The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets 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. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "Consumer Reports" ...
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Using Testing in Your Stories
The authors of this tipsheet bring to light the potentially strong impact that testing can bring to an investigative story. Some of the information found in this tipsheet includes ways to determine what to test and how to test it, how to choose a testing device, how to keep costs low and suggestions on sample size.
Tags: California Watch; Consumer Reports; consumer-focused; science; samples; lead; lab; testing; tests
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Reporting on Guns as a Consumer Product
This Powerpoint comes from IRE award winner, Cohn. It follows how he and his team investigated Remington guns, and what they found.
Tags: remington guns; gun reporting; a-political
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Consumer Investigations Beyond the Obvious
Consumer reporter, Callaway, teaches you how to become your own investigator. With tips on how to find the person you are looking for, the right attorneys to help, and how to make the most of your resources.
Tags: consumer advocacy
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Reporting on Guns as a Consumer Product
This IRE award winning report uncovers the dangerous truth behind one of the world's largest gun manufacturer. Learn how to cover gun stories without looking like the bad guy.
Tags: Gun safety; consumer safety; Remington; gun laws; gun regulations
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Unsung Documents
This tipsheet provides information on how to find and effectively use documents in your reporting. It also give tips on working with material once you've obtained it. They also include a "favorite list" of docu
Tags: tax liens; campaign contributions; court records; flight logs; flight manifests; air travel consumer reports; unemployment; workers' comp; real estate; 911 tapes; surveillance videos
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Uncovering Financial Traps
Tiernen addresses the financial traps that are arising the the second wave of the financial crisis. He includes information on such traps as: foreclosure services; debt settlement; subprime credit cards; payday loans; uninsured overseas savings accounts; reverse mortgages and much more.
Tags: foreclosure services; debt settlement; subprime credit cards; payday loans; uninsured overseas savings accounts; reverse mortgages; consumer credit; consumer affairs; consumer fraud
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Data on Deadline
This tipsheet lists helpful websites to use when you need to access data on deadline. Suggested data links include the American Community Survey to campaign finance data to tracking airplane tail numbers.
Tags: data; quick hit; deadline; census; campaign finance; aviation; transportation; economics; FAA; NHTSA; automobile; consumer safety; politics; courts; federal spending; databases; reporting
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Investigating Outbreaks
Layton details how to cover foodborne illness outbreaks on the fly. Included along with details of where you gather information, Layton provides a detailed list of helpful resources - from consumer groups to subject experts.
Tags: health; foodborne illness; FDA; Food and Drug Administration; CDC; Centers for Disease Control; 483 report; food safety
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Trouble in the Walls: Defective Chinese drywal
LaFleur and Donald discuss using data when reporting - they stress the need to know what data you're looking at, and what are the best tools to use for analysis.
Tags: data; analysis; mixed categorical; continuous; indexes; Gini coefficient;
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Investigating Fraud: Schemes, Scondrels and Scams
The authors discuss how to uncover and report on fraud. The tipsheet offers suggestions for documenting fraud, such as finding a paper trail or videotaping the scheme. Then, the tipsheet discusses how to turn your findings into a well-organized, effective investigative piece. Finally, the tipsheet includes useful websites for finding court records, consumer information, corporations, property records, regulators and more.
Tags: internet sources; undercover investigations; visual story-telling; story ideas; consumer investigations; crime; fraud