Shelly Bradbury

Shelly Bradbury is an American investigative journalist known for reporting on criminal justice, public safety and institutional accountability. She previously worked as a reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and later joined The Denver Post. Bradbury was part of the Post-Gazette newsroom that received the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting and was also a 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Local Reporting for an investigation into abuse and institutional responses in Amish and Mennonite communities.^[1][2]

Bradbury worked as a public safety reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, covering crime, courts and law enforcement in western Pennsylvania.^[2] Her reporting frequently focused on criminal justice issues and investigative stories examining how institutions respond to allegations of abuse and misconduct.

While at the Post-Gazette, Bradbury collaborated with religion reporter Peter Smith and photojournalist Stephanie Strasburg on investigative reporting projects addressing systemic abuse and accountability in insular communities.^[2]

In November 2019 Bradbury joined The Denver Post, where she continued reporting on criminal justice and public safety issues in Colorado.^[2]

Bradbury has contributed to a number of investigative journalism projects focusing on criminal justice and abuse cases. Her reporting often examines systemic issues surrounding law enforcement, institutions, and vulnerable populations.

One of her most widely recognized projects was the Post-Gazette investigative series Coverings which examined cases of sexual abuse and the handling of abuse allegations within Amish and Mennonite communities in North America.^[3]

The series documented survivor testimony, criminal court records, and patterns in how abuse allegations were addressed within "Plain" religious communities. The reporting also examined cultural expectations surrounding forgiveness and the challenges victims sometimes faced when seeking justice through civil authorities.^[2]

The investigation was named a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.^[2]

Bradbury was a principal reporter on Coverings, an investigative project published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examining sexual abuse allegations and institutional responses within Amish and Mennonite communities across North America.^[3]

Working with Peter Smith and photojournalist Stephanie Strasburg, Bradbury reported on survivor experiences, criminal cases, and patterns in how abuse allegations were handled in insular religious communities.^[2]

The investigation documented systemic barriers victims sometimes faced when seeking justice and brought national attention to abuse cases within Plain communities.^[2]

Bradbury contributed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom's reporting on the Tree of Life synagogue shooting of October 27, 2018.^[1]

The newspaper's coverage documented the immediate aftermath of the attack, the experiences of victims and their families, and the broader impact on Pittsburgh's Jewish community. The reporting earned the staff of the Post-Gazette the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.^[1]

• Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting (2019) – shared by the staff of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for coverage of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting.^[1]
• Pulitzer Prize finalist for Local Reporting (2020) – with Peter Smith and Stephanie Strasburg for the investigative series Coverings.^[2]

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• The Denver Post
• Stephanie Strasburg
• Peter Smith (journalist)