Rachel Polansky

Rachel Polansky is a three-time Edward R. Murrow Award-winning and Emmy nominated investigative reporter at WKYC 3News, the NBC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rachel is most proud of her investigative reporting that enacted change at both local and statewide levels during the 2020 pandemic. After Rachel’s ongoing investigations into the state’s refusal to release names of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases and deaths, Ohio’s governor released the names. 

Rachel also led the charge on a series of exclusive investigations into an outbreak at Ohio’s only federal prison. 

Before moving to Cleveland, Rachel spent three years reporting at WBBH, the NBC affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida. In 2019, two years after Rachel began reporting on contractor fraud, a Florida lawmaker filed legislation targeting contractors who steal from their customers. He credited Rachel’s investigations with bringing these issues to his attention. In June 2019, Florida’s governor signed that legislation into law.

In 2017, Rachel uncovered a case of child marriage in Southwest Florida. After her extensive investigation, a Fort Myers senator filed legislation to change the legal age of marriage to 18. In 2018, the governor signed that legislation into law.

Rachel’s work backs up her pledge to be a journalist who makes a difference and holds the powerful accountable.

Police conduct has been at the forefront of a national discussion, prompting conversations about the amount of training given officers. How little? When 3News Investigates studied police requirements around the world, we found that the United States has the lowest police training requirements by far.

When Dan and Lee-Ann Dunkle look at their daughter, they see a soaring athletic teen, an honor roll scholar. They certainly don’t see a victim of shaken baby syndrome. But once upon a time, that’s all doctors saw. Turns out, those doctors were dead wrong.

While there are more than 200,000 registered nurses in Ohio, only 51 are certified by the International Association of Forensic Nurses to work with adult sexual assault patients. Only 27 are certified to treat children. This critical shortage means rape survivors could get turned away at the emergency room.