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 "defense spending" ...
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Military Data: Contracts Casualties
This tipsheet is a good guide to investigating the military. Fabey discusses how to take advantage of the military's love of records and find the good investigative stories buried in the databases. He discusses which data analysis programs to use, as well as how to spot the discrepancies that could lead to a story. One very helpful think Fabey does is explain why some things, like sudden increases in the cost of ships, may seems indicative of a good story but are really quite routine for the military.
Tags: war reporting; military; federal government; contracts; federal spending; army
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Money and War
This tipsheet is about using CAR to analyze defense contracts. Porter offers several detailed story ideas, and suggests various sources of information to use in the investigation.
Tags: war; military spending; Department of Defense; Homeland Security; CAR; data analysis
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Why Covering Homeland Security is like Popular Mechanics
Holstege draws on his on experience reporting on homeland security to offer a lot of good advice about the issue. He lists and explains sixteen lessons such as "re-interview sources" and "don't fall in love with your CAR." The tipsheet also includes a list of suggestions for homeland security stories and an overview of one of his own stories for the Oakland Tribune.
Tags: defense spending; Excel; counter-terrorism; FOIA; Homeland Security Grant Program
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Military Records and Useful Web Sites
This tipsheet lists many Web sites and sources of information for reporters covering defense and the military. Besides sources of general military information, this tipsheet includes tips on investigating major weapons programs, contractors, budgets and weapons performance.
Tags: military; weapons; defense; contracts; federal spending; weapons performance; defense programs; weapons programs; budget; House and Senate Armed Services committees; Directorate for Information Operations and Reports; Defense Contract Award Agency; DMCA; Commerce Department; Iraq; personnel; military rank; Pentagon; Army; Navy; Air Force
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Overcoming Obstacles
Amons gives pointers on feeding the monster by using local databases in a variety of ways. She gives four specific examples of what she has done and the reasons why it worked.
Tags: broadcast; car; disability fraud; pensions; corrections; government spending; fraud; databases; defense; contracts; contractors; aerospace; sex offenders; government; city government; state government