Antidote for prescription painkiller overdoses could save lives

"Washington state has one of the highest death rates from prescription opiates in the country. Overdoses from prescription painkillers now kill more people there than car accidents. And in King County, more people die from prescription painkillers than from methamphetamines, cocaine and heroin combined."

"However, a simple antidote could instantly reverse those overdoses. It's called Narcan, and by law, any citizen in this state can carry it. The problem is that it's hard to get. InvestigateWest in collaboration with KUOW's Carol Smith takes a look at efforts underway to get Narcan to more people."

One-on-one mentoring deadline ends May 21

Don't miss your chance to meet with a experienced pro in Boston at the 2012 IRE Conference. This is an opportunity for in-depth, one-on-one coaching on investigative reporting. These private sessions allow attendees to seek advice on challenging stories or followup ideas. You must have registered for the conference and have signed up for a mentor by May 21, 2012.

IRE pairs those who signed up with a mentor, and contact information is provided to both mentors and those who want to be mentored. Mentors and mentees can then agree on a time and place to meet at the ...

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Broadcast panels offer insight to all at this year's IRE Conference

We've got a great lineup of panels for broadcasters and anyone who shoots video for their projects at this year's IRE Conference in Boston next month.
Sessions will dig into confrontation interviews, how to take your story national, making document-based stories visual and how to do more with less. A panel of network media attorneys tell you what to when threatened with a lawsuit, Poynter's Al Tompkins gives you tips to avoid being fooled by doctored video and the people behind some of the best stories of the year give you a step-by-step guide in how they ...
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Behind the Story: Multiple government websites help journalists get around FOIA requests


USASPENDING.GOV


Not having access to the list of firms disqualified from the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program didn’t stop Dayton Daily News reporters from determining which companies were debarred from government contracts or from identifying some of the companies under investigation or disqualified from the program.

The article, “’Rent-a-vet’ scam proves costly to taxpayers, businesses,” gives readers a comprehensive look at the problems of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program and a specific look at businesses operating in Ohio.

Government watchdogs say hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds have gone to ineligible companies under the program, which calls ...

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Telecommuting Intelligence Associate (Intellerati)

Intellerati is seeking a telecommuting Intelligence Associate with a background in journalism to join one of the leading executive search and human capital intelligence practices in the country. The Intelligence Associate will conduct robust research to identify, profile, screen, and qualify prospective candidates as well as conduct company and industry studies to glean competitive insights from the talent ecosystem. The telecommuting role offers the opportunity for significant advancement and precedented work/life balance. The role is ideally suited for reporters and editors (IRE, NICAR, CAR preferred) who are contemplating a career outside of journalism. Because our work is centered squarely ...

Analyzing Governor Walker's calendars

In a three-part series for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Kate Golden and Amy Karon used the state’s open records law to receive Gov. Scott Walker’s official calendars.

"To analyze how Walker has used his time as the state’s chief executive, WCIJ reporters created a database of the more than 4,400 entries in Walker’s calendars from his first 13 months in office, through Jan. 31, 2012."

NJ school officials cheating the students

"An Asbury Park Press investigation has exposed how Lakewood, New Jersey school officials slashed the high school’s graduation rate to win a $6 million federal grant, lied to parents of special education students to save money, spend millions of dollars busing school children to religious and otherwise private schools, and showed how a lawyer made millions from one of the poorest districts in New Jersey. Federal and state officials are now investigating."