IRE

IRE offers database of SBA disaster loans

By Linda Austin on Aug 30, 2010 in Basics, IRE, Investigation, Latest, Real estate | Econ development, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas

Investigative Reporters and Editors is offering a database of disaster loans made by the Small Business Administration from fiscal 1980 to 2009. Journalists can use this database of 1,088,565 records to find where SBA disaster loans went in their market or determine who is not paying back SBA disaster loans, according to IRE Training Director [...]

IRE offers Webinars in DocumentCloud, broadcast investigations, Twitter, and doing great work with less

By Linda Austin on Aug 05, 2010 in Basics, Best Practices, Career tips, IRE, Investigation, Networking

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is offering Webinars this fall in doing broadcast investigations, analyzing text with DocumentCloud, using Twitter, and doing great work with limited resources. Training Director Jaimi Dowdell offers these descriptions of the sessions, which are all at 2 p.m. EDT and cost $10 for IRE members and $20 for non-members, unless otherwise indicated:

Aug. 26 [...]

Need help investigating stimulus or lenders? Check these training videos

By Reynolds Staff on Jul 27, 2010 in Best Practices, Economy, IRE 2010 Blog, IRE CAR 2010, Investigation, Investing | Banking, Story ideas

We’ve posted two training videos that may be helpful if you’re investigating the stimulus or tracking mortgage lenders. They are graciously provided to us by Investigative Reporters and Editors from sessions at its Computer Assisted Reporting (CAR) Conference in Phoenix in March.
In the video on the federal economic stimulus, reporters Tom Grabell of ProPublica.org and Ben Poston of the [...]

Gannett N.J. papers delve into state’s high tax bills

By Rosland Gammon on Jun 16, 2010 in Best Practices, Featured, IRE, IRE 2010 Blog, Investigation, Personal finance

Gannett New Jersey, comprised of the the Asbury Park Press and five other papers, was recognized during last week’s IRE conference in Las Vegas for its investigative series about New Jersey’s high property taxes. It was also a finalist in the public service category of the 2010 Pulitzer Prizes. Writers Paul D’Ambrosio and Jean Mikle started the series [...]

IRE 2010: Best of the Year, reports from the convention

By Robin J Phillips on Jun 14, 2010 in Featured, IRE 2010 Blog, Investigation

IRE’s 2010 convention in Las Vegas is over, but the lessons learned live on.

Take a look at our IRE 2010 blog. Reynolds Center Executive Director Linda Austin reported on many sessions that offered good tips for business journalists.
And be sure to take time to check out this absolutely awesome 44-page IRE document showcasing the best [...]

How to cover health-care reform locally

By Linda Austin on Jun 13, 2010 in Basics, Best Practices, Health care, IRE, IRE 2010 Blog, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas, TrendingTopic

LAS VEGAS — John Fairhall, senior editor for Kaiser Health News, offered these tips at IRE on how to cover health-care reform in your community:

Stay on top of proposed health-insurance rate increases. Insurers’ filings with state regulators are public record. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners can point you to the office in your state. [...]

Finding fresh angles on the financial collapse

By Linda Austin on Jun 13, 2010 in Basics, Best Practices, Economy, IRE, IRE 2010 Blog, Investigation, Investing | Banking, Story ideas, TrendingTopic

LAS VEGAS — McClatchy Newspapers Washington bureau went looking for “fresh meat on old stories” and local angles on national stories about the financial collapse, one of its reporters, Chris Adams, told IRE. He acknowledged that the bureau “did come into this thing late.” Plus, the bureau, which serves 30 dailies, has a different audience [...]

How to find victims of mortgage fraud

By Linda Austin on Jun 13, 2010 in Basics, Best Practices, Economy, IRE, IRE 2010 Blog, Investigation, Investing | Banking, Real estate | Econ development, Story ideas, TrendingTopic

LAS VEGAS — When he was at The Seattle Times, David Heath produced a compelling story and video about a 90-year-old widow who lost the million-dollar home that she and her husband had built in 1953 because of unscrupulous lending practices.
Now at the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, Heath told IRE attendees how he found her [...]

5 stimulus programs to watchdog locally now

By Linda Austin on Jun 13, 2010 in Basics, Best Practices, Economy, Health care, IRE, IRE 2010 Blog, Investigation, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas, TrendingTopic

LAS VEGAS — AP investigative reporter Matt Apuzzo offers five economic-stimulus programs to look into and three questions to ask about each. Here are the five:

Health information technology. The stimulus contains money for medical electronic records: $2 billion for regional extension centers, $27 billion for hundreds of thousands of doctors’ offices and 5,000 hospitals, and $1 [...]