The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets 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. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "court documents" ...
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Unsung Documents
This tipsheet provides information on how to find and effectively use documents in your reporting. It also give tips on working with material once you've obtained it. They also include a "favorite list" of docu
Tags: tax liens; campaign contributions; court records; flight logs; flight manifests; air travel consumer reports; unemployment; workers' comp; real estate; 911 tapes; surveillance videos
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Investigative Business Journalism
Cohn's detailed tipsheet discusses investigative tips and techniques for covering foundations, nonprofits and charities with examples of the types of documents and resources critical to this type of reporting - from 990s to human sources. Part 2 of the tipsheet explores investigations of private companies.
Tags: nonprofit; charity; foundation; private business; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; Form 990; 990s; consolidated financial statements; civil court; criminal court; federal agencies; FOIA
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Investigating Probation
Neff's tipsheet provides information about the records and documents you should seek when investigating probation, including the need to know the specifics of your state's laws. Included in with the tipsheet are examples of these various documents.
Tags: probation; court records; court documents; crime reports; crime reporting; prison records; probation violation records;
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Education: From cheaters to teachersr
The reporters created an extensive list of documents and sources that can be used to cover the education beat. They also include advice as you approach your coverage of this beat.
Tags: Incident reports; court records; transcripts; Department of Education's discipline database; sex offender registry; attorney general; public records; misconduct; administrative hearings; personnel files
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Investigating Fraud: Schemes, Scondrels and Scams
The authors discuss how to uncover and report on fraud. The tipsheet offers suggestions for documenting fraud, such as finding a paper trail or videotaping the scheme. Then, the tipsheet discusses how to turn your findings into a well-organized, effective investigative piece. Finally, the tipsheet includes useful websites for finding court records, consumer information, corporations, property records, regulators and more.
Tags: internet sources; undercover investigations; visual story-telling; story ideas; consumer investigations; crime; fraud
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The Keys to the Courthouse
The author offers tips for developing the cops and courts beat. He suggests spending a lot of time at the court house and getting to know key players, like judges, baliffs, and law clerks. Burstein also discusses documents like search warrants and probable cause affidavits which are stored at the court house and could lead to good stoy ideas. Finally, the tipsheet includes some story ideas that go beyond the criminal trials one expects from a courts reporter.
Tags: courts; beat reporting; crime; justice system; criminal justice; story ideas
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Covering the Drug Industry
This PowerPoint presentation goes into detail about covering the drug industry. It includes examples of industry reports, court documents and FDA warning letters. McKie discusses various sources for reporters, as well as general advice for reporters on this beat.
Tags: drug industry; pharmaceuticals; FDA; doctors; prescription medication
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Corporate Documents
Skertic discusses ways to familiarize yourself with corporate documents to improve your reporting on the business beat. He recommends using SEC filings, court records, and uniform commercial code filings in business investigations. He thoroughly explains each source, describes the various forms companies are required to file, and lists information available from each place.
Tags: business; beat reporting; SEC; government; corporate intelligence; EDGAR
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Investigating forensics
Mejia comprehensively explains crime lab investigations. She suggests what questions to start with, what types of tests to examine, online resources, sources to interview, and documents to find.
Tags: crime labs; law enforcement; forensics; science; criminal justice system; courts; FBI; police
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Basics of Investigating Big Business: Digging into Corporate Reports and Numbers
This tipsheet lists key documents and people sources that are useful when investigating a business. The lists include SEC filings, court filings, insider trading records, former executives and accounting experts. The tipsheet also includes a list of "red flags" that could signal corporate problems. The tipsheet includes some articles by the Wall Street Journal that show how those tips were implemented.
Tags: business; filings; fraud; corporate fraud; accounting