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I was set on a task from the newsroom I had my placement with last November, to find and collect as many drug dealer business cards as I could in Manchester. Previously to this I was on one of my midnight walks home from a party in the South of the city, I stopped for a moment to catch onto my whereabouts, as I was still new to the city. A white BMW, occupied by three men pulled up besides me.
“Weed, Speed, and anything you need” the man said as he outstretched his hand, revealing a black business card. Upon it, a QR code.
“24/7 dropped to your door from anywhere in Manchester” and off he drove.
The next week I was in the newsroom. The boss was looking for stories and I was a intern, so I expected they’d want nothing to do with what I had to say.
Charity gigs, football and Coronation Street. They were the suggestions of the day from the rest of the news room, then it came down to me.
“Got any story ideas Jack?”
“Well, I think so. I got this business card”…
Seven months later, I have two front pages in said media outlet and a story gone national. My first ever paid gig, and I had it spread across the United Kingdom like a forest fire. Nazis celebrate Hitler’s birthday with a swastika cake and flag. Private chatrooms exposed to the public. It was massive, and for a week, I lived like a real journalist, not just a student one. See full news story below:
The truth is, this investigation might be the best I have in a long time. Although I have others on the side lines, and I think they are equally as important and impactful. I don’t think I will get this lucky in a while. Not only did I find the chatrooms, my handing of this article to the news outlet was just in time for the Nazi birthday party. And thus onto a national story.
The week following the publication was dramatic to say the least. While still in the group chats, it was clear the Nazi’s were not happy about my investigation. My name, which I fought to be used as a by-line on the investigation, was now published into the chatrooms, not only that, a picture of me, and my email address, was leaked. My safety, and the safety of those I love had been compromised….
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Uncharted Thoughts. 
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