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 "city officials" ...
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Local Contracting
Keeping governments accountable about their contracts is important. Keating outlines what to look for when checking up on government contract grants and how to use CAR to support your story.
Tags: contrats; government; state government; city government; federal government; no bid; database; city officials; grants
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Six Key Records for the Local Government Beat
From payroll to city property, Mansur lists six records every reporter covering the local government beat should obtain.
Tags: local government; beat reporting; public records; city officials; personnel and payroll records; budget; finance; early-retirement programs; cell phone records; property; inspection records; investigative reporting
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Cultivating Sources and Using Documents
Mike McGraw lists different tips on how to look for the best sources of information in almost any beat. The tipsheet also lists a number of different types of documents, including government documents and official reports, that may help bringing credibility to any story.
Tags: government; financial reports; federal tax liens; FOIA; public records
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Tips for covering government contracts
Fazlollah's tipsheet on ways to investigate government contracts gives reporters a guide to checking for municipal malfeasance. Sources include campaign finance disclosure reports, Thomson Financial's bond data, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, a Web site to check the backgrounds of brokers and securities firms, airport concession contracts, minority business contracts, and bank loans to government officials.
Tags: government contracts; contracting; bonds; campaign finance; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; securities dealers; pension funds; SEC; NASD; airport; bank loans; minority business contracts
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10 databases for covering city hall
This tipsheet is actually a printout of Herzog's powerpoint presentation and gives ideas for databases that can be easily acquired that can lead directly to quality stories. Most of the databases should be standard for any reporter covering local government, as they will help add a new depth to reporting.
Tags: None
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10 Databases For Covering City Hall
This handout lists ten databases good for investigating city hall. For each database, Herzog points out two or three reasons for obtaining that particular database.
Tags: city hall; check register; real estate assessments; taxed vehicles; tax collections; voter registration; payroll; personnel; pensions; budgets; contracts
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Anatomy of an Article
Borenstein guides the reader through an investigation of an area mayor. The tipsheet includes how Borenstein got the story, what documents he used and how he found them, and how he put it all together in the end.
Tags: documents; local government; city government; mayor; city officials; loans; financial disclosure; mortgage; bankruptcy; interest rates; corruption
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Public Safety Scams and Snafus
A tipsheet that includes an overview on what steps are necessary to contact officials.
Tags: None
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Finding Treasurers in Archives
In most cases, official records, personal papers, photographs and video are precisely catalogued, quickly available and extremely useful on any topic that touches government, business, or influential people. This tipsheet provides some strategies for finding news in archival records.
Tags: None
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Things to remember when Pro Sports comes knoocking
Banstetter says professional sports is a business and should be covered as such -- "Very often we don't look at a football team the same way we cover the town's big manufacturer, but its very likely the team's revenues are just as high or higher." This packet includes the tipsheet Things to Remember when Pro Sports comes Knocking and a couple of articles by Bartimole. Audio tape available through the IRE Resource Center at (573) 882-3364 or rescntr@ ire.org. Ask for tape #IRE96-69.
Tags: teams franchises real estate tax deals stadiums team owners