Posts by adam@ire.org
States of denial
By Megan Rhyne, Virginia Coalition for Open Government As the director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government – a 29-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit devoted to helping the public navigate the ins and outs of access to state and local government records and meetings – I’m often asked which state has the best open records or…
Read MorePublic records revealed the truth about how my son was shot to death by police
By Sheila Albers “There was a Honda Odyssey minivan in the garage. As the door opened, the minivan backed up, toward the second officer who was standing directly behind it. The officer drew his sidearm. He shouted “STOP THE CAR” in a booming voice that was picked up by another officer’s in-car recording system a…
Read MoreThe quest for diversity evolves
By Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE & NICAR When I think about the future of diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion in the journalism industry in these uncertain times, I remind myself it’s nothing new to those who have studied and been a part of this work that has been going on for more than seven decades. DBEI…
Read MoreTrump 2.0
By David Cuillier, Brechner Freedom of Information Project Here we go again. And then some. The new presidential administration appears determined to conduct its work in secrecy, requiring even more diligence from investigative reporters. Eight years ago, I wrote an FOI Files column about the beginning of Donald J. Trump’s first term, noting agency clampdowns…
Read MoreFinding myself in news
By Amanda Morris, The Washington Post Growing up, I did not have friends who wore hearing aids like me. As a mainstreamed kid — who went to regular public school with hearing people instead of going to a deaf school — my only frame of reference for my experiences was my older brother Brett, who…
Read MoreReporting on inequality
By Jennifer LaFleur, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Imagine a broad group of people regularly excluded from social, governmental and employment activities because systemic and structural barriers keep them out. A pretty important story, right? Yet it’s one that too often goes uncovered. For investigative reporters, it’s an opportunity to do data-driven stories that…
Read MoreTom Koch’s vision for public health
By Doug Meigs, IRE & NICAR Journalist and scholar Tom Koch built his career writing at the intersection of public health and social justice. Now, the longtime IRE member is helping a new generation of public health reporters and journalists working with disabilities. Koch himself has low vision, and he had to fight for fair…
Read MoreOpening Letter: Disability news and community
By Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE & NICAR Visibility in the news comes and goes for historically marginalized communities. This is especially true for people living with a disability. Major events and milestones — such as the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Disability Pride Month, the Paralympics or the COVID-19 pandemic — have centered these…
Read MoreInvestigator’s Toolbox: Four starters
By Nakylah Carter, IRE & NICAR Disability is often excluded from conversations about diversity, but there are many resources available to help journalists address this problem. Although not an exhaustive list, IRE has gathered the following four guides as a helpful starting point for improving your newsroom’s disability coverage. As social norms rapidly change regarding…
Read MoreData reveals school voucher shortcomings
By Neelam Bohra, The Texas Tribune Are government programs to support disabled residents adequately serving the community? Two newsrooms in Texas explored this question in the context of public school privatization and dangerous residential care facilities. Project: “Inaccessible Private Schools or Underfunded Public Schools: Texas’ Disabled Students Have Few Options With No Change in Sight”…
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