Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Religious sect" ...

  • Rajneeshees In Oregon- The Untold Story

    The series chronicled how leaders of a religious sect called the Rajneeshees attempted to murder Oregon officials and sect rivals as their grip on a world operation slipped away.

    Tags: religion; Rajneesshees; Oregon

    By Les Zaitz

    The Oregonian

    2011

  • The Enclave

    David Kelly and Gary Cohn of the Los Angeles Times investigate the failure of public agencies to check the activities of a religious sect on the border of Utah and Arizona. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), an offshoot of Mormonism is the sect. Its members have engaged in polygamy, sexual abuse, spousal abuse and child abuse with no government intervention to curb these crimes.

    Tags: Religious sect; sexual abuse; child abuse; lax law enforcement; Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; FLDS; Mormon offshoots

    By David Kelly; Gary Cohn

    Los Angeles Times

    2006

  • Polygamy in Arizona

    These stories are the latest in the investigation Dougherty began in 2002, which uncovered widespread sexual abuse within a religious society that coerces underage girls into polygamous unions with much older men. In these stories, Dougherty discovered that the sect was in the process of relocating to Eldorado, TX. He also found that the community is afflicted by a rare genetic disorder as a result of its history of inbreeding. Finally, the stories discuss the relationship between the state and the community, especially in the state-funded school district which employs a lot of community people.

    Tags: Colorado City; Mormons; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; sexual abuse; child abuse; cults; state government; local government; polygamy; sect

    By John Dougherty

    New Times (Phoenix)

    2005

  • Children of God

    What began with the video diary of Ricky Rodriguez, a former child member of the religious sect "Children of God," led to an in-depth investigation into the group's history of sexual abuse of its child members. Rodriguez, the son of the group's religious leader was so distraught over the abuse that he murdered the woman he claimed had sexually abused him as a child before killing himself. Though the organization officially claims that its practice of having sex with children ended in 1986, this investigation documents the group's attempts to quiet their disturbing past.

    Tags: religious sect; religion; sexual abuse; child molestation; Family International; sexual cult

    By Jay Schadler;Shelly Ross;Bob Lange;Geoff Martz;Jim DuBreuil;Christina Romano;Ethan Nelson;Kimi Culp;Christine K. Murphy;Constance Clark;Erin Laurence;Keturah Gray;Jack O'Brien;Faith Jones;Jack Pyle;Gina Pampinella;Anand Kamalakar

    ABC News Primetime Live

    2005

  • Price of Polygamy

    This story investigates the town of Colorado City, on the border of Arizona and Utah. The town is a religious community that has shirked social norms to live according to standards of a fundamentalist sect of the Mormon Church. The citizens practice polygamy, and young women are forced into arranged marriages as teenagers. People who have escaped from Colorado City share horror stories about rape and abuse. Furthermore, because men in these families only legally marry one wife, the other women in the household are considered single mothers and therefore qualify for welfare. What results is millions of taxpayer dollars going to a community where abuse is common and basic human rights are denied.

    Tags: human rights; family; polygamy; child abuse; domestic violence; Church of Latter Day Saints; welfare abuse

    By Jim Osman;Vanessa Weber;Beau Beyerle;Vince Cano;Vivek Narayan;Sylvia Teague

    KNXV-TV (Phoenix)

    2003

  • No title (id: 12798)

    FRONTLINE investigates how the FBI conducted itself during the 51-day standoff in 1993 with the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas. The report tells the story behind the FBI's actions at Waco, beginning with its extraordinary decision to use armored vehicles against the religious sect and ending with its tear-gas assault against the Branch Davidians' compound. (Oct. 17, 1995)

    Tags: Malone Rosenbloom CAR Waco the inside story Contest entry David Koresh Federal government Janet Reno 14 pgs.

    By None

    WGBH-TV / Frontline - PBS (Boston)

    1995

  • The Yahwehs: Money, Power and Influence.

    A WCIX-TV investigation revealed that former frontrunning Miami mayoral candidate was approached by Yahwehs' religious cult in an attempt to buy his influence and get him to accept illegal campaign contributions. The sect is also linked to terrorist behavior and murder.

    Tags: TAPE; campaign finance; politics; cults; religion; corruption.

    By Susan Candiotti;Brian Jones;Valerie Van Ness.

    WCIX-TV (Miami)

    1990

  • No title (id: 503)

    Columbia Journalism Review examines the difficulties reporters face when trying to cover religious sects, November/December 1985.

    Tags: Gordon Roberts cults

    By None

    Columbia Journalism Review

    1985