Draft:Dan Slepian

Dan Slepian is an American journalist at NBC News, investigative reporter, and producer for Dateline NBC. For nearly three decades at NBC, Slepian has directed and produced numerous documentaries, hidden camera investigations, and breaking news reports. Named “A TV News Gumshoe” by The New York Times Slepian’s investigations have re-opened investigations, helped solve cold cases, and assisted in exonerating the wrongfully convicted.

Slepian is notable for his reporting about the criminal legal system particularly on the topic of wrongful convictions. Slepian’s documentaries have earned him a total of twelve Emmy Award nominations. =Career= Before joining NBC News, Slepian served as the audience coordinator for the Phil Donahue Show.

Documentaries
Slepian is most known for his in-depth investigations into cases of wrongful convictions as seen on Dateline NBC’s documentaries, 'Conviction' featuring Jon-Adrian Velazquez that aired on February 12, 2012.

Slepian produced 'In the Shadow of Justice' featuring David Lemus that aired on August 5, 2007.

Slepian produced 'A Bronx Tale' featuring Eric Glisson that aired on June 6, 2014.

These investigations are highlighted in the May 7, 2022 New York Times article, “How 5 Convicted Murderers Banded Together to Get Out of Prison.” Slepian’s investigations “[b]egan a chain that would eventually help free [those] five men."

In 2018, Slepian was granted exclusive access to film rapper Meek Mill on the day of his highly publicized release from prison. Dateline NBC’s special, 'Dreams and Nightmares' that aired on May 6, 2018 featured Lester Holt's exclusive interview with Meek Mill just hours after his release.

News Series
In part of the week long NBC Nightly News Series, 'Justice For All,' that aired in 2019, Slepian produced Dateline NBC’s ‘Life Inside,’ an hour long show about mass incarceration in which Slepian and Lester Holt spend two nights in America’s largest maximum-security prison, Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola.

To end the ‘Justice For All,’ series about the criminal justice system, the final show featured a town hall from inside NYS maximum-security prison, Sing Sing hosted by Lester Holt that aired on September 6, 2019.

According to a Washington Post article, "[t]he incarcerated population in the United States makes up 20 percent of the total number of people in prison globally. But the country represents only 5 percent of the global population. That statistic was among the many that Lester Holt and 'Dateline' producer Dan Slepian presented to NBC News top brass to persuade them to devote a week of programming to the criminal justice system with Holt acting as something of the master of ceremonies." Singer-songwriter and prison reform advocate John Legend joined Lester Holt to offer his closing thoughts on ending mass incarceration.

Docuseries
In February 2021, NBC premiered Dateline’s first docuseries, “The Widower" an epic five-hour network primetime series detailing Slepian’s 13-year investigation into Thomas Randolph, an eccentric murder suspect from Las Vegas who had been married six times and four of his wives are dead.

Podcasts
In May 2019, Dateline NBC debuted its first-ever podcast with Slepian. The eight-episode series, '13 Alibis' chronicles Slepian’s investigation into a confounding murder case that helped exonerate an innocent man named Richard Rosario.

On February 20, 2023, NBC News Studios released “Letters From Sing Sing,” an eight-episode podcast hosted by Slepian that documents his 20-year journey investigating the wrongful conviction of Jon-Adrian Velazquez

'Letters From Sing Sing'
In an October 5, 2011 New York Times article, "Manhattan D.A. Is Asked to Seek to Undo 1999 Murder Conviction," Slepian stated that Jon-Adrian Velazquez's case "could represent the most widely publicized test so far of Cyrus R. Vance Jr.'s unit." Slepian then led a ten-year reinvestigation that seriously questioned the arrest and conviction of Jon-Adrian Velazquez.

In a February 11, 2012 Hollywood Reporter article, "NBC News’ ‘Dateline’ Examines 1999 Murder Conviction," Slepian is quoted saying, “There was something about Jon-Adrian Velazquez's letters,” says Slepian. “They were articulate, intelligent, emotional, engaging. So I went out to see him.”

On February 20, 2023, NBC News Studios released “Letters From Sing Sing,” an eight-episode podcast hosted by Slepian that documents his 20-year journey investigating the wrongful conviction of Jon-Adrian Velazquez.

Voices From Within
Slepian volunteers to help incarcerated men at Sing Sing prison. In 2013 he helped form “Voices from Within” a video featuring deeply emotional testimonials from incarcerated men inside Sing Sing intended to help reduce gun violence. Slepian first introduced the project during a TEDx talk at Sing Sing

Sing Sing Files
Slepian is the author of the Sing Sing Files, a narrative nonfiction book acquired by Celadon Books, a US division of Macmillan Publishers that reports Slepian's "untitled account of his 20 years of investigative reporting that helped exonerate six wrongly convicted prisoners incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. In the course of his investigation, Slepian forged deep and lasting relationships and shone light on a broken criminal justice system." Sing Sing Files' release date is scheduled for September 3, 2024.

=Education= Slepian graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in English and History. Slepian currently serves on the Stony Brook Journalism School’s professional advisory board. Dan also serves on the advisory board of Roc Nation's United Justice Coalition, a non-profit that works across disciplines to raise awareness around social justice issues and the need for criminal justice reform.