MIAMI (Sept. 15, 2011) —  Matt Haggman has joined the staff of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as program director / Miami.

He will work with Trabian Shorters, Vice President / Communities, in leading the foundation’s efforts to foster an informed and engaged South Florida community.

Haggman has worked as a journalist in Miami for nearly ten years. He covered legal affairs for the Daily Business Review. He joined the Miami Herald in 2004, initially reporting on the real estate industry. Since 2009 he has covered Miami-Dade County government.

In 2008, he co-authored an award-winning series, Borrowers Betrayed, which detailed lax state oversight of the home loan industry that contributed to Florida’s rise in mortgage fraud. The series won numerous awards, including the Gerald Loeb Award, the highest honor in business journalism.

“His years as one of the top reporters at the Miami Herald have given Matt a deep understanding of the complexities of Miami and South Florida,” said Shorters. “His demonstrated vision, tenacity, courage, know-how and commitment to discovery make him a perfect fit for Knight’s mission of informed and engaged communities.”

Haggman has a doctorate of law from Vermont Law School and a B.A. in history from Tulane University.

He tweets at @matthaggman.

For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

A high-res photo is available at http://kflinks.com/haggman-photo