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Listen to Steve Doig, Knight Chair in Journalism at Arizona State University, and Philip Meyer, recently retired Knight Chair at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, discuss the past and future of precision journalism. They share examples of how social science techniques and advances in personal computing have given journalists the tools to…
Read MoreThe Dallas Morning News spent months looking at Dallas County’s 19 DNA exonerations as well as current felony cases in an investigation that highlights flaws in the witness identification process. Despite known problems with eyewitness testimony, police and prosecutors still rely upon it to secure convictions. “The fallibility of eyewitness testimony revealed by DNA exonerations…
Read MoreChristine Byers of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has found that Missouri and Illinois have some of the highest numbers of known methamphetamine labs, yet both states fail to ensure that former labs get decontaminated when properties are seized. Additionally, there are no laws mandating that new residents are notified of potential contamination before moving into the…
Read MoreWest Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) has agreed to pay his mistress, Patricia Allen, $121,000 according to an investigative report by ABC News’ Emma Schwartz, Rhonda Schwartz and Vic Walter. In addition to the payment, Mahoney also offered Allen a job at the agency that handles his campaign advertising. Mahoney was elected following the…
Read MoreBrian Joseph of the Orange County Register reports that the nation’s largest water district has known for eight years about uranium contamination at the site of a proposed groundwater storage project, but failed to disclosed this information to key officials or the public. “The top official at the water district says the contamination is isolated…
Read MoreJason Grotto, Laurie Cohen and Sara Olkon of the Chicago Tribune found that the Chicago Housing Authority, despite vows to reform its failing policies, has spent hundreds of millions of federal tax dollars on “housing complexes that preserve the very policies the plan was meant to reverse.” With crime and pollution on the rise, many…
Read MoreAn investigation by The Seattle Times shows that Congressional earmarks remain a problem despite efforts in ethics reform. A Times analysis of the 2008 defense bill found $3.5 in hidden earmarks, and used this to point out flaws in efforts to curb these favors. Members of the House violated laws mandating disclosure of earmarks 110…
Read MoreLiane Hansen and Jenni Bergal of NPR caution used car buyers to check their cars for signs of air bag fraud. In their investigation, they found that some car dealers and body shops either removed air bags from cars or did not replace deployed air bags. Air bag compartments were often stuffed with items such…
Read MoreMichael Luo and Griff Palmer of The New York Times report that nearly 3,000 donations to Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama’s campaign have been in the name of fake donors. While some of the campaign contributions had been refunded, Times analysis found about $40,000 in questionable donations had not. Mr. Obama has raised approximately $450…
Read MoreA $100,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation will allow us to continue and expand our Ethnic Media Watchdog program. The funding will support a series of regional workshops that will bring low-cost, high-quality training on local, regional and national topics to journalists working in small- to medium-sized ethnic media organizations in areas throughout the U.S.…
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