James Steele begynte som journalist i Kansas City Times i 1962. I 1970 begynte han i Philidelphia Inquirer, der han møtte den sju år eldre Donald Barlett. Siden har Barlett og Steele blitt et begrep i amerikansk undersøkende journalistikk. Paret har vunnet 42 journalistpriser, deriblant to Pulitzere, to National Magazine Awards og fire IRE-priser. James Steele var en pioner i datastøttet journalistikk. I dag er Barlett og Steele tilknyttet Vanity Fair.

James Steele started as a reporter in Kansas City Times in 1962. When he came to the Philidelphia Inguirer in 1970 he meet seven year older Donald Barlett. Since then Barlett and Steele have become legends in investigative journalism. Together they are the most awarded journalistis in US history. Their prize shelter contains two Pulitzers, two National Magazine Awards and fire IRE-awards. They started using computerassisted reporting before half the SKUP-crowd was even born. Today James Barlett is contrubuting editor for Vanity Fair.