ProPublica Illinois announced Tuesday that Tony Briscoe will join its staff as a reporter.

Briscoe previously worked at the Chicago Tribune as an environmental reporter, writing extensively about how coastal communities across the Great Lakes are grappling with the impacts of climate change. In the course of his reporting, he has traveled on a research vessel with scientists studying little-understood microbes in Lake Michigan and surveyed corn fields with Illinois farmers grappling with historic flooding. In a series chronicling the concerns of Chicagoans living on the Southwest Side, he examined the Illinois EPA’s environmental justice program, revealing lapses in state outreach efforts to low-income and minority communities. Prior to joining the Tribune in 2014, Briscoe began his career as a breaking news reporter at his hometown newspaper, The Detroit News. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

“Tony is a talented reporter with a gift for finding the larger themes behind the critical environmental issues facing the Midwest,” Louise Kiernan, ProPublica Illinois editor in chief, said. “We’re delighted to have him join our team.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the brilliant team of journalists at ProPublica Illinois,” Briscoe said. “Over the past two years, I’ve witnessed how their dogged reporting has given rise to changes in communities across the state. I’m honored to be a part of the newsroom, and I look forward to furthering its mission of serving the public through tenacious investigative journalism.”

ProPublica Illinois is an independent, nonprofit investigative newsroom based in Chicago. Founded in 2017, we are dedicated to shining a light on wrongdoing and the misuse of power to spur change. Our reporters seek out corruption and injustice, and tell stories that drive transparency and accountability in our state to create lasting change.