On the beat: Government

• Event: 2012 IRE Conference
• Speakers: TBA
• Date/Time: Saturday, June 16 at 9:40 a.m.
• Location: Salon E
• Audio file: No audio file available.

Panelists will discuss how to incorporate coverage of a local or state pension system into a government beat, such as statehouse or city hall. Participants will receive background information about how to understand a pension system, including key terms that will make reporters conversant
in pension-speak and what documents to use to find various stories. Panelists will also discuss investigating quasi-governmental entities such as ambulance trusts and various documents to request when following the
money. Finally, panelists will discuss how to measure the effectiveness of boards that oversee government agencies, including how to spot boards that rubber stamp actions by key officials.

Related Tipsheets

• Reporting on public-sector pensions
  This tipsheet is a must for anyone covering pensions. Frank goes over the basics, gives you story ideas and tells you the documents and sources you need and the pitfalls to avoid.

• Templates for coverage of government
  Hall provides his Powerpoint from the panel On the Beat: Government. He lays out how to make the most of your investigation.