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 "academia" ...

  • World’s Untold Stories: Secrets of the Belfast Project

    Forty years ago, during the height of Northern Ireland’s sectarian violence known as "The Troubles," a widowed mother with 10 children disappeared. Today, the answers to what happened could be found in audio recordings locked away in a U.S. college archive. But some don’t want the truth to come out. The audio recordings were collected for the Boston College Oral History Archives, from members of groups on both sides of the fighting. But this history project may contain evidence, that could threaten a delicate peace agreement – and the man credited with helping bring that peace to Northern Ireland, Gerry Adams. Adams, a prominent Irish politician and alleged former head of the Irish Republican Army, has vigorously denied the allegations. But many think the tapes could hold the key to solving the widowed mother’s murder – and more. In this episode of CNN’s documentary series “World’s Untold Stories”, Nic Robertson examines the risks and the benefits of exposing what truths may be on the tapes – and explains the ongoing battle between families, politicians, the courts, and academia, who are either seeking the truth, or seeking to protect it.

    Tags: Northern Ireland; Boston College; Gerry Adams; politicians; courts; academia

    By Bill Galvin; Sheri England; Nic Robertson; Ken Shiffman; Samantha Weihl; Neil Bennett; Earl Nurse; Blake Luce

    CNN

    2012

  • OSU Faculty and Staff Raise Program Analysis

    The author examined payroll data from Oklahoma State University. He found that pay raises were distributed unequally between administrators and the rest of the university's staff. The author also found that some departments, specifically one that had a history of problems with the administration, did not receive any pay raises.

    Tags: data analysis; wages; pay roll; salary; college; education; academia; FOIA; Freedom of Information

    By Jared Janes

    The Daily O'Collegian (OSU)

    2005

  • Plagiarism

    "In this special report, the Chronicle examined academic plagiarism -- not the kind that procrastinating lazy students engage in late at night, but the kind that professionals who know better attempt in order to further their careers. We found several professors who were guilty of plagiarizing others, one of whom had built a career on it."

    Tags: college; university; academia; cheating

    By Scott Smallwood;Thomas Bartlett;David Glenn;Scott McLemee

    Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington

    2004

  • "For your eyes only"

    The story analyzes the cooperation between CIA and American academia to solve intelligence problems. Some scholars, like Bruce Cummings (University of Chicago) and David Gibbs (University of Arizona) criticize this cooperation. The cooperation grants scholars access to classified information. The intelligence-academia relationship is sometimes a source of conflict; some universities have explicit rules that forbid faculty members to conduct classified research, and one of the most controversial CIA policies is "its insistence that scholars sign a lifetime secrecy agreement before receiving a security clearance", Mooney says. Contrary to Cummings and Gibbs' opinion, Joseph Nye (Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School) says his intelligence ties with CIA, State Dept., Defense Dept. and National Security Council have not prejudiced his scholarship.

    Tags: Central Intelligence Agency; classified documents

    By Chris Mooney

    Lingua Franca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.)

    2000

  • MIT's Media Lab, a Media Darling, Seeks Global Role and New Missions

    The Chronicle of Higher Education looks at the "quirky practices in research and financing" used by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology' Media Laboratory. The story focuses on the effort "to clone the Media Lab around the globe." It reveals that many of the international projects have been given up or failed. The article examines the pros and cons of the lab's continual contract with 170 corporate sponsors.

    Tags: MIT; colleges; universities; academia; journalism; research; sponsors; students; faculty

    By Jeffrey R. Young

    Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, D.C.)

    2001

  • The Faculty

    Bizarre and bitter academia at Indiana University's Near Eastern department!! A recent dispute about tenure for an assistant professor include a hunger strike (by his wife) and accusations of death threats. The dept. was in trouble long before this incident, losing 5 scholars in 5 years, 3 chairs in 3 years, and only 4 scholars still onboard.

    Tags: tenure; University; professor; academic corruption

    By Courtney Leatherman

    Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, D.C.)

    2000

  • The Velvet Prison

    In academia, tenure prevents schools from holding their faculties accountable or changing with the times. Most people outside higher education see tenure as an increasingly outdated and unjustifiable perk. Still, some insist tenure is necessary for academic freedom and job protection.

    Tags: None

    By Robert Worth

    Washington Monthly

    1999

  • No title (id: 8817)

    The Washingtonian profiles the practice of pork barrel politics; shows how seniority is the capital that allows certain well-placed members of Congress to dictate projects for their districts or states; emphasizes the careers of Sens. Barbara Mikulski and John Warner; the role of academia as a new and growing area of pork, September 1991.

    Tags: None

    By None

    Washingtonian

    1991

  • Pork in the sky

    Washington Post Magazine recounts how U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R. - Alaska) secured over $57 million for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for the study of the aurora borealis and its possible energy potential; makes the case that academia is the latest area of pork-barrel politics.

    Tags: pork-barrel politics; federal budget; federal spending

    By Susan Cohen

    Washington Post Magazine

    1991

  • No title (id: 193)

    Washington Monthly looks at rising tuition costs and says a reverence for academia is allowing public to be ripped off, August 1983.

    Tags: None

    By None

    Washington Monthly

    1983