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 "public safety" ...
-
Anatomy of an Investigation
Use these tips when investigating safety issues involving construction sites and buildings that are already in use.
Tags: construction; school safety; oversight; public records; mismanagement; documents
-
Investigating Public School Construction
Holland gives tips on how to use public records, confidential sources and computer-assisted reporting to expose reckless spending and shoddy construction in your public school's construction.
Tags: construction; school safety; oversight; public records
-
Integrating CAR
Dowdell and Wert gives advice on the importance of collecting data and the benefits of setting up independent databases, and offer tips on specific subpoints to cover under topics such as Sports, Crime/Public Safety, Education, Business, etc.
Tags: data; databases; investigative methods
-
Latest Developments in State Public Records Laws
This tipsheet outlines progress being made in public record laws in the U.S. Included are resources for information on public records and FOIA.
Tags: public records; public employees; autopsy records; 911 tapes; public safety;
-
Data on Deadline
This tipsheet lists helpful websites to use when you need to access data on deadline. Suggested data links include the American Community Survey to campaign finance data to tracking airplane tail numbers.
Tags: data; quick hit; deadline; census; campaign finance; aviation; transportation; economics; FAA; NHTSA; automobile; consumer safety; politics; courts; federal spending; databases; reporting
-
Investigating Public Health Agencies & Programs
The author discusses how to investigate public health agencies. She includes advice for reporting in crisis situations, as well as story ideas for enterprise pieces about the agencies. The tipsheet includes sources for covering notifiable diseases in your area, bioterrorism funds, lab safety, and lab animal welfare.
Tags: public health; local government; state government; CDC; MMWR; story ideas; beat reporting
-
Using Testing for Stories
The authors discuss how to go about an investigation based on testing, such as determining bacteria levels in restrooms, lead in toys or levels of caffeine in coffee. The tipsheet includes information about determining what to test, finding a lab, financing the investigation, methodology and writing the final story. The tipsheet also lists many examples of successful testing-based investigations.
Tags: testing; public safety; bacteria; science; writing; story telling
-
Infastructure CAR
The authors list and explain sources for infrastructure data, such as the National Bridge Inventory, Consolidated Federal Funds Reports, and the Highway Safety Information System. For each source, the authors describe what sort of data is available and how it can be used for CAR stories. The authors also list additional resources and other tipsheets on the same topic.
Tags: dams; bridges; highway; federal government; online resources; public data; story ideas
-
Getting the most mileage out of your broadcast investigation
McKie advises journalists to "choose a topic that has important public policy implications," and then, quoting Carl Sessions Stepp 'show the impact of your story." On methodology, he suggests locating the "greatest number of records" and identifying the players: regulators, advocates, winners, losers, etc. McKie also has advice on story lines, getting the most out of the Web and building a team, and including the online people from the beginning.
Tags: public policy; government action; government inaction; regulators; E-journalism; workplace safety; story ideas; convergence; broadcast track
-
Federal Databases You Need
This study of federal databases touches on various federal databases that can be helpful, including the Federal Assistance Awards Data System and sites on transportation, public safety and campaign finance.
Tags: federal databases; Federal Procurement Data System; Consolidated Federal Funds Report; Federal Assitance Awards Data System; census; truck inspections