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Fresh tip sheets in the Resource Center
Several new tip sheets are available in the Resource Center from recent Ethnic Media Watchdog Workshops. Topics include tracking federal stimulus money, analyzing Census data, obtaining public records and honing interview skills. For the newest tip sheets, search for “ethnic media” and restrict the year to 2009. IRE members can download tip sheets at no…
Read MoreDrastic swings in test scores lead to questions of cheating
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found 19 public elementary schools statewide with extraordinary gains or drops in standardized test scores between spring last year and this year — raising questions of cheating.
Read MoreHistorical records used to identify forgotten lead smelter
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is opening an investigation of possible lead contamination in an Atlanta neighborhood after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution unearthed old documents showing that a lead smelter spewed lead dust over the area for decades. Old smelting industry directories, property records and mothballed regulatory files were used to identify the old Evans Metal…
Read MoreQuestionable individuals retain U.S. pilots licenses
Analysis of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database made available to ABCNews.com showed that “a notorious drug kingpin, a convicted arms trafficker and several other individuals linked to aviation-connected crimes continue to hold FAA pilots licenses,” according to a report by Eric Longabardi and Joseph Rhee. The findings raise questions in the efforts of the…
Read MoreKnowing how to maneuver legislative records is half the battle
With a little legislative know-how, even a novice reporter can distinguish between complex political positions between lobbyists, interests groups and politicians, according to veteran reporter Brian Joseph from the Orange County Register. It’s all about knowing where your state government records such routine information.
Read MoreHit the streets for better coverage
New York Times reporter David Gonzalez shares his secrets to great neighborhood beat reporting. For better stories and better sourcing, your time is best spent walking the streets of your coverage area.
Read MoreWasting Away series
In a city ravaged by the highest rate of AIDS case in the nation, the D.C. Health Department paid millions to nonprofit groups that delivered substandard services or failed to account for any work at all, even as sick people searched for care or died waiting. A ten-month Washington Post investigation found AIDS money was…
Read MoreEnvironmental violations continue due to uneven enforcement
A review of Pennsylvania environmental records by Christopher Baxter of The Morning Call (Allentown, Penn.) found eight years of stop-and-go enforcement by the Department of Environmental Protection that allowed a steel coating plant to continue operating despite violating dozens of environmental regulations.
Read MoreLocation essential to an informative interview
Andy Hall, executive director and reporter for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, shares his thoughts on the art of the interview. He points out that a purposive or changing setting can elicit key details on your interview subject. Hall was a panelist at a recent Better Watchdog Workshop in Madison, Wis.
Read MoreInternational adoptions fraught with problems
David Shaffer of the Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) presented a detailed look at how foreign adoptions often lead to nothing but heartbreak for everyone involved, from the birth mother to the adoptive parent. The two-day series also exposed a glaring loophole in a newly implemented treaty aimed at cutting down on corruption in the international…
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