IRE Journal
Campaign cash flow at the state level: Look at contributors, ballot measures
By Beverly Magley and Anne Sherwood, National Institute on Money in State Politics For your stories about 2012 state elections, check out free campaign-finance information at The National Institute on Money in State Politics (followthemoney.org), a nonpartisan not-for-profit organization. In addition to downloadable data sets, you can mine reports on trends and anomalies, as well…
Read More2011 IRE Investigative Books List
IRE’s annual list of investigative books can be viewed here and seen below. More than 200 books published in 2011 made the list. The annual list is compiled by Steve Weinberg. If you know of an investigative/explanatory book written by an American journalist published last year for public sale and fail to see it listed, please…
Read MoreCrimes in the classroom
By Susan Snyder and Dylan Purcell, The Philadelphia Inquirer A series of racial attacks at a Philadelphia high school in late 2009 – and the school district’s inadequate response – prompted The Inquirer to launch an investigation into school violence. Its seven-part series, “Assault on Learning“, and follow-up stories published throughout the past year, showed that…
Read MoreFrom the IRE Office: Awards, website change with the times
This is a season of evolution at IRE We have rebuilt our IRE Awards categories to better reflect the ways in which news is gathered and presented. And we have launched a new website that is easier to navigate, makes it easier for you to take advantage of our resources and gives you more control over…
Read MoreReaction to ‘fracking’ investigation typifies journalists’ challenges
By Charles N. Davis Journalists and journalism advocates rightly focus a great deal of energy on freedom of information law, defending the rights of the press and public to access governmental information. Attempts to control the press through legal means constitute a daily threat to democracy and must be met with systemic pushback. Not all…
Read MoreCollaborative watchdog group follows the funds for rebuilding after Haiti’s aftershocks
By Jane Regan When a massive earthquake killed some 200,000 people and devastated Haiti, billions of aid dollars poured in from around the globe. Groups such as “God’s Pit Crew” and “Drops of Hope” descended on the island, ostensibly to help people rebuild their lives. Although many of us in Haiti had lost friends, family,…
Read MoreInvestigative books of 2010
IRE’s annual list of investigative books can be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet. More than 250 books published in 2010 made the list, which includes title, author and publisher. The annual list is compiled by Steve Weinberg. Author(s) Title Publisher Year published Abraham, Laurie The Husbands and Wives Club Touchstone 2010 Alter, Jonathan The Promise:…
Read MoreIRE Mentoring works
By Reyna Gobel and Margaret Engel Here’s a reminder to those attending this year’s IRE convention — don’t forget to sign up to be a mentor or a mentee. We did and lives changed as a result. Three years ago, we were matched by IRE and had breakfast in Phoenix during the annual conference. The…
Read MorePork or Protection? Follow the money in your community to fight terrorism
By G.W. Schulz Center for Investigative Reporting Nearly $70,000 worth of surveillance gear left unused in its original packaging by a county north of San Francisco. A $2,300 plasma TV for university cops. More than $1.3 million spent without maintaining proper documentation to show where it went. Millions more in bomb-disposal robots and new communications…
Read MoreWrestlers and real estate: Student investigation leads to probe of sales involving coaches, athletes
By Chris Ison University of Minnesota Even to seasoned reporters, long-term investigative projects look like mountains. The long climb will bring breaking news stories and beat duties that distract them, impatient editors who divert them, and months of digging that might turn up little to justify the time and expense. Combined, an exciting idea can…
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