For over 20 years, Dave Battagello has been the Windsor Star’s foremost investigator of environmental and municipal accountability stories. His CAJ-nominated reporting on Detroit River contamination exemplifies his career-long commitment to stories where policy meets community impact.
Battagello prioritizes stories with:
Avoid pitches involving federal partisan politics or celebrity-driven narratives. His work thrives at the intersection of archival research and community voices.
We've followed Dave Battagello's two-decade career as a cornerstone journalist at the Windsor Star, where his investigative rigor and community-focused storytelling have cemented his reputation as a trusted voice in Canadian regional journalism. Battagello’s work exemplifies the critical role of local reporting in holding institutions accountable while amplifying grassroots narratives.
Battagello’s career is defined by his deep roots in Windsor-Essex coverage, with a focus on environmental accountability and infrastructure development. His early work on border policy and cross-border trade laid the groundwork for later investigations into industrial contamination and municipal projects. Over time, he’s evolved into a watchdog for environmental stewardship, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Detroit River corridor.
This 2020 investigative piece exposed how a collapsed industrial site along the Detroit River – part of the Manhattan Project’s legacy – went unnoticed by U.S. and Canadian regulators until Battagello’s reporting. His use of historical records and cross-border sources revealed uranium contamination risks, triggering joint cleanup efforts. The article’s impact led to his Canadian Association of Journalists award nomination, underscoring how local journalism can drive transnational environmental action.
Battagello’s 2023 deep dive into the $12.6M restoration of North America’s oldest Catholic parish west of Montreal blended architectural journalism with community storytelling. By tracking the seven-meter altar’s preservation and interviewing preservationists, he highlighted how heritage projects strengthen civic identity. The piece exemplifies his ability to technicalize niche topics for general audiences while advocating for cultural stewardship.
This 2023 accountability piece dissected healthcare privacy failures through a single unauthorized hospital selfie incident. Battagello’s balanced approach gave voice to administrators, patients’ families, and legal experts, creating a framework for discussing institutional responsibility without sensationalism. The article’s widespread pickup by national outlets demonstrated his knack for extrapolating systemic issues from localized events.
Battagello’s CAJ-nominated work shows his preference for stories anchored in verifiable environmental data, particularly water quality metrics or historical contamination records. Pitches should include GIS mapping of pollution sites or before/after remediation statistics. For example, his Detroit River coverage used 1940s Manhattan Project blueprints to contextualize modern radiation levels.
His infrastructure reporting often uses municipal budget documents as primary sources. Successful pitches might analyze how specific line items (e.g., CAD$2.1M for church restoration) impact community outcomes. Provide FOIA-obtained records or comparative analyses of similar projects in other cities to strengthen proposals.
The Assumption Church restoration piece connected 19th-century immigration patterns to modern preservation efforts. Sources should offer intergenerational perspectives – interviews with both project architects and parishioners whose families have attended services for decades resonate with his approach.
2020 Canadian Association of Journalists Scoop Nomination: Recognized for breaking the Detroit River uranium site story, this nomination placed Battagello among national peers at CBC and The Globe and Mail. The CAJ’s rigorous judging criteria – evaluating impact, originality, and public service – highlight his work’s significance beyond regional markets.
“Dave’s reporting transformed how we monitor cross-border environmental risks. His work literally changed policy.” – Craig Pearson, Windsor Star Managing Editor
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Environment, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
