Investigative reporting allows you to dig deeper into complex issues and corruption. This guide by John Emshwiller, a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter, will maximize your chances of finding an in-depth story.
Using Small Business Administration 7(a) loan data, Lynn Hulsey and Ken McCall of the Dayton Daily News found a pattern of defaults among some restaurant franchise owners, and few payments on some defaulted loans. They write: “More than half of the 168,324 charged-off loans failed before 20 percent of the loan was repaid. More than [...]
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists digs into offshore accounts with its worldwide series “Secrecy for Sale: Inside the Global Offshore Money Maze.” The ongoing series kicked off April 3 after 15 months of reporting. Tracking offshore accounts can be done with tips from insiders and some luck, says senior editor Mike Hudson. But ICIJ benefited [...]
Not many hospitals report cancer survival rate data, says Robin Respaut of Reuters. There are no reporting regulations for those who do. When she and reporter Sharon Begley looked at the numbers, data reported by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America stood out. They write: “What sets CTCA apart is that rejecting certain patients and, [...]
Underfunded pensions are a huge issue these days. MaryJo Webster of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spent about six months studying and investigating public pensions in Minnesota. Her work paid off with a great explanatory piece as part of the paper’s on-going series. Today, she is sharing tips to help you navigate through your state’s plans with ease. [...]
Too often when I read stories with first-person references, I can’t understand why the writers chose certain moments to make themselves part of the story. I honestly don’t care where the writer sat when the coffee arrived. That’s the challenge Jay Greene of CNET considered when his editor suggested a first-person perspective for his stories [...]
Poke behind the winners of most major investigative awards from the Pulitzer to Barlett & Steele to the Loebs, and you’ll usually find a database.
Michael J. Berens, who won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, calls databases, especially those you put together yourself, the “secret ingredient” in award-winning work. Join him for this two-hour webinar Oct. 22-23 and learn how to break out of the pack and create “powerful works from facts that are hiding in plain sight,” as Berens puts it.
With East Coast regions expecting as much as three feet of snow shortly, courtesy of what the Weather Channel has named Winter Storm Nemo, the financial effects already have begun to ripple nationwide. Even if you’re in one of the balmier markets nationwide, businesses in your area likely will be experiencing either a boost or [...]
Donald Barlett & Jim Steele, the storied investigative business journalism duo, were recently featured on C-SPAN’s Book TV for an in-depth session that covered everything from past award-winning series to the team’s new book, “The Betrayal of the American Dream.” And when you have a body of work that stretches over 40 years, includes eight [...]
By Mary Fricker How can reporters cover this beat in their own backyard? Where should they begin? Earnings: One good place to begin would be with earnings reports. Every local earnings story should include a look at where the organization gets its money. Here are some other ideas, with examples. Search these documents for “repurchase [...]
