ABOUT

Doug Forbes launched Hundred Eighty Degrees in 2012. He did so because he wanted to see more deep-dive journalism (otherwise known as slow journalism) in his city of Pasadena, California. He published pieces in regional publications while choosing to investigate stories outside of a traditional newsroom.

Topics of his work included employment inequities for women, the dearth of Black and Brown reporters in large media markets, First and Second Amendment rights in public schools and the steady decline of fact and truth as cornerstones of productive conversation.

In 2015, Doug put Hundred Eighty Degrees on hold to pursue other professional opportunities and care for his beloved daughter Roxie.

In June of 2019, a summer camp killed Roxie, his only child, due to apparent gross negligence and fraud. Doug put his journalism skills to work and discovered that the American Red Cross and government agencies played significant roles in Roxie’s preventable death.

A federal judge has since confirmed Doug’s assertions.

In the wake of this incalculable loss, Doug determined that the best way through despair was to establish a child health and safety advocacy foundation and to return to civic-minded journalism largely focused on personal and professional abuse.

Doug also decided that he would pursue graduate studies to foster his social justice storytelling aspirations. He graduated from Harvard University in May of 2021 with a 3.95 and the Director’s Prize for journalistic work.

Doug continues to serve as president of his national nonprofit Meow Meow Foundation for which he does child health and safety advocacy work, including establishing state and national legislation.

He is currently directing a feature documentary about the unknown dark history within the $26 billion camp industry that serves 25 million children and 1.5 million workers.

Doug has also participated as a lead character in a 2022 documentary soon available on Apple TV and is working with a UK production company on the development of another feature doc about a globally known figure who has perpetrated a massive financial scheme as well as sexual harm.

Prior to journalism and advocacy work, Doug served as a marketing communications executive in the technology space after which he became a small business communications consultant for social service nonprofits in homelessness and mental illness sectors.

When possible and appropriate, Doug will selectively tackle stories that spotlight individual or institutional harm.