About Fourth Estate 48
Holding Arizona’s Government Accountable — One Public Record at a Time.
Arizona’s leaders love to talk about transparency. But try requesting their calendars, emails, or communications — and you’ll quickly see just how hard they work to keep the public in the dark.
That’s where Fourth Estate 48 comes in.
This newsletter exists to expose what’s happening behind closed doors — and to give you access to the documents they hope you’ll never read. From government contracts and police reports to internal memos and school voucher audits, we track it all down, break it open, and share it with you.
Because good journalism doesn’t just report what happened — it shows you the receipts.
Why This Exists
Fourth Estate 48 began in August 2022 as a one-person operation dedicated to independent, records-driven reporting in Arizona.
Our founder and Managing Editor, Dillon Rosenblatt is an award-winning reporter whose work has helped:
Expose election law violations and spark investigations
Reveal illegal marijuana prosecutions in Yavapai County
Uncover child exploitation in a Maricopa County adoption scheme
Hold Arizona’s school voucher program accountable for waste and abuse
Force candidates to withdraw after plagiarism scandals
Our work has appeared in Phoenix New Times, Arizona Capitol Times, Copper Courier, Arizona Mirror, KJZZ, Raw Story, and Arizona Agenda — but this newsletter gives us the freedom to go even deeper.
What You’ll Get
Raw documents: Police reports, emails, contracts, legal memos, and more
Clear summaries: We highlight the takeaways, so you don’t have to read 300+ pages (unless you want to)
No corporate filter: Just one reporter, doing the work and sharing it straight with you
Slow but meaningful: A handful (4-6) thoughtful investigations a month — quality over quantity
Why Support It?
Public records aren’t free. We request fee waivers in the public interest, but most agencies deny them. That means I often pay out of pocket to access the information you deserve to see.
If even a small fraction of readers chip in, it would transform the work I can do — more records, more stories, more impact.
Why "Fourth Estate 48"?
The Fourth Estate represents journalism — democracy’s watchdog.
State 48 is Arizona.
Put them together, and you’ve got a newsroom powered by public records, not corporate bosses.
Journalists:
Use these records in your own work (with credit). Got a tip or suggestion? Email us at dillon@fourthestate48.com.
Let’s keep Arizona honest — one document at a time.
