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Behind the Story: Sweeping FOIAs, document-mining reveal problems with Norway kindergartens

April 2, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Sweeping FOIAs, document-mining reveal problems with Norway kindergartens

By John Bones, Verdens Gang Rather than a traditional front page, VG created this cover, which reads “Mom and dad think I am safe in the kindergarten, but is it true?” It started like an ordinary news story last October. One of our reporters, Frank Haugsbo, made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the…

Mobile apps for investigative journalists

March 22, 2013 | Comments Off on Mobile apps for investigative journalists

Journalists can now carry many of the essential reporting tools — camera, voice recorder, notepad, phone, police scanner — with them in one hand-held device. But that same device can carry a police scanner, a document scanner, a photo editor, a video camera and a flight tracker. You can record audio and take time-stamped notes.…

Behind the Story: Tax forms and FEC filings reveal nonprofit’s political activity

March 20, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Tax forms and FEC filings reveal nonprofit’s political activity

Learning about sources of political spending can be “like unpacking a Russian nesting doll,” says Michael Beckel, a politics reporter for the Center for Public Integrity. Using tax filings as his primary source, Beckel investigated the third most politically-active nonprofit in 2012 as part of the Center for Public Integrity’s Consider the Source project.  “In…

Behind the Story: Simple math reveals errors in lucrative speed camera system

March 15, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Simple math reveals errors in lucrative speed camera system

This car received a ticket from a Baltimore area camera while stopped at a red light. This case was one of the errors uncovered in the Baltimore Sun’s series on red light cameras. The Baltimore Sun’s investigation of red light cameras over the past year prompted changes to the system a city task force to…

IRE members take home first and second prize of the Nakkula Award

March 14, 2013 | Comments Off on IRE members take home first and second prize of the Nakkula Award

IRE would like to congratulate IRE member Ryan Gabrielson of California Watch for winning the first place prize of the Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting From the press release: “Gabrielson won for “Broken Shield,” an investigative series that exposed shoddy police work at California institutions for the disabled. His stories chronicle the activities of…

La Nacion efforts bring open data to Argentina

March 13, 2013 | Comments Off on La Nacion efforts bring open data to Argentina

After taking an introductory data journalism course, a small group in Argentina set out to transform the way data journalism was done in their country, a country where data was barely updated, let alone public. They fought for open data and analyze it in the public interest. The result of their efforts is La Nacion…

Introducing ninth beat book: Investigating Religion

March 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Introducing ninth beat book: Investigating Religion

IRE is proud to offer the ninth title in the beat book series, Investigating Religion: An Investigative Reporter’s Guide by Debra L. Mason and Amy B. White. Investigating Religion includes chapters on what public records you can request, finding sources and knowing which are credible and best practices on the religion beat. To order a copy, click here.…

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