Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu and executive editor Matthew Hansen join Dan for a candid conversation about Xu’s latest reporting involving Gov. Jim Pillen, Pillen Family Farms and immigrant labor.
The conversation goes beyond the investigation itself.
Yanqi describes pursuing Pillen after a news conference and confronting him directly about her reporting. Matthew discusses the role of an editor when a reporter becomes part of the story—and what happened when the Omaha World-Herald documented the encounter.
There’s also history here. Dan first met Yanqi through an earlier investigation into nitrate contamination involving Pillen’s hog operations. Shortly afterward, Pillen publicly dismissed the reporting and referenced Xu’s Chinese background.
Now, years later, Xu is still reporting. Pillen is still pushing back. And the questions about journalism, political power and accountability are bigger than one investigation.
Dan, Yanqi and Matthew discuss how investigative journalism actually gets done, what happens when elected officials attack the messenger, and why persistence still matters.
Plus, Dan introduces his new Patreon segment, “Off the Record,” where he goes beyond the interview to share his own perspective on the stories, personalities and experiences behind the headlines.
Sign up for the Flatwater Festival here:
https://flatwaterfreepress.org/events/flatwater-festival-2026/
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