Clifton Adcock, an award-winning reporter and native Oklahoman, has joined Oklahoma Watch as a staff reporter covering health care, poverty and other general-assignment topics.
Adcock has worked for various newspapers over the past decade. Most recently, he was an investigative reporter at the Oklahoma Gazette, covering Oklahoma City government affairs since 2010. From 2006 to 2010, he covered tribal affairs and public schools as a staff writer for the Tulsa World.
Previously, he was a courts and police reporter at the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, a city reporter for the McAlester News-Capital, and a reporter covering tribal affairs, police, business and city beats at the Muskogee Phoenix.
Adcock grew up in southeastern Oklahoma and received a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
His investigative projects include ones on illegal cigarette sales by American indian tribes, minority hiring practices in Muskogee and involvement of independent expenditure groups in city elections. He also has covered Oklahoma water issues, allegations of illegal activity at Broken Arrow Public Schools and lax oversight by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the sale of minerals owned by tribal members.
His awards include first place in diversity reporting in the Society of Professional Journalists Awards, Oklahoma Chapter.
“Cliff is an excellent reporter who has shown he has investigative skills and can take on complex topics,” said David Fritze, executive editor of Oklahoma Watch. “He will make a tremendous difference in our effort to produce high-quality investigative and in-depth projects that have measurable impact on people’s lives.”
