Heather Catallo is an award-winning investigative reporter whose work has changed laws, imprisoned criminals, prompted FBI investigations, led to major government reforms and held public officials accountable.
Heather’s work exposing civil rights abuses in Michigan’s psychiatric treatment system recently received awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, including Best Investigation.
Heather's investigation into the probate courts in Southeast Michigan resulted in the passage of Public Acts 13-14 of 2018. Her work forced the resignation and termination of three public officials, and changed the way Public Administrators can handle probate estates after someone dies. Heather has become known across the country for her work exposing serious flaws in the guardianship and conservatorship probate system, prompting several bills to be introduced in the legislature in 2021 and 2023.
Heather provided some of the most comprehensive coverage of the historic Kilpatrick Corruption Trial. Her investigation into Wayne County government resulted in resignations, terminations and indictments of several county officials. Heather's work led to the extensive FBI investigation into corruption allegations in the Ficano administration.
Her investigations have also challenged the state's foster care system and exposed flaws in the way some children are removed from their parents, even forcing one court to change its policies on child removal hearings.
She is the recipient of some of journalism's highest honors. Heather was awarded the duPont-Columbia Award, regarded as the most prestigious prize in broadcast journalism. She won an Edward R. Murrow Award for her coverage of the broken guardianship system. Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE) cited her work on the Wayne County government investigation as among the country's best reporting.
Heather has won 19 Emmy awards, including an Emmy for Best Reporter and Best Investigative Reporter.
The Michigan Association of Broadcasters named Heather the 2024 Reporter of the Year. She also previously won Reporter of the Year in 2023, 2013, 2010, 2009 and 2007, and she has received several MAB Best and Merit awards. Heather has also received several Associated Press Awards for her reporting. The Society of Professional Journalists has also honored Heather with several awards for Investigative Reporting and Open Government Reporting.
Heather is a metro-Detroit native, and a graduate of Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. If you have any stories or questions for Heather email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com.
Follow Heather on X: http://twitter.com/HeatherCatallo, Facebook and Instagram @heathercatallo
