The Price of Recovery is an in-depth, multi-part investigative series by student journalists at West Virginia University that examines how West Virginia is managing nearly $1 billion in opioid settlement funds that will be distributed to the state over the next two decades. The reporting looks closely at the ways counties, cities and state-level entities are choosing to spend this unprecedented influx of money meant to combat the devastation caused by the opioid crisis.

Myself and four other students began this work in an investigative journalism class. We learned how to file a FOIA request, work with government agencies to find information we are seeking and create engaging data visualizations. We also learned how to sensitively report on challenging topics like addiction and how to approach people correctly when asking sensitive topics. These stories examine a variety of topics, including youth prevention, jail bills, lack of structure and harm reduction. And each of us approached this project with a willingness to learn and use the skills we have developed throughout our college career such as media writing, photography/videography and interview skills. This project reinforced why we want to go into journalism, to tell the stories of the vulnerable in a way that is fair but true. 

Below is the original publication site of the work, 100 Days in Appalachia. Followed by all the news outlets it was picked up by.