. >> reporter: jelani was born and raised in oakland but was arrested and convicted of robbery in los angeles. in september of 2021 he was awaiting transfer to another facility when he died in a county jail cell. terry was told he died of a fentanyl overdose. >> but i've gotten pictures from the coroner's department that shows that jelani was beaten. i've got pictures in my discovery that shows a hole in the back of jelani's head. >> reporter: so far now no one has been willing to talk to terry about what really happened. >> i wrote a letter to the attorney general's office, and he just refuses to talk to me. they pay out the taxpayer's money, your money, my money, to settle these cases, and the officers don't get reprimanded. they don't get put on suspension. they don't get fired. and it's ridiculous. when is he going to do his job. >> reporter: jelani died in los angeles, but there have been a disturbing number of in-custody deaths in jails around the state, including the bay area. at santa rita jail in alameda county, more than 66 people have died since 2014. >> anybody that's in c

joining us now, the dean of the columbia journalism school, jelani cobb, is also a staff writer at theins tonight, but i have i can't help but to notice. among your finalists, local news organizations who've done incredible work, and i'm a follower of local news. i spent many years working in local news, and i especially want to put a framework around investigative reporting, because local news is often getting cut. that's right. and investigative reporting is so incredibly important to what we do. >> it is. >> and so first i'll just. >> say i will be as excited as you to find out who wins, because even i don't know. >> oh, wow. >> okay, so you can't give us a hint. >> i can't give i can't give it away. >> if i. >> wanted to. >> but on the other side of it, you're absolutely right. >> you know, we. know that that local news is really. >> the lifeblood of. >> our profession. >> and moreover. >> like, investigative news is really important. and, you know, but. >> the stories. >> that have the biggest. >> impact are those. >> things that. happen on the. local level. that's right. the thin