Stephen J. Berry (born 1948) is an American investigative journalist. In 1993, while working for The Orlando Sentinel, he and Jeff Brazil won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for a report exposing a sheriff department drug squad's unlawful seizure of millions of dollars from motorists, mostly minorities.[1] [2] He is now an associate professor at The University of Iowa's School of Journalism and Mass Communication.[3] Berry is the author of a book about investigative journalism entitled Watchdog Journalism: The Art of Investigative Reporting.
Berry obtained his BA in political science from the University of Montevallo. In 1984, he received his MA in American history from the University of Northern Carolina Greensboro.
Berry is co-founder and interim executive director of The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. Before becoming a professor, he had been a journalist for 33 years, finishing his career as a journalist working for the Los Angeles Times. His works mainly focused on race relations, the criminal justice system, police abuse of power, medical malpractice, stock-car racingm guns, government and illegal drugs.
Berry has won a number of awards for his investigative and daily reporting which include: