IRE News
Few things in life (and journalism) are literally irrefutable and nonnegotiable. But we think this list comes pretty close. Journalists who use data come from a variety of backgrounds and have a wide spectrum of resources, skills, and time to do the work. Regardless of these differences, we’ve put together some simple rules that apply…
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) database has just been updated in the NICAR Database Library. WHAT’S IN IT? This Act requires all banks, savings and loans, savings banks and credit unions with assets of more than $33 million and offices in metropolitan areas to report mortgage applications. Each loan record contains demographic information about loan applicants,…
Would you feel safe if your pharmacist had lost his license because of drug abuse or theft, yet had regained it and was dispensing your prescriptions? What about if he had lost his license twice? Naomi Schalit and John Christie of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting found that since 2003, thirteen pharmacists with…
Last weekend IRE hosted a new bootcamp for journalists to learn web scraping and programming in Python. IRE offers workshops like this often — check our events and training page for opportunities to learn new data skills. But if you were unable to make a bootcamp or just can’t wait until NICAR14 to start learning, here are some resources to help…
The Knight Foundation has published a new book titled “Searchlights and Sunglasses: Field Notes from the Digital Age of Journalism,” which looks at the challenges facing journalism and includes essays on investigative reporting. Written by Eric Newton of the Knight Foundation, the text is intended to double as a tool for journalism educators, with more…
On Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, IRE hosted a Google Hangout on sports investigations. Drawing on the issues presented in the latest IRE Journal, the discussion will focus on the need for investigative reporting in local sports, techniques for finding stories and balancing investigative work with beat reporting. Particpants included: Moderator: Kevin Blackistone, University…
Join IRE on a Google+ Hangout for a discussion on investigating local sports, Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Kevin Blackistone, University of Maryland professor and frequent ESPN panelist, will moderate a discussion including: Eric Prisbell, National College Basketball Writer at USA Today Amy Shipley, Reporter at the South Florida Sun Sentinel Scott Reid, Reporter…