The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "equal" ...
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Fraud on the Job
KING 5 dedicated nearly a year to dig into the complex world of the federal minority contracting program. The program is intended to remedy past and current discrimination against minority and women-owned contracting businesses who want a shot at working on federal highway projects. But instead of fostering equal opportunity, KING found staggering fraud and abuse in the taxpayer-funded program. The investigative series titled “Fraud on the Job" was born. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is responsible for administering the program. WSDOT contracts with a small state agency, the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) to certify which contractors qualify as "disadvantaged business enterprises" or DBEs. They also make sure that once in, the companies aren’t cheating or becoming too big to qualify. The state’s share of billions of federal highway funds comes with some strings attached, including a requirement that a certain percentage of money spent on transportation projects be reserved for minority-owned firms. The results of the “Fraud on the Job” series were swift and extraordinary. Two days after the first story aired, the governor ordered the Washington State Patrol to conduct a criminal fraud investigation. She also ordered a top-to- bottom review of OMWBE. Two weeks later, the governor asked the director of OMWBE to resign. Another top manager quit and another was fired. Two of the companies KING exposed as defrauding the government were removed from the DBE program by the state. State and federal legislation is now being drafted to stop the cheating. And now the FBI and the Inspector General of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation are investigating.
Tags: fraud; government; tax; taxpayer; fund
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Shell Games Series
As he sought out the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama called for greater corporate transparency around the world. His criticism focused on the forgiving laws of locales outside U.S. borders- from Switzerland to the Cayman Islands. In a multi-part series called "Shell Games", Reuters revealed equally egregious practices on America'a own shores, where business incorporation laws in some states are more lax than those of Somalia.
Tags: Barack Obama; U.S. Border; Somalia; Transparency; borders
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Corrective Rape
This story by ESPN highlights the notion of "corrective rape" in South Africa, where "men rape women to 'cure' them of their lesbianism." The 2008 rape and murder of former soccer player Eudy Simelane spurred an entire investigation into the practice of "corrective rape" in and around South Africa. The country continues to struggle with "sexual violence and homophobia."
Tags: Lesbian and Gay Equality Project; homosexuality; gay; lesbian; rape; South Africa
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Kids and Cadmium: Dangers Exposed
After U.S. lawmakers barred toy manufacturers from using lead in their products, they began replacing that ingredient with cadmium. Products containing the equally as dangerous ingredient were on the shelves of many national chain stories, including Wal-mart. The reporter shows evidence that Wal-Mart knew some of its products were contaminated and had no plans to stop selling them.
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"Just Like Us"
Author Helen Thorpe gives an in-depth look at the Mexican immigrant subculture within the U.S. Thorpe follows four Mexican girls, best friends, as they grow up in Denver. Two are legal residents, and two are not. When political arguments "over immigration rage fiercely," the girls struggle with the fate of their futures as the two without legal status learn they "do not possess equal opportunities or rights compared to" the others who do "possess legal status."
Tags: illegal immigration; Mexico; Denver; black market; stolen identity; fake documents; green card; Mexican immigrants
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Abuse of Power
This series is an investigation into former CSUPD Chief Dexter Yarbrough. Before the investigation began, he had been placed on paid administrative leave and this raised suspicion from J. David McSwane. After much research and interviewing, David revealed a number of cases of misconduct by Yarbrough. These cases of misconduct included sexual harassment and other illegal behaviors. After everything was revealed, Yarbrough resigned and now hiring of university officials and police personnel is highly assessed.
Tags: Colorado State University (CSU); law enforcement; education; college; universities; police officer; Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity(OEOD)
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An Inconvenient truth: Investigative Stories by Andy Meek
This is a collection of investigative pieces reporter Andy Meek did for the Daily News (Memphis, TN) during the last half of 2006. His election story summarized "the inability of local elected officials to prepare properly for the longest ballot in Shelby County history." "Major Hollywood Studio Eyes Memphis" broke the news that Memphis was being considered as a production hub. Also included is a story on property tax overpayments and three stories that provided "exclusive details about a real estate deal that figured prominently in the arrest of two Memphis City Council members."
Tags: elections; film production; property taxes; Diebold electronic voting machines; Tennessee Board of Equalization; reappraisal; Village Roadshow; political corruption scandals; digital billboards; outdoor advertising
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The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation
Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff examine the press coverage during the civil rights movement. The book is the story of how media members' coverage of the civil rights movement informed people of what was going on, and spurred them to action. It details how the national press picked up on the story, which had initially been reported mostly by black reporters and liberal Southern editors.
Tags: Race relations; civil rights; media; press coverage; Martin Luther King; equal rights; national media
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The Great Divide
This four-part series reveals that education in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is overwhelmingly not diverse despite 50 years of supposed desegregation. Economic factors often lead to racial segregation, but research shows that "white flight" causes suburban areas to be just as separated as big cities. The private schooling option also steals many white students from public schools. One school district attempts to prove that with effort almost perfect racial balance can be achieved.
Tags: Brown v. Board of Education; school; diversity; minority; black; African American; integration; equal; education; race; segregation; NAACP; white flight; Jim Crow
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Networks of Influence
This investigation revealed the communication industry has spent $1.1 billion since 1998 to obtain political influence--more than twice a much as the oil and gas industry spent. Money spent on supporting candidates, lobbying, junkets and the practice of government officials leaving their jobs to work for the industries they used to regulate were all scrutinized. While broadcasters usually spent and equal amount of money supporting republicans and democrats, Sinclair Broadcasting Group spent more than 95% on republicans only. Detailed graphs included make the story easy to understand.
Tags: On-line; FCC; Federal Communications Commission; telecommunications; broadcast; political influence; lobby; television; radio; junket; Telecommunications Act of 1996; General Electric; Sinclair; Time Warner