IRE Journal
IRE Radio Podcast | BONUS: Interviewing Liars
How do you get the truth out of a liar? On this bonus episode, experts weigh in on just that. You’ll hear from investigative reporter Matt Apuzzo, former CIA polygraph examiner Barry McManus, and former FBI counterterrorism agent Don Borelli. In this audio pulled from the 2015 IRE Conference, the three discuss how to develop…
Read MoreCrammed Quarters: Exposing inequities of female student housing in Yemen
By Shada Hottam, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism The idea of investigating “Nightmare Dorm at Sana’a University” started after I enrolled at Sana’a University to study TV and radio journalism in 2010. Over the years, I came to hear from my female colleagues about the horrible conditions they lived in at the dormitory, the only…
Read MoreAUDIO: Tips for interviewing liars (and everyone else)
The CIA’s former chief polygrapher, an ex-FBI counterterrorism expert and a Pulitzer-winning reporter walk into a bar. Ok, that’s not true. But the three did come together for a panel at IRE’s 2015 conference in Philadelphia called “Interviewing Liars.” Matt Apuzzo, a New York Times reporter who was on the Associated Press team that revealed…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | Ghost Schools
For years, the U.S. has pushed education as one of its major triumphs in Afghanistan. The government helped build schools, train teachers, issue textbooks and educate scores of girls. And for years, that legacy went relatively unchecked. But when Azmat Khan of BuzzFeed News began questioning the numbers and visiting schools in the region this…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | The Bite Ratio
You don’t want to have a run-in with a police dog in North Port, Florida. A year-long investigation by Michael Davidson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune found that North Port’s canines have been biting people at an alarming rate. And the dogs aren’t just drawing a little blood. Many of suspects on the receiving end of…
Read MoreHow to get interviews while staying human
At the 2015 IRE Conference in Philadelphia, Scott Friedman, Keli Rabon, and Scott Zamost gave their best tips for convincing unsure or powerful sources to sit down for television interviews. Here are excerpts from the panel that outline their best pieces of advice. Scott Friedman, a Senior Investigative Reporter at NBC5/Dallas-Fort Worth, spells out his…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | ICE’s Secret List
What happens to immigrants convicted of sex crimes? The answer, Maria Sacchetti found out, is often unsettling. Her investigation for the Boston Globe revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was quietly releasing violent offenders back into the U.S. when their home countries wouldn’t take them. On this episode, Sacchetti talks about the reporting process…
Read MoreInvestigative reporter sentenced to prison
Today investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison in the country of Azerbaijan. According to one of Ismayilova’s employers, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Ismayilova was found guilty of embezzlement, tax evasion, abuse of power and running an illegal business. OCCRP reports that human rights groups believe Ismayilova’s conviction is…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | Indiana Daily Student
With students across the country heading back to campus, we thought it was time to take a behind-the-scenes look at a student investigation. This week we’re talking to Megan Jula, a journalism student at Indiana University, about her reporting on the school’s mental health care services. Megan found that Indiana (and many other large public…
Read MoreAUDIO: Tips for interviewing victims of trauma, sexual assault
By Allison Wrabel Reporting on sexual assault has been a topic of discussion in recent years, lately in regard to assaults on college campuses. Speakers participating in a panel at the 2015 IRE Conference discussed best practices for talking to victims, corroborating stories and striking an emotional balance. Sheila S. Coronel, dean of academic affairs…
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