Civil Beat Staff

Patti Epler

Patti Epler is the Editor and General Manager of Civil Beat.

Patti has been a reporter and editor since 1976. She began her career in Anchorage, Alaska, writing a column for The Anchorage Times and covering cops and courts in the frontier state at a time construction of the massive trans-Alaska pipeline was drawing thousands of young people north and opening up a new energy source for the country.

Patti moved to Hawaii in 1982 where she lived on a 41-foot sailboat in Keehi Lagoon and worked for Honolulu Magazine. She returned to Alaska in 1984 to a job covering the state’s booming oil and gas business, utilities, mining and environmental issues. In 1989, she was one of the lead reporters on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. She was also a member of the Anchorage Daily News team that won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal For Public Service for a series on alcoholism and self-destructive behavior among Alaska Natives.

In 1990, she and her family, including a young daughter, moved to Olympia, Washington, where Patti covered politics and the Legislature for the Tacoma News Tribune. In 1997, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and an editor’s job at the alt-weekly, Phoenix New Times. In 2004, she became projects editor and city editor at the East Valley Tribune, at the time the Phoenix metro area’s second largest daily paper. In 2008, Patti edited and directed that paper’s series on the immigration enforcement practices of a colorful local sheriff, an effort that was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.

She moved to the online news world in 2009, joining with other journalists to found the Arizona Guardian, a short-lived news site covering politics and government. In 2010, she returned to Alaska to work on another reporter-founded website, the Alaska Dispatch.

She was hired as Civil Beat’s deputy editor in September 2011 and was named Editor when former Editor John Temple left to take a job as managing editor of the Washington Post in April 2012.

Patti is an old-school investigative journalist in a new media world. She still values solid relationships with news sources and strong journalistic ethics. Like many of her colleagues, she’s been laid off (more than once) from what were once vibrant and thriving newspapers. She is now a true believer in online journalism and all that the internet has to offer news operations that embrace meaningful reporting and investigative and watchdog journalism to encourage community discussion of important civic and political issues. Those concepts are at the core of Civil Beat.

She’s always available to grab a cup of coffee and talk about Hawaii and story ideas.

You can follow Patti on twitter @PattiEpler. You can also email her at patti@civilbeat.org. Direct line is 808-377-0561.

Biden Picks New Federal Judge For Hawaii Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat/2017

Biden Picks New Federal Judge For Hawaii

Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Smith is the president's nominee, the White House says.

Civil Beat Wins National Award For Excellence Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2023

Civil Beat Wins National Award For Excellence

The Online News Association awards is one of the most competitive journalism contests in the country.

State Water Official Who Delayed Water Release Has Been Reassigned David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

State Water Official Who Delayed Water Release Has Been Reassigned

Kaleo Manuel was given another job in DLNR while officials investigate what happened.

Ban On Fundraisers? Hawaii Legislators Continued To Rake In Campaign Cash During Session David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Ban On Fundraisers? Hawaii Legislators Continued To Rake In Campaign Cash During Session

Many found ways to raise big donations even though a new law was intended to limit the influence of special interest money.

Hawaii Gov Appoints 3 New UH Regents Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii Gov Appoints 3 New UH Regents

The appointments still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Gov. Green Rescues Another Person In Need Governor's Office/2023

Gov. Green Rescues Another Person In Need

It's the second time this month the governor has stepped in to help someone.

Tommy Waters Is Taking The Hit On Honolulu Council Raises. And That’s Just Fine With Him Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Tommy Waters Is Taking The Hit On Honolulu Council Raises. And That’s Just Fine With Him

The Honolulu City Council chair says he doesn't plan to let council members vote on the substantial raises put forward by the salary commission.

Civil Beat Is Seeking Public Records From The FBI In Lawmaker Bribery Cases

Civil Beat Is Seeking Public Records From The FBI In Lawmaker Bribery Cases

The U.S. Justice Department is refusing to release case files on privacy grounds.

The Investigation Into Public Corruption In Hawaii Is Very Much Alive Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

The Investigation Into Public Corruption In Hawaii Is Very Much Alive

Here's why we think the public needs to know as much about what's going on as possible -- even if we can't tell you everything.