Conor Dougherty

I am a reporter for The New York Times covering housing and development for more than a decade. I am based in Los Angeles.What I Cover I am interested in how housing and land shape our economy and society. These days, that often means writing about how the rising cost of housing has become a huge burden on families and altered what it means to be middle class. My Background Before joining The Times I worked at various local and national newspapers including the L.A. Business Journal, San Diego Union-Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. I am also the author of the book “Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America.” Most of my career has been focused on the economy and housing, but I have also covered technology, banks, entertainment, the golf industry, skateboarding, beer and video games. I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area (I was a kid in San Francisco proper then went to junior high and high school in the Napa Valley) and have lived there as well as Los Angeles, San Diego and New York. I had a sort of weird route to journalism: I majored in chemistry and was a high school math teacher in Berkeley. My first journalism job was a $10 an hour, no benefits position as a researcher. I worked my way up from there then moved back and forth across the country, only to end up in L.A. Journalistic Ethics As a Times journalist, I adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in The Times’s Ethical Journalism handbook. I want all of my work to be accurate and fair. I protect my sources. I do not accept gifts, money or favors from anyone who might figure into my reporting. I do not participate in politics, nor do I make political donations. I make every effort to understand issues from multiple angles. When I am working, I identify myself as a reporter for The Times. Contact Me The articles I write are inspired by the stories people tell me; please use this form to get in touch with me. What kinds of housing pressures are you dealing with and how have they affected your life and your community? What housing topics do you think need more attention? Email: conor.dougherty@nytimes.com X: @ConorDougherty Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips

82%

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

100%

Examples:

No current examples available.

Conflicts of Interest

100%

Examples:

  • The company's investors, a who's who of Silicon Valley, included a number of billionaires including Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder, venture capitalist and Democratic donor, and Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective.
  • The East Solano Plan... is being delayed at least two years to study the project's impact on the environment.

Contradictions

85%

Examples:

  • A report commissioned by Solano County estimated the project would require tens of billions in infrastructure investment but warned details about the development were vague.
  • California Forever filed a $500 million antitrust lawsuit against farmers who refused to sell their land.
  • The proposed city was meant to be a walkable urban community and was backed by Silicon Valley investors including Reid Hoffman and Laurene Powell Jobs.

Deceptions

50%

Examples:

  • California Forever... spent years buying some $900 million of farmland without revealing anything about the identities of its backers or plans for a new city. As its land holdings grew and surrounded Travis Air Force Base on three sides, neighbors and members of Congress feared it could be linked to foreign spies.

Recent Articles

California Forever: Tech Billionaires' Plans for New City on Hold Amid Controversy and Environmental Concerns

California Forever: Tech Billionaires' Plans for New City on Hold Amid Controversy and Environmental Concerns

Broke On: Tuesday, 23 July 2024 California Forever, a proposed city development backed by Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists in California, has been put on hold due to opposition from local officials and environmental groups. The group, which includes LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Marc Andreessen, had planned to bypass the usual development process with a ballot measure but instead opted for a full environmental review. Controversy surrounds the project due to its secretive origins and legal actions against farmers refusing to sell land. Supporters argue for affordable housing and jobs, while opponents raise concerns about habitat loss and community impacts. The environmental review process is expected to take at least two years.