On the Road
Deadspin reporting of Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax highlights need for backgrounding story subjects
The ability to background a person is an essential tool for journalists regardless of beat, as shown by news of Lennay Kekua, the deceased girlfriend of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o who never existed but became one of the prominent storylines in sports this year. The fact that Kekua was a complete fabrication is a…
Read MoreVote now for the NICAR 2013 T-shirt
The votes are in and finalists for the NICAR 2013 T-shirt contest have been chosen. Proposals 8, 37, 48, 51 and 53 advanced to the second round of voting. Click here to review the finalists and cast your ballot for the winner. The one with the most votes will become the NICAR 2013 T-shirt. Voting will close…
Read MoreEsri offers free ArcGIS license to CAR Conference attendees
For those of you interested in getting started with mapping, we have great news: Esri is offering a free license to ArcGIS Desktop, a $1,500 value, for Louisville Conference attendees who attend the following four conference sessions: Friday, March 1 9 – 9:50 a.m. Mapping 1: Displaying data geographically (hands-on) 10 – 10:50 a.m. Mapping 2: Importing and selecting data…
Read MoreA case for why journalists should learn statistics
Last weekend I flew to Phoenix for the IRE boot camp in statistics hosted at Arizona State University. Three days and 52 cups of coffee later, I can spot statistical significance. I can run a linear regression on a dependent and independent variable, and I might even be able to tell you what an R-Square…
Read MoreCAR 2013 offers training for all skill levels
So you’re thinking about coming to the CAR Conference, but you’re wondering, “Is this for me?” Whether you’re a reporter, editor, producer, developer, edcuator, blogger, student, etc., chances are your life has become increasingly electronic. To stay competitive in the workplace and continue to produce compelling journalism you are required, at some level, to interact…
Read MoreIRE trains South African journalists as part of Power Reporting conference
By Megan Luther African journalists face different reporting barriers than their colleagues in the U.S., yet they share the desire to learn investigative techniques. IRE traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa at the end of October to train reporters at the annual Power Reporting: The African Investigative Journalism Conference. More than 200 journalists attended the three-day conference, which included typical sessions…
Read MoreInvestigating charities calling for disaster relief money
In the wake of Sandy’s destruction, countless efforts will be made to help victims. Already, ABC/Disney has designated a “Day of giving,” the National Football League and it’s players association has pledged $1 million to the Red Cross and iTunes is directly accepting donations. Countless calls will be made for the public to donate to charities large and…
Read MoreScranton Workshop: Invaluable investigative tools
By Christopher Dolan, University of Scranton From the art of the interview to “Facebook creeping,” we learned many invaluable investigative tools at IRE’s Scranton Watchdog Workshop. During the day-long event, various expert investigative journalists taught the tricks and techniques needed when hunting down a good story. Tisha Thompson from WRC-Washington had many tips for crafting a…
Read MoreNow accepting 2013 CAR Conference T-shirt designs
The journalists who attend the Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference do many things for their newsrooms: They analyze data, build websites, write stories, scrape and acquire records. To honor this work, the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting will sell a T-shirt celebrating the data geek in us all, and you’ll help design it. Proceeds from the shirt will help…
Read MoreBehind the Story: How the marketing of Oxycontin trumped science
For more than a year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been investigating prescription drugs and the dangerous side effects of using opioids ot treat chronic pain. The latest installment of the series tracks the lives of chronic pain sufferers who praised the drug in a 1998 promotional video. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters John Fauber and…
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