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 "transparency" ...
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Starting up: Lessons Learned in Creating Investigative Centers
Get advice from the pro's on starting a nonprofit investigative newsroom, best practices for producing editorial content, transparency in financial operations, and handling administrative and technical issues.
Tags: nonprofit; organization; starting-up
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FOIA Tip sheet
This tipsheet gives guidance for reporters needing to file a FOIA request. It includes eight recommendations for how to file a FOIA request, along w/ a list of resources on the topic.
Tags: Freedom of Information; transparency; FOIA; Sunshine Laws
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Office of Government Information Services: Government Transparency Resources
This tipsheet lists resources for government transparency (including links).
Tags: transparency; FOIA; president; attorney general; White House; open government; FOIA Dashboard
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Campaign Finance: Tracking the Money
This tipsheet outlines important facts for those reporting on campaign finance and outlines information reporters should look at when analyzing campaign finance information. It also provides links to several useful sites/organizations who track campaign finance information, including some that provide data for download.It also touches on lobbying information.
Tags: campaign finance; lobbying; Federal Election Commission; FEC; PAC; political action committees; Center for Responsive Politics; Sunlight Foundation; Political Party Time; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; National Institute on Money in State Politics; TransparencyData.com; Congrelate.org
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Dissecting 990s
Kamb explains the 990 tax form that nonprofits must submit to the IRS in lieu of a tax return. He discusses who files them; variations of the form; resources for understanding them; your rights in requesting them; where to request a 990; and problems & limitations. He also includes a detailed comparison of the old vs. new 990 forms.
Tags: nonprofit; charity; tax form; tax-exempt; taxpayer bill of rights; Guidestar; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; transparency
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Stimulus Webinar
Cohen dissects the stimulus explaining some of the basics, and describing the best way to report on it. Cohen includes a list of possible story ideas using stimulus data.
Tags: stimulus; economic recovery; The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RAT); Office of Management and Budget; OMB; federal spending; recovery.gov; USASpending.gov; contracts: FPDS;
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Hiding in Plain Sight: The Power of Public Records
Mulvihill provides examples of stories done with public records, and outlines your right to access. She discusses how denials of public records requests can become part of the story.
Tags: public records; FOIA; Freedom of Information Act; transparency; data; state audits; federal audits
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The Border: From immigration to crime data
This tipsheet lists helpful resources to consult when reporting on various topics related to the U.S. - Mexico border. The resources (mostly websites) are organized into 6 categories: Immigration and other population issues; Justice, Transparency, Corruption; Health and Environment; Economic and other Statistics; General Border and Mexico-US Information; and, Agricultural and rural issues.
Tags: Latin America; foreign relations; globalization; trade; foreign aid