Hearst Investigative Leader Mark Albert Leaves

Mark Albert, the Peabody-winning journalist who, as chief national investigative correspondent, led the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit based in Washington, D.C., left the company on Aug. 4.

A journalist for more than 25 years, his career included original reporting across the U.S. and around the world. He has reported for the CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS Saturday and on CBS News Radio, when he was a freelance correspondent at the network for three years. He also launched a news startup and led it as editor-in-chief and has taught journalism students at Northwestern University and journalists in Pakistan and Vietnam.

His boss, David Hurlburt, Hearst director, special projects and group initiatives, said: “As chief national investigative correspondent, Mark led the charge of developing the startup unit and crafting its unique approach to uncovering local angles inside bigger, national stories. Mark exemplifies quality journalism, with a dogged commitment to accuracy and transparency, ‘Get the Facts’ reporting, and owning exclusive stories and angles. When the data and breadth of information needed for projects was not available or easily attainable, Mark charged the NIU with building databases on their own, identifying untold stories about school security, hate in the homeland, local weather impact, and more. And somehow, he found a new headline to spotlight in each installment of the NIU’s five-year investigation of election security, recently delivering part 24 of the series!

“Mark and the NIU have received several honors. Among them: the Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism for the series ‘Sucked In: America’s Vaping Epidemic,’ a Telly Award for the group program ‘Hate in the Homeland,’ another Telly for the in-depth ‘Forecasting Our Future’ series, and two national Excellence in Financial Journalism awards.”

Albert said he has no immediate plans. “It’s an exciting time in journalism, with lots of innovation, and I want to be a part of it. I’m going to take a little break and then see what opportunities are out there.”

In a farewell note to his Hearst colleagues, Albert said: “Most of all, thank you for your trust. What we do is so vitally important to our democracy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1799 (a quote I’ve kept on my desk for years): ‘Our citizens may be deceived for a while, and have been deceived; but as long as the presses can be protected, we may trust to them for light.’ Please continue to be that beacon of truth. Our audience is counting on it.”