on systemic failures verifiable through public records, particularly in Florida’s healthcare or child services sectors. Avoid lifestyle trends or federal policy debates outside her state-centered lens. Miller prioritizes collaborations with legal experts and data journalists to build ironclad cases for institutional reform.
We’ve followed Carol Marbin Miller’s three-decade career as a bulldog investigative reporter with a laser focus on systemic failures in public institutions. A graduate of Florida State University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Miller cut her teeth at the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) in the 1990s before joining The Miami Herald in 2000. Her work has consistently exposed gaps in Florida’s social safety nets, from children’s services to elder care, earning her recognition as one of the most consequential accountability journalists in the American South.
This Pulitzer-finalist investigation with Audra D.S. Burch analyzed 477 child deaths under Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) from 2008–2013. Miller combed through thousands of court records, autopsy reports, and DCF internal memos to reveal how budget cuts and policy shifts prioritized reducing foster care numbers over child safety. The series’ interactive database became a blueprint for legislative reforms, including mandatory death reviews and increased caseworker training. Its impact was immediate: then-Governor Rick Scott signed seven child protection laws within a year, marking Florida’s largest child welfare overhaul.
In this 2022 exposé, Miller uncovered how Florida’s Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA)—a state program for brain-damaged infants—diverted Medicaid funds meant for patient care into speculative investments. Through FOIA requests and financial audits, she revealed NICA hoarded $1.7 billion while denying basic medical equipment to families. The U.S. Department of Justice intervened, forcing a $51 million settlement. Miller’s reporting exemplifies her knack for tracing bureaucratic malpractice to human consequences, such as parents rationing feeding tubes.
This 2012 Pulitzer-finalist series with Michael Sallah exposed rampant abuse in Florida’s assisted living facilities, where 70+ residents died from neglect. Miller spent 18 months cross-referencing state inspection reports with coroner records, revealing how regulators ignored violations like maggot-infested wounds. The investigation spurred the closure of 26 facilities, 11 criminal indictments, and a statewide elder care task force. It remains a masterclass in using data triangulation to challenge institutional complacency.
Miller’s work on NICA and Medicaid demonstrates her interest in how bureaucracies fail vulnerable populations. Successful pitches should highlight structural issues—e.g., loopholes in state health funding or conflicts of interest in oversight boards. Avoid anecdotal stories without policy implications. Example: Her 2022 investigation into NICA’s investment strategies relied on whistleblowers who could explain financial mechanisms.
As a fierce advocate for Florida’s Sunshine Laws, Miller frequently uses FOIA requests and court depositions. Pitch stories where public records reveal patterns of misconduct, especially those involving children or disabled populations. She’s less likely to pursue stories reliant solely on anonymous sources. Her 2015 "Fight Club" series on juvenile detention abuses began with leaked incident reports later validated through official records.
Miller often revisits subjects post-reform to assess efficacy. After "Innocents Lost," she published annual updates tracking DCF’s progress. Current pitches could examine NICA’s post-settlement operations or COVID-19’s impact on foster care placements. Avoid speculative angles without concrete ties to existing policy debates.
