By Daniel Gilbert Bristol (Va.) Herald Courier On Sunday, our newspaper launched an eight-day investigative series on mineral rights that draws extensively on techniques I learned at IRE’s August boot camp on computer-assisted reporting. The stories focus on landowners forced by the state of Virginia to lease their mineral rights to private companies. The companies…
Read MoreA series by the Bristol (Va.) Herald Courier exposed problems with Virginia’s mineral rights leasing program. Landowners have been forced to lease their mineral rights to private companies with the promise of royalties in return. “But instead of reaching the pockets of mineral owners, the money is funneled into an opaque state-run escrow fund, where…
Read MoreA nine-month investigation by the Center for Public Integrity looks at sexual assaults on college campuses. “According to a report funded by the Department of Justice, roughly one in five women who attend college will become the victim of a rape or an attempted rape by the time she graduates. But official data from the…
Read MoreTired of feeling frustrated by spreadsheets or intimidated by databases? Or maybe you’ve mastered basic computer-assisted reporting skills and are ready to dive into mapping. Intensive IRE boot camps can help you hone new skills to produce more compelling stories and make yourself invaluable in your newsroom, all in a few days of practical training.…
Read MoreThe New England Center for Investigative Journalism found that 13 of the 21 companies awarded federal stimulus contracts from the Massachusetts Transportation Highway Division failed to disclose serious pollution or workplace safety penalties leveled against them, as is required by law. Together, these companies have received $54 million dollars of federal money. As a result…
Read MoreAn investigation by Daniel Chacón of The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) found that the “Colorado Springs Police Department’s tracking of dozens of take-home government-owned vehicles is so incomplete no one can say if officers are using them to respond to emergencies, commuting or personal errands.” The police department was not aware of the issue until…
Read MoreBlake Morrison, Peter Eisler and Anthony DeBarros of USA Today report that a recall of tainted beef from Beef Packers of Fresno, Calif. did not include beef supplied to schools. Their investigation calls into question whether adequate steps were taken to ensure meat supplied for school lunches was safe for consumption. Beef Packers has had…
Read MoreBy Mike McGraw, The Kansas City Star I’ve been a reporter for nearly 40 years, with most of that time spent as an investigative reporter. I love what I do and have never wanted to do anything else. Three things turned me on to investigative reporting: Covering organized labor in Kansas City in the 1970s…
Read MoreTony Kennedy of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reports that some of the state’s charter schools have found a loophole in the Minnesota law that forbids charter schools from owning property. Millions of dollars in public money have gone to build schools even though the properties remain in the hands of private nonprofit corporations. According to…
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