In this free-read article from Uplink, Gregg Hennigan of The Gazette in Cedar Rapids explains how he used FEMA data and Microsoft Excel spreadsheet tricks to examine the flood aid flowing into eastern Iowa last year. Hennigan, a local government reporter, completed the story after attending and IRE and NICAR computer-assisted reporting boot camp. –…
Read MoreThe Michigan Department of Education’s annual report shows charter schools perform better than other districts, but the department might be changing the method it uses to gauge charter school performance. An article written by Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki and Kristi Tanner states, “… a Free Press analysis shows that almost three out of five charter schools score…
Read MoreEditor’s note: Keegan Kyle attended an IRE Regional Boot Camp at the University of Minnesota Oct. 6-10, 2008. Here’s his story of how the training bolstered his job prospects. (IRE and CUNY will be hosting a Regional Boot Camp in New York June 22-26. For more information and to register go here.) The first time…
Read MoreUPDATE: With the support of dedicated IRE members and others who believe in the importance of investigative journalism, we passed our $75,000 goal. Sincere thanks! IRE gives journalists the skills and tools that enable them to fulfill their watchdog role, and your contribution will assist in continuing these efforts. IRE is a dynamic force in…
Read MoreElise Young of northjersey.com reports that state officials refuse to provide complete public contracts with Ticketmaster. According to the article, the “arrangements give the state millions of dollars from seat sales and the non-refundable ‘convenience’ fees and other charges to fans.” In contracts obtained by The Record, the state’s take in transaction fees was removed.
Read MoreAn Associated Press investigation found that many diabetics are reducing or forgoing doctor visits, medications and testing due to financial pressures. Business writer Linda A. Johnson reports that, “People with other health problems also are cutting back on care amid the recession, but diabetics who don’t closely monitor and control the chronic disease risk particularly…
Read MoreA three-month investigation by voiceofsandiego.org examined a real estate scheme involving three condo projects. According to the article written by Kelly Bennett and Will Carless, “The buyers were straw buyers, individuals who agreed to rent out their identities and good credit scores to a Bay Area man named Jim McConville, whose team obtained mortgages in…
Read MoreSteve Myers of Poynter interviewed Sarah Cohen, database editor for The Washington Post‘s investigative team, on her use of data visualization as part of exploratory reporting. Cohen spoke on the topic at the 2009 CAR Conference in Indianapolis. Download the tipsheet from her presentation here (pdf).
Read MoreA story by William Heisel of the Los Angeles Times focuses on the failures of the federal government’s efforts to revitalize the housing market and to increase affordable housing. For a decade, the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has been giving local governments homes to refurbish and resell to low-income buyers. The story…
Read MoreAn analysis by The Villages (Fla.) Daily Sun found that a driver’s likelihood of getting a speeding ticket in Sumter County increased nearly 400 percent since 2003. According to the article written by Matt Dixon, “In 2007, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office doled out 4,794 speeding tickets, or a 391 percent increase over the 975…
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