10 Questions with Jamie Allman

Don't back down

Everyone knows life isn't fair. And it's usually the little guy or the underdog who gets the short end of the stick. News 4's Jamie Allman works hard to give these people a voice. Keeping a watchful eye on government and business agencies, Jamie Allman is fighting for you, righting wrongs wherever he can, or at least bringing them to the attention of people who can do something about them. This is his home on the Web. It's a place for you to go to fight for your rights, access consumer information, and let Jamie know about injustice that's happening around you. To read Jamie's bio, click here.

1. What has been your favorite investigation?

It used to be the one that I did at the state Capitol where we exposed the use of alcohol as a bartering tool, a lobbying tool, on the part of lobbyists who were actually giving these gifts of booze to the lawmakers and not even really meeting with them. They were basically just trying to buy their support.

Up until a couple of months ago, that was my favorite one because every time I do stuff at the Capitol where we fight for the little guy, where we fight for the person who doesn't necessarily have a voice at the Capitol, who doesn't have the money to buy liquor, the money to buy dinners, the wherewithal to be able to get down there and promote their cause.

Those are my favorite stories, where we fight for the person who doesn't have the voice and we act as the voice, or at least try to make sure that they have a voice, or remind them that there are people out there who are asking for a voice.

Then, recently, the one we did that was on donating clothes (Rags to Riches) because it was one of those situations where this is the kind of thing that really gets you mad because there's nothing worse than exploiting the good hearts, minds and souls of the community and then turning around and abusing that generosity. This was another situation where it was just simply not fair.

The way I approach a lot of my investigations is we go after the inequities and we try to level the playing field for the normal, average, everyday person who would be our viewer and who doesn't have the political or financial power to stand up to the people who are holding the power. This was one example where big, gigantic conglomerates who were trying to solicit the generosity of the people didn't even know that their stuff was going to be used for making profits. That was a typical investigation that I like to do - one that levels the playing field for the everyday person.

2. What do you like the most about investigative reporting?

Being able to level the playing field, or attempting to level the playing field for our viewers.

3. What do you like the most about working in St. Louis?

I like the fact that St. Louis has a mixture of both big city sophistication with some small town comforts, which would be, in fact, the people. I like the fact that people in St. Louis don't simply take wrongdoing and unfairness for granted. What makes my job easy to do in St. Louis is that people in the Midwest tend to have this innate sense of fairness and when something isn't right, it should be pointed out.

That's what I like about working in this town other than just the fact that people are generally very accessible and very nice and I think it shows through in my reporting, which isn't always in-your-face aggressive.

4. When you're not reporting, what are some of the things you like to do in your spare time?

I love to play with my kids. I love to go to Forest Park. I love to listen to music and buy music.

5. What kind of music do you like?

I am very eclectic in my musical tastes. I like a lot of jazz. I like a lot of what would be considered bluegrass. I love Bill Monroe and a couple of those bands from that era. I don't listen to them a whole lot because my wife doesn't necessarily like them all the time, but when I'm by myself I will listen to them. I have a real affinity for the Gypsy Kings and world music, including African music and Brazilian music. On the other end of the spectrum, I love George Jones -- an old time country guy. So, when I'm by myself, I listen to that kind of stuff. I also like some mixes of jazz and jazz fusion and I listen to some harder rock here and there -- stuff from my past. Generally, it's a real mix. It's whatever my mood is at the time.

I also love going out to restaurants with my wife, Andrea, and we explore new things. I love going to the History Museum. I love going to the Art Museum. I love taking in some of the little pleasures of St. Louis.

6. What is the weirdest incident you have encountered as an investigative reporter?

I guess some of the weirdest experiences I've had was during a phase of my career when I was doing these things called 'The Hidden Eye Cam," which were these kind of feature stories I used to do, but to this day they are the things that sometimes follow me around.

Those were back in the days when we would do stories where we would catch people with too many items in the express lane, or we would go after people who hadn't cut their lawn in six months, or one of my favorite stories was talking to people in March who still had their Christmas decorations up and their ribbons on the front of their cars. Those were some of my favorite stories. When it comes to weirdest experiences, that was where I was actually able to talk to people and ask them the questions that I've always wanted to ask them.

Other than that, one of the strangest moments I've had is when I was at the Capitol doing a story on the "Slumakers." I was down there doing one interview with a lawmaker and then suddenly everybody knows that I am at the Capitol through their e-mail system -- they all warn each other -- and it kind of gives me the creeps knowing that. That's why I always make sure I do my toughest interview right when I get there because everybody else will disappear because there is some kind of detector down there that knows I'm coming through the door.

Interviewer: Sort of like a 'Jamie Allman Alert?'

Absolutely. Yeah.

7. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned while being an investigative reporter?

One of the most valuable lessons I learned was the need to constantly challenge your stories or the premise of your stories and to be ultimately fair to the subjects that you're dealing with. When I am reporting on people - and I know that it's difficult to do this - I always imagine that when I'm reporting on these people that I'm exposing or that I'm showing that they are doing something wrong or that I'm interviewing, I treat them like I'm going to see them again. I treat them like I am going to have to be accountable to them. I treat them like I am going to run in to them at the grocery store, mall, museum or the park or perhaps they're going to live up the street from me. Whenever I treat people from that level, then I can never go wrong in terms of treating them fairly because I am giving them the same role in my life as people I respect and who I have to see every day.

One of the most valuable lessons I could ever tell any investigative reporter, or any reporter for that matter, is when you're doing a story, you should always approach it as if you are going to see these people again and look them in the eye again. When you do that, you often times can't be unfair to them. You can't mistreat them unless you are a total monster.

That's the one thing that I guide all my stories on, which is why I don't get punched, I don't get threatening letters because I am decent to people I deal with even when I'm dealing with them harshly or asking them tough questions. I deal with them like they are human beings. I treat them with respect, which is ultimately what everybody is owed.

8. What is your favorite color?

Green.

9. What is your favorite St. Louis sports team?

The baseball Cardinals.

10. What is the one thing you think viewers should know about you?

I'm a lot more fun-loving and funnier than my reputation presents itself on television. The image of me is more of this hard-nosed reporter, but I am almost the opposite when I am away from the television, which helps me do my job better. I kind of have this image of this hard-nosed, humorless kind of guy, but I really have a lot of fun and I have a lot of interests and I would be a good friend to have and a good person to hang out with.