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Behind the Story: How the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel learned about an ATF sting gone wrong

February 13, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: How the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel learned about an ATF sting gone wrong

Credit: Lou Saldivar, Journal Sentinel Graphics Editor John Diedrich and Raquel Rutledge of the Journal Sentinel had an opportunity to gain rare insight into an undercover government operation in 2012. Their watchdog reporting on the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ sting operation in Milwaukee revealed the operation may have done more harm…

Behind the Story: Tackling the unusual, problematic ‘contract for deed’ housing deal

February 7, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Tackling the unusual, problematic ‘contract for deed’ housing deal

Minneapolis Star Tribune photoRon Folger of Minneapolis lost his rental license last year city and began selling properties to low-income families on a plan known as a contract-for-deed transaction. In January, Jeffrey Meitrodt, Investigations Editor at the Star Tribune, reported on problematic contract-for-deed sales of homes in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. The sales are frequently used…

Eight newsrooms awarded grants for data projects

February 1, 2013 | Comments Off on Eight newsrooms awarded grants for data projects

IRE is pleased to announce that eight newsrooms will be awarded grants thanks to the $50,000 donation from Google Ideas. The grants will support data-driven investigations by providing journalists with access to data, new tools and necessary training.  The fund’s two broad priorities were to support specific investigative projects and to better equip news organizations…

Behind the Story: Questionable border patrol shootings

January 30, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Questionable border patrol shootings

In December, Tim Steller, a reporter and now columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, reported on the increasing number of shootings occurring between Border Patrol and illegal immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border.  The victims in some cases appear to have been unarmed.  This fact and the lack of transparency in the investigations has cast doubt…

Money trail for Sandy begins as Congress approves $51 billion in disaster aid

January 29, 2013 | Comments Off on Money trail for Sandy begins as Congress approves $51 billion in disaster aid

On Monday Congress approved $51 billion in disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, three months after the storm that killed more than 130 people and caused billions in damage to the Atlantic coast. Follow the money with IRE’s coverage page, Hurricane Sandy: Covering the Aftermath The spending was heavily debated and at a time sparked bipartisan…

Behind the Story: Post-Dispatch mapping finds ‘hot spots’ of pedestrian railroad deaths

January 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Behind the Story: Post-Dispatch mapping finds ‘hot spots’ of pedestrian railroad deaths

Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In December, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch released Death on the Rails, a special report on the surprising number of pedestrian deaths that have occurred on railways.  Reporter Todd Frankel explains how he cross-referenced databases and resources to build his own map…

Introducing Total Newsroom Training, a new program from IRE

January 16, 2013 | Comments Off on Introducing Total Newsroom Training, a new program from IRE

IRE is launching a new program and is looking for news organizations dedicated to doing watchdog work. This is your newsroom’s opportunity to have intense, in-house investigative training — for free. If your organization is hungry for customized investigative training and can’t afford it, apply today. Spots are limited. Total Newsroom Training from IRE is designed to…

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