John Counts on Muck Rack

John Counts

Verified
(He/Him)
Michigan
As seen in: Ann Arbor News, MLive, Eyes on Earth, Substack, U.S. News and World Report, The Seattle Times, AL.com, NJ.com, Bay City Times, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette and
Investigations editor for @MLive. Punk rock crooner. Author of "Bear County, Michigan." Book riffage at jcounts.substack.com/

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John Counts’s Biography

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John Counts is the investigations editor for MLive. He got his start at weeklies in suburban Detroit before becoming a crime reporter in Northern Michigan. He came to Ann Arbor in 2012 to cover the police and court beat in Washtenaw County. His reporting on a scandal involving a district court judge prompted the judge to step down from the bench. He has also investigated drug thefts at local hospitals and how mentally ill defendants aren't getting speedy trials. Counts has won numerous state an…

Articles

Letter from the Editor: Call him what you want, but Kevin McGonigle brings new life to the Tigers

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By John Counts Verified
| Wolverine Confidential
Note: John Hiner is taking a week off. Pinch-hitting this week is John Counts, investigative team editor for MLive and author of Bear County, Michigan: Stories, a 2026 Notable Michigan Book. It was a beautiful night for baseball. The Tigers were down 4-2 against the Angels when the new kid stepped up to the plate. The team was slumping and we needed a little brightness. Then – womp, the ball goes sailing and rattling in the right field wall – a triple that knocked in two runs and tied the game.
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MLive reporter wins national, state awards for nursing home investigations

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By John Counts Verified
| Wolverine Confidential
We don’t do this work for awards. We do it because we want to make a difference — to use the tools of journalism to shine a light on a problem and help make things better. Still, it feels good to be recognized by our peers. This week, MLive investigative reporter Matt Miller was honored with two first-place awards for his reporting on nursing homes. On Wednesday, Matt was part of a team that won first place in a national contest hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists.
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Letter from the Editor: Winter survival tips from 1974 to the present

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By John Counts Verified
| MLive Verified
Note: John Hiner is on vacation this week (someplace warm!). MLive investigations editor, and author of “Bear County, Michigan,” John Counts is filling in for him. It became legend in our house – the time Dad skied to work. This frigid feat – accomplished 52 years ago this week – was front page news in The Bay City Times, in part because Dad worked at the newspaper. The mlive.com logo A subscription is required to read this story. Subscribe now to continue.
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