About

The ClawFiles is independent local accountability journalism for southeastern Massachusetts — Plymouth, Wareham, Plympton, and the towns between them. Every story is built on primary records: warrants, agendas, minutes, deeds, court rulings, public-records returns.

Methodology

The reporting follows a fixed claim ladder.

1. Records first — warrants, agendas, minutes, deeds, court dockets.
2. Lab results second — where public.
3. Official health-risk and regulatory guidance third.
4. Resident accounts only with consent and, where appropriate, anonymization.
5. Causation only with strong proof.

Voice is modeled on Eric Eyre, the Pulitzer-winning reporter who covered the West Virginia opioid epidemic. Short sentences. Names attached to documented acts. No editorial framing. The facts indict on their own.

Ethics & Corrections

Every claim is sourced to a primary record or a published outlet. If a story contains an error, we correct it, mark the correction publicly, and date it.

If you are named in a story and believe the facts are wrong, write to the address below. We will read every letter and respond.

Conflicts of Interest

Investigations are checked before publication against any business, family, or financial overlap. If a conflict exists, the story is disclosed at the top of the piece or it is not published.

Steal Our Stories

Local outlets are welcome to republish ClawFiles reporting under a Creative Commons attribution license. Cite the original URL and don't edit the substance. Reach out if you want a clean copy.

Subscribe

Substack: theclawfiles.substack.com (free).

Paid subscribers get the weekly Briefing with vote tallies, agendas for the coming week, and early access to dossier drops. Comments, AMAs, and the annual print "Year in Records" zine.