[1] His stories on unfair labor practices and poor treatment of foreign workers contracted to do construction work in Iraq have been the subject of congressional inquiries, ongoing US Justice Department criminal probes and investigations by US Inspectors General.
[2][3] In addition to documentary work and on-air reporting, Phinney has been a guest and analyst for the BBC, cable news programs and radio.
He has consulted with reporters and producers on stories for ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
He began his journalism career as a music and film critic and by writing humorous sketches about local personalities and events in the San Francisco Bay Area.
[citation needed] The effort triggered a five-year federal grand jury investigation and was reiterated by other California news organizations.