For the sixth straight year, the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government (CFOG) presented a panel of top Connecticut journalists discussing how they landed the major news stories of 2021.

This year’s stories include the misuse of federal relief funds, the legalization of marijuana and sports betting, juvenile justice, alleged nepotism in state employment, the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence and lead poisoning in children.

The event, “The Stories Behind the Biggest Stories of 2021,” was held via Zoom on Monday, Jan. 31 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Click here to view the event!

The passcode to view it is: iMf&!Dh3.d

The panel discussion was moderated by Leslie Mayes, a reporter for NBC Connecticut and host of “Connecticut In Color,’’ a program that engages Connecticut residents in conversations about race, ethnicity and gender.

The panel featured Jenifer Frank, a contributing writer for the Connecticut Health Investigative Team; Investigative Reporter Andrew Brown of The CT Mirror; Kasturi Pananjady, a former data reporter for The Mirror who is now with The Philadelphia Inquirer; Political Reporter Daniela Altimari and columnist Kevin Rennie, both of the Hartford Courant; and Investigative Reporter Clare Dignan of Hearst Connecticut Media.

The event was a fundraiser for CFOG, which is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1991 by citizens of Connecticut interested in promoting open government and the public’s right-to-know. Its programs are carried out by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the news media, academia, the law, business and government. If you are interested in donating to CFOG, you can use the QR code below or click the yellow donate button at top right of the page.