Mark Flatten

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Mark Flatten spent 28 years covering government as a political and investigative reporter at Arizona newspapers before joining the Goldwater Institute in June 2009.

After graduating from Arizona State University in 1981, Flatten spent five years covering local governments in Chandler, Pinal County and Scottsdale. In 1986, he was assigned to the state capitol, where he provided award-winning coverage of the rise and fall of former Govs. Evan Mecham, who was impeached, and Fife Symington, who was forced to resign after his conviction on federal criminal charges.

In almost 20 years at the capitol, Flatten consistently broke important stories about elected officials and policy issues, from the AzScam political corruption scandal to the alternative fuels fiasco. He also led the East Valley Tribune's coverage of terrorism and its ties to Arizona after the Oklahoma City bombing and 9-11 attacks.

Flatten's investigative projects have been recognized in some of the nation's top journalism awards competitions. His series on state racketeering and forfeiture laws won numerous top national awards, including the Livingston Award and the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. He is also a past winner of the Arizona Press Club's Virg Hill Newsperson of the Year award.

In 2005, Flatten was the lead reporter in a special project on Valley developers that won the national Sigma Delta Chi Award and took first place in the regional Best of the West competition. He also has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

Perhaps Flatten's most unique distinction is he is the only reporter ever to be banned from the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives. He wasn't banned for misbehavior, but rather because of an investigative article he wrote linking a former House speaker to the 1976 murder of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles.

Flatten lives in Tempe with his wife Sandra. He has two adult children, Theresa and Michael. You can reach Mark at (602) 462-5000 x223.