My Scariest Night as an Investigative Reporter – Leon Bibb, Paul Orlousky & Carl Monday

 
 
 
 

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Story topic this week…

My Scariest Night as an Investigative Reporter
Have you ever wondered what it would be like risking your own well-being to cover and break the big news story about some thrilling investigation? News stories that would result in national headlines. Leon Bibb, Paul Orlousky, & Carl Monday will be telling stores about moments in their investigative journalism careers that became some of their scariest nights ever. “I was a TV news reporter for almost fifty years, most of them in Cleveland, specializing in investigative reports. During that time I saw a lot of things. Historic events. Horrific crimes. Bizarre behavior. Heartwarming deeds. And sometimes just hilarious, silly stuff …” – Paul Orlousky
 

Leon Bibb Bio

Leon Bibb is a legendary newscaster in Cleveland with decades of experience. In semi-retirement, he continues to work as a senior correspondent, commentator, and television show host at WKYC-TV where he began his distinguished career in Cleveland. He has worked at WEWS-TV5 in Cleveland as well as television stations in Columbus and Toledo.

Leon is a graduate of Bowling Green State University where he studied journalism and broadcasting. Early in his career, he was a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. Throughout his career, he has covered stories throughout the United States. He has also covered international stories including the Persian Gulf War. He has interviewed President Barack Obama in a one-on-one interview conducted at the White House. He also interviewed President George H.W. Bush at the White House. Among other notable interviews are those of astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon. He also conducted a prison interview of James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Leon has won television’s coveted Emmy award ten times and has been awarded many times by civic organizations and professional journalism groups for his long and distinguished career. In 2022, he entered the Gold Circle of the Central Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his fifty years as a television journalist.

Leon Bibb is a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served in the war in Vietnam and was awarded the Army’s Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service in combat. He and his wife, Marguerite, live in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.
 

Paul Orlousky Bio

Cleveland television news reporter Paul Orlousky is an inductee into the Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame. Inducted in November of 2014, Paul is only the third television “street” reporter ever inducted. For more than 40 years, he has informed viewers in Northeast Ohio about the latest in breaking news, investigative, and feature reports. Nowhere was that more evident than in 2013 when he shocked Cleveland and the competition by being first to report the Ariel Castro story and the three women he had held captive in his home for a decade. Paul calls it the “biggest story of my career.”

Viewers have enjoyed Paul’s confrontational approach. A perfect example of this and of his deep sources was Paul’s aggressive coverage of the county corruption scandal; at times breaking details months before charges came. At other times, telling those under investigation that they would be charged. Paul says, “if we’ve got to ruffle a few feathers to get to the truth, so be it” adding “the questions we ask and observations we make are fair, not combative, but we expect answers.”

Prior to joining Cleveland 19, Paul established WKYC-TV’s investigative team and put it on the map with hard hitting investigations, prompting Northern Ohio Live magazine to honor him as “the most effective investigative reporter” in Northern Ohio. It came after his exposé of Cleveland police truancy and false ticket-writing. Some of the ticket writing and even a phony arrest warrant was aimed at silencing him. It resulted in his illegal placement on the NCIC database as a fugitive from justice.

Paul is the winner of many awards including several local Emmy awards. He has been active in several charitable fundraisers. His work with the American Lung Association Golf Tournament has helped raise more than $2.5 million dollars for the research of lung disease. In 2010, Paul and his wife Kim were named co-chairs of the Annual Catholic Charities Appeal netting nearly $10.5 million dollars.

In retirement Paul wrote a book, Punched, Kicked and Spat On, chronicling his career. He also hosts “God Calling” on Cleveland Catholic radio station am1260 The Rock.

“As a reporter, I work best when I am out on the streets,” Paul says. “That’s where the stories are. There are so many great people out there. Some have happy stories, some have sad stories, and most have stories about how they are frustrated and are just looking for someone to help. That’s where I like to be.”
 

Carl Monday Bio

As the Dean of Cleveland Investigative Reporters, Carl Monday has set the standard for investigative journalism in Northeast Ohio. In a career that has spanned over 45 years, Monday has been a trailblazer in the field, from the voice on all-news radio, to heading up investigative units at three Cleveland television stations.

Often referred to as the “Mike Wallace” of Cleveland TV, Monday has captured more than 150 national, regional, and local awards. His thirteen EMMYS for Investigative Reporting are tops in local EMMY history. In 2022, Monday was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a Gold Circle Award for his significant contributions to the television industry for more than 50 Years.

Monday also was the first television reporter ever inducted into the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame. With his ever-present trench-coat, and aggressive reporting style, Monday’s reports have appeared on many national outlets.

His undercover investigation into corruption into the Cleveland Fire Department’s Inspection Unit led to the firing of the City Marshal. It was Monday who exposed the dumping of dangerous chemical waste at Hopkins Airport. The City Airport Commissioner was fired, and later convicted in Federal Court.

Monday’s reports on food waste led to creation of “Food Rescue,” a program now run by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank that has provided millions of meals to the needy in six counties. He exposed cement trucks pouring substandard concrete for Cleveland’s $200 million RTA Health Line. RTA tested and confirmed Monday’s findings. The contractor was ordered to dig up much of the roadway and reimburse RTA nearly a quarter million dollars.

A graduate of Kent State, Monday and his wife Sandy live in downtown Cleveland.
 
The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.
 

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