3 times Tennessean reporting led to change last year
An investigation by The Tennessean led to a landmark shift last year in the way the state sentences juvenile defendants. People who faced life sentences for their actions as children now have hope of a better life.
That outcome was one example of the the most important work we do at The Tennessean: helping make a difference in the community we all call home.
The potential of our reporting to impact our neighbors is a guiding force in the stories we chase day-in and day-out. In 2022, thorough beat reporting led Middle Tennessee to evaluate how it protects its history. Another story inspired a class — and then a nation — to spread kindness.
Here are some stories that made big impacts in 2022.
Tennessean investigation cited in Tennessee Supreme Court ruling overturning juvenile life sentence law
A 2019 investigation by then-Tennessean reporters Adam Tamburin and Anita Wadhwani found more than 100 incarcerated Tennesseans serving life sentences for crimes committed as children. The longstanding Tennessee law meant they faced at least 51 years in prison before any chance of release. It was the harshest juvenile sentencing law for first degree murder in the nation.
But this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the mandatory minimum, finding the law constituted cruel and unusual punishment and granting judges the ability to weigh many factors when sentencing juvenile defendants.
The state's highest court cited that Tennessean investigation as a foundational element of its ruling. The possibility of parole down the road opens many doors to rehabilitation that had remained closed to those who until now had no hope of release.
Williamson County reevaluating historical preservation after Tennessean reporting
The Tennessean’s reporting has led Williamson County to reevaluate how it handles historic properties and may change the future for 150-year-old Beechwood Hall, formerly owned by Hank Williams Sr., and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Tennessean reporter Melonee Hurt broke the news that new owners of the 268-acre property were beginning what appeared to be demolition of the historic home. The story brought to the forefront the limits of county government to stop the destruction of historical properties in rural areas.
Local historians, descendants of the home's original owners and county leaders (as well as Kid Rock and Mike Wolfe from the TV show “American Pickers”) all weighed in. Multiple people spoke to the county commission seeking protections for historic landmarks in the aftermath of the initial story and multiple follow-up stories by The Tennessean’s Chris Gadd.
The Williamson County mayor is now appointing a task force to study the issue and determine ways to better slow or prohibit similar fates for other historic properties in the county.
One story of goodwill sparks radiating acts of kindness
In 2022, a group of middle school students in Nashville were inspired by an article they read in The Tennessean and began leaving small amounts of money in plastic bags in strategic places around the city.
The idea came from a story by reporter Keith Sharon about the "Twos Fairy," who leaves two-dollar bills around town intended to brighten the finder's day.
Meigs Magnet School teacher Lisa Shaffer assigned her class to choose places to leave money and write about their experiences.
After The Tennessean wrote about Shaffer and her students, the class was invited to fly to Los Angeles and appear on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."
The show donated $10,000 to the students, who decided to give the money to Ukranian refugees.
"I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this experience has been," Shaffer wrote to The Tennessean. "It all started with your article. For that, I will be forever grateful."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 3 times Tennessean reporting led to change last year
