Miranda S. Spivack, "Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back" (The New Press, 2025)

Nov 14, 2025

Miranda S. Spivack, an award-winning reporter and author, dives into the shadows of local government secrecy and the heroes challenging it. She discusses the dangers of hidden deals and how they impact everyday lives, from tainted water to flawed safety measures. Spivack shares inspiring stories of 'accidental activists' who are uncovering these issues and emphasizes the power of residents in demanding transparency. With practical tips for civic engagement, she highlights the importance of local journalism and community mobilization in holding governments accountable.

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INSIGHT

Local News Shapes Daily Life

Local government reporting matters because most people's lives are affected by state and local decisions.
Miranda S. Spivack argues serious journalism at this level reveals direct impacts and deters backroom deals.

INSIGHT

Development Deals Hide From The Public

Real estate and development deals often proceed under secrecy due to legal exemptions and NDAs.
Spivack highlights data centers and Amazon HQ2 as examples where the public was shut out early.

ADVICE

Demand Accessible Meeting Times

Ask governments to hold meetings at varied times to allow more public participation.
Push officials to schedule evening and daytime sessions so working families can attend, Miranda advises.

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Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize

A groundbreaking look at how ordinary people are fighting back against their local and state governments to keep their communities safe, by an award-winning journalist

Most Americans are likely to encounter the effects of government malfeasance or neglect close to home—from their governors, mayors, town councils, school boards, police, and prosecutors. In fact, deals shrouded in darkness are regularly made at the state and local levels, often the result of closed-door discussions between governments and industry without any scrutiny whatsoever from the public. Too often, as this groundbreaking new work of investigative reporting reveals, residents are intentionally kept on the outside, struggling to get information about significant issues affecting their communities—from car crashes and dirty drinking water, to failing safety gear—until the backroom deals are done and it’s too late to challenge them.

A work of riveting narrative nonfiction based on years of original reporting, Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back (The New Press, 2025) tells the story of five “accidental activists”—people from across the United States who started questioning why their local and state governments didn’t protect them from issues facing their communities and why there was a frightening lack of transparency surrounding the way these issues were resolved. The secret deals, lies, and corruption they uncover shake their faith in government but move them to action.

For readers of Chain of Title and Superman’s Not Coming, Spivack’s revealing take on a hidden dimension of American politics will outrage and educate anyone who cares about the forces shaping their own communities.

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