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 "criminals" ...
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(More than 5) Databases for criminal justice reporting
Roberts discusses the "data-rich" nature of the criminal justice beat, identifying several key databases for reporters. Examples include 911 response data, jail bookings, jury selection transcripts, National Corrections Reporting program and many more
Tags: crime; arrest; jail; courts; police; criminal justice; violent offenders; sexual offenders; prison; inmates; judicial reporting; NACJD; NCRP; jury; juries; court docket
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Check your sources: Figuring out what criminal justice data and documents really say
Gabrielson's tipsheet addresses identifying the shortcomings in data - specifically criminal justice data. Gabrielson points out common mistakes made when using the data, and how to avoid them.
Tags: Uniform Crime Reports; police records; Federal Bureau of Investigations; FBI; clearance rates; clearance rates; conviction rates
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Borrowers Betrayed: Covering Business as a Crime Scene
This tipsheet details how a computer-assisted reporting investigation into toxic home loans turned into a crime story when in-depth analysis showed 10,000 people with criminal histories had been licensed as mortgage professionals.
Tags: mortgage; subprime; toxic loans; Florida; criminal justice; shoe-leather reporting; fraud; real estate; brokerage; stolen identity
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Criminal justice investigations: tips from unexpected people and documents
This tipsheet touches on unexpected people and documents in criminal justice reporting. "Rivalries and jealousies open the door to tips and document leaks for well-positioned reporters." Diedrich details a number of these type of sources and materials.
Tags: crime; justice; police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; probation agents; judges; clerks; convicts; warrants; arrest reports; autopsy records; indictments; trial exhibits
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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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Backgrounding People and Businesses on the Web
Dowdell provides a helpful framework for all your backgrounding needs. Starting with a strategy and some basic questions, she provides suggested helpful links for finding information on people and businesses on the web.
Tags: backgrounding; background check; business; property records; court records; public records; criminal background check; campaign contributions; politicians; articles of incorporation; business license; professional license
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Tips for taking on repeat criminal stories
Pardue makes suggestions for the questions to pursue when reporting on repeat criminal stories.
Tags: crime; probation; department of corrections; police department; crime statistics;
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Criminal Justice: The Flaws of Forensic Science
Kent, from the Maryland Public Defenders Office, lists the problems with forensic science and the unreliability of DNA evidence.
Tags: DNA evidence; nuclear analysis; fingerprinting; forensic science; court; trial;
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Immigration Consequences of Criminal Conviction
This tipsheet offers "a brief overview of parts of immigration laws which are relevant to attorneys defending non-citizens against criminal charges."
Tags: immigration; law; government; justice; attorneys; courts; deportation
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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