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 "accidents" ...
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Navigating Transportation Data: Covering Accidents and Infrastructure
The authors list both sources and story ideas related to transportation. They include sources for stories about vehicle accidents, transportation infrastructure, and public transit. The authors also discuss some recent stories on this topic and include tips and advice for reporters pursuing similar investigations. Finally, they list some IRE resources about transportation.
Tags: automobiles; cars; highways; railways; transit authority; bridges; public records; traffic accidents
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Using local data to answer the question,
Amons describes how to use CAR as a tool to beef up general assignment stories. Instead of just reporting on one isolated incident -- like a trucking accident or a botched 911 call -- you can do some database analysis to see how often those sorts of incidents occur. This will add more depth and context to your story.
Tags: truck accidents; school fire safety; beat reporting; story ideas; data analysis; computer-assisted reporting
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CAR for TV
Amons discusses several broadcast CAR stories that she worked on. The story ideas she includes range from truckers falling asleep at the wheel to school fire safety and 911 response time.
Tags: CAR; broadcast reporting; public records; data analysis; accidents
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CAR for Broadcast
Porter describes various data-based stories that make good broadcast investigations, including campus crime and dams. Porter describes the data needed for each story, and then gives examples of how stations have run those types of stories in the past.
Tags: television; TV news; broadcast; computer-assisted reporting; data analysis; fatal accidents
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Worker Safety and C.A.R
This tipsheet is a good resource for reporters covering a mining accident for the first time. The author suggests places to start the investigation, like the Mine Safety and Health Administration's website. Johnson also offers some tips to avoid common mistakes when covering mines.
Tags: mining; OSHA; coal; MSHA; Department of Labor
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Using CAR to report on Mine Safety
This tipsheet discusses how to use CAR to report on mining accidents. For instance, Ward lists various sources for safety records and then suggests how to analyze them. He also includes information about mine regulations and mining terminology.
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Sources for Covering Auto Accidents
McGinty gives information on how to use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System, or FARS. He covers why it exists, how comprehensive and accurate the data is, and how it is tructured.
Tags: Transportation; car accidents; FARS; fatalities; national databases
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Tearing Up the Highways
This tipsheet is a great guide to investigating local highways and bridges. The authors offer some ideas to start the investigation - like reading through daily construction logs and going to board meetings. The second half of the tipsheet is devoted to investigating bridges. The authors give advice about what phrases to look for and which documents and databases are especially helpful.
Tags: safety; transportation; traffic; construction; accidents; inspections; roads
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Investigating Trucking
This tipsheet is a comprehensive guide to reporting on the trucking industry. It begins with a list of questions to ask at the beginning of an investigation, like, "Did the truck driver have a valid Commercial Drivers License?" Next, the tipsheet lists some pieces of information that reporters should be able to find before deadline, that could make their stories better. Then, the tipsheet lists possible follow - up investigations; these are more long-term projects and might make for good enterprise stories. There is a description of how to go about each investigation. Finally, the tipsheet ends with a list of contacts and government agencies that could be helpful for a reporter writing a story about the trucking industry.
Tags: transportation; highways; FARS; accidents; driving; drivers licenses; traffic
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Small Market or Small Staff? How to Still do Investigations
Thompson offers four pages worth story idea, broken down into two sections: easy and intermediate. Some of the "easy" ideas include investigating bridges and rollercoaster accidents. Some of the intermediate ideas include health investigations and mapping out bank robberies. All together Thompson includes 25 ideas, with a description and advice for each one.
Tags: story ideas; CAR; investigations; broadcast; television