Scott Friedman is NBC 5's Senior Investigative Reporter leading the "NBC 5 Investigates" team, exposing critical safety concerns, and holding officials accountable.
Scott’s investigative reporting has been recognized with broadcasting’s top national honors including the duPont-Columbia Award - the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize - a Peabody Award, five national Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award, two national SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Awards and a national News and Documentary Emmy for outstanding regional investigative report. Scott's investigations have also been featured on NBC Nightly News and TODAY on NBC.
Scott’s Peabody Award-winning investigation of financial troubles at Dallas County Schools (DCS) exposed a web of corruption, staggering financial mismanagement, hidden personal relationships and conflicts of interest inside an agency that transported tens of thousands of children to school each day. The Texas Legislature, governor and voters acted swiftly to close DCS and the superintendent who ran the agency pleaded guilty to federal charges for accepting $ 3 million of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for government contracts. The NBC5 reports also sparked an FBI public corruption investigation which led to the conviction of the second-highest-ranking elected official in the City of Dallas.
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In 2023, Scott received the prestigious Alfred I. du-Pont-Columbia Award for his series “Paper Tag Nation” which exposed how criminals were able to infiltrate the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registration system in order to sell vast numbers of fraudulent temporary license plates illegally. The series revealed how those fraudulent paper plates were often used by criminal organizations looking to create “ghost cars” used in cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and the commission of violent crimes. NBC5’s reporting helped spark leadership changes at the Texas DMV, legislative action to change the temporary tag system, and a new system for car dealer licensing background checks.
For more than a year, Scott’s team investigated care for injured, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers, in partnership with The Dallas Morning News. The series uncovered hundreds of complaints from injured troops describing mistreatment, harassment, verbal abuse and a lack of care from commanders of U.S. Army Warrior Transition Units (WTUs). Within days of the station’s first reports, the U.S. Army ordered new training for commanders of all 25 WTUs worldwide, aimed at better treating injured troops with dignity and respect. The U.S. House Armed Services Committee also ordered a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation.
Scott’s nine-month-long investigation of crashes and injuries caused by police officers using dashboard-mounted computers while driving led to changes in local police department policies and became training material for law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Scott joined KXAS-TV in 2006 reporting, later anchoring the station’s weekday morning newscast, NBC 5 Today. In 2012, he helped launch “NBC 5 Investigates.”
Previously Scott was an investigative reporter and news anchor at WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee and a reporter at WNDU-TV (NBC) in South Bend, Indiana. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
The Latest
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Why dozens of people flew drones into restricted World Cup airspace
The FBI says it seized more than 80 drones in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the FIFA Club World Cup after pilots flew into restricted airspace around Dallas Stadium and the fan festival. Some operators told agents they wanted aerial views, while others said they were working. NBC 5’s Scott Friedman has more.
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FBI: World Cup drone seizures included real estate photographers, roofing inspectors
The FBI says some drone pilots accused of violating World Cup flight restrictions claimed to be flying for work, others to get a glimpse of the action.
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What's the biggest security concern before the World Cup semifinal?
With one FIFA Club World Cup match left in North Texas, the head of the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force says complacency and fatigue are among the biggest security concerns after weeks of heightened operations. Officials also say they have detected more than 1,500 drones nationwide and seized more than 700 during the tournament. NBC 5’s Scott Friedman has more.
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World Cup semifinal puts Dallas-area security teams under brightest spotlight yet
A senior White House official overseeing World Cup security says the biggest concern ahead of Tuesday’s semifinal in Arlington is not a known threat.
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NBC 5 Investigates: More Texas communities adopt Emergency Cellphone Alerts after deadly floods
In the wake of the Central Texas floods, more communities are signing up to use the nation’s most powerful emergency alert system. An NBC 5 Investigates analysis found the system can send life-saving warnings directly to cell phones, helping reach people faster when every second counts. Senior Investigative Reporter Scott Friedman explains why more communities are adopting the technology and...
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More Texas communities join cellphone emergency alert system after Central Texas floods
More communities in Texas and across the country are signing up to use the nation’s most powerful emergency alert system after deadly flooding in Central Texas exposed gaps in how warnings reach people in danger.
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NBC 5 Investigates how someone got into a World Cup match without a ticket
NBC 5 Investigates has learned Arlington police are reviewing security procedures at the Dallas World Cup stadium after someone reportedly entered Monday’s match without a ticket then couldn’t be found. Senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman examines what went wrong, what police are reviewing, and whether additional security changes could be coming.
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Four arrested without tickets, one slips away in Dallas Stadium World Cup security breach
Police are reviewing security at Dallas Stadium in Arlington after several people entered Monday’s World Cup match without tickets and escaped.
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NBC 5 Investigates: Meet the Vapor Wake dogs helping protect World Cup fans
As thousands of fans gather for World Cup matches, Vapor Wake dogs are helping security teams identify potential threats in crowded environments. The Arlington Fire Department offered a rare look at how the specialized K-9 units work and why they’re an important layer of protection for fans attending the tournament.
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Meet the explosive-detecting dogs protecting World Cup crowds in North Texas
Among the many security measures surrounding World Cup matches in North Texas, some of the most critical are working on four legs.
