Paula Lavigne, an author and ESPN investigative reporter, has spent nearly two decades uncovering corruption in sports at all levels using data journalism.
On April 15, Lavigne will offer a behind-the-scenes look at high-impact investigations, the role of data and public records in reporting, and what it takes to pursue difficult stories with integrity. The free public talk will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Andersen Hall's Meier Studio. The event will be livestreamed here.
The talk is part of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Seline Memorial Lecture Series. The series, which began in 1992, brings journalism innovators and thought leaders to discuss and debate challenges facing the industry.
Following the lecture, Lavigne will serve as a panelist for “AI as Your Co-Worker” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Meier Studio. The professional and student panel, hosted by the college's student advisory board, will discuss how AI is shaping the workplace and how it can be used ethically and effectively as a strategic tool.
Lavigne’s reporting has led to investigations into Title IX failures in college sports, fan food safety at professional ballparks, fraudulent pro-athlete charities, gender equity imbalances, compromised athlete medical care, and sexual assault in college athletics programs.
Her most recent project is an ABC News “20/20” documentary, “Murder at the U.” ABC partnered with ESPN to tell the story of murdered University of Miami football player Bryan Pata and what happened when a team of ESPN reporters attempted to uncover the case. Lavigne also worked on the accompanying ESPN “30 for 30” podcast.
Her other ESPN “30 for 30” podcast, “The Bag Game,” produced in 2023, examines the yearslong investigation and federal criminal case involving bribery in college basketball.
Lavigne’s work investigating a Penn State football player who was a serial rapist and murderer, alongside reporter Tom Junod, led to the digital story “Untold” and the film “Betsy & Irv,” which received a Sports Emmy Award and was a finalist for an Investigative Reporters and Editors award.
Her reporting on sexual assaults within Michigan State athletics received a George Foster Peabody Award. Her investigation into a youth football gambling ring received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. She has also won multiple Investigative Reporters and Editors awards, three New York International TV & Film Awards and two Gracie Awards, and has received two additional Sports Emmy nominations.
In addition to her role at ESPN, Lavigne is the co-author of “Violated: Exposing Rape at Baylor University Amid College Football’s Sexual Assault Crisis,” which she wrote with ESPN.com senior writer Mark Schlabach. The book examines Baylor University’s handling of sexual violence among students.
Lavigne previously worked as a reporter at The Dallas Morning News, The Des Moines Register and The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MBA from Creighton University.
