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 "products" ...
-
Testing The System
USA TODAY's "Testing the System" focused on mandated state standardized tests, and in particular, whether radical gains in scores in some schools or classrooms were real or the product of cheating.
Tags: Standardized tests; schools; classrooms; cheating; grades
-
Trashing Your Tax Dollars
The NBC2 Investigators uncovered wasteful spending in a multi-million dollar federal program mean to re-stabilize neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures. The program - called NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) - utilized stimulus money approved during the George W. Bush administration to buy foreclosed homes, refurbish them and then sell them to families who would live in them, thus stabilizing a neighborhood. In our area, the program was administered by our county (Lee) and another program was administered by our city (Fort Myers). Our investigation of the county-run program found they were throwing away perfectly good appliances and replacing them with more expensive products. Not only could they have kept those appliances in the home - leaving them more money to refurbish others - but the appliances they did throw away could have gone to people in need in our community. Ultimately, our story forced the county to change policies in the program. They now coordinate with a local non-profit to donate all appliances and equipment once meant for the landfill.
Tags: broadcast; neighborhoods; foreclosed homes; appliances
-
Hot Trucks
Amidst widespread reports of food safety recalls and food borne illness outbreak, WTHR's "Hot Trucks" exposed a gaping hole in the safety net of our nation's food supply. The 6-month investigation revealed tons of meat, seafood, dairy products, produce, and other perishable food items are transported to grocery stores and restaurants every day under unsafe and unsanitary conditions that pose a serious health threat to millions of Americans.
Tags: Food Safety
-
40mm Grenade Production Problem
A "whistle blower" tip lends the I-Team to investigative whether production problems at a Florida company making 40mm grenades for the U.S. military is resulting in defective parts getting into grenades.
Tags: grenades; military; Defense Department
-
Spanish-language FOIA requests
We undertook the project to explore the issue of language access and freedom of information. Our goals were threefold. First, we wanted to break new ground in open government with regards to language access by submitting FOI requests in Spanish. Second, we wanted to receive data from officials at city, country, state and federal levels to use as the basis for stories and articles that fulfilled our watchdog and public service mission. Third, we wanted to educated our colleagues and readers about their information rights so that they could have additional tools for their news production and consumption, respectively.
-
Shattered Bakeware
Consumer Reports conducted a year-long fight to win three Freedom of Information requests and uncover product safety information about a common kitchen item, glass bakeware, which had been reported to shatter violently in consumers' kitchens. As a result of the story, we unearthed information, which companies fought fiercely to keep secret, that showed there was real cause for concern. We also did real-life testing in our labs. And now the CPSC is investigating.
-
Misleading Milk Marketing
"This investigative series was the first to report on the misleading health claims made by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, which spends millions of dollars annually to promote dairy products throughout Wisconsin and nationwide."
Tags: milk marketing board; health; dairy; consumer affairs
-
The Five Percent Rule
The investigation uncovers the U.S. military's failure to comply with its own tobacco pricing restriction, selling millions of dollars of tobacco products for well beneath legal limits.
Tags: cigarrettes; Department of Defense; Marlboro; soldiers; smoking
-
Testing the System
The story focused on mandated state standardized tests and whether radical gains in scores in some schools or classrooms were real or the product of cheating.
Tags: standardized tests; No Child Left Behind; tests; MAP tests; classroom; teachers; cheating
-
Keeping Your Children Safe
The series reveals danger every parent should know about from common every day products and activities.
Tags: danger; child safety; escalator; lost child; school zone