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 "election finance database" ...
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Databases: Investigating Locally and Around the World
Donald's presentation explores the importance of a "data state of mind" for reporters. Beyond knowing FOIA laws, he outlines the (at least) 25 databases every newsroom should have and use in their reporting. The databases cover several different beats, and Donald details the value of each.
Tags: databases; reporting; census data; budgets; audits; tax data; personnel files; campaign finance; financial disclosure reports; voter registration; election results; crime statistics; sexual predators; business demographics; SEC 10K: EDGAR; 990s; EPA Toxic Release Inventory; EPA Enforcements; water quality data;
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Making effective use of the internet for investigation
Berens lists the different online resources for investigative reporting in terms of campaign finance, non-profit organizations, and other businesses. He includes websites that list audits of state agencies, information through the Better Business Bureau, how to research election data, payroll data for state employees, a sex offender database, and a state legislative search.
Tags: state agency audit; Better Business Bureau; charity; campaign finance; business reporting
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Tracking the dollar in government
D'Ambrosio gives tips on how to root out "legalized corruption": political payback to friends and financial supporters of candidates. He notes which government records to look for and where to find them, and gives two SQL query formulas to match criteria in separate electronic databases.
Tags: tracking the dollar; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; check register; contracts database; election finance database; pensions database
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Tracking campaign donors through City Hall
This tipsheet offers ideas how to get more knowledge about who is financing local campaigns in order to understand what is happening in local government or politics. Some pieces of advice are to create your own databases, join campaign finance listservs and run lists of contributors in the paper to evoke community sources' reactions.
Tags: elections; politics; Shays-Meehan bill; PACs; donors
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Tips for creating campaign databases from paper records
This handout provides tips for creating campaign database from paper records, and a reprint from the Columbia Journalism Review.
Tags: campaign finance database; paper records; Columbia Journalism Review`
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Resources for Campaign and Election Coverage; Covering Campaigns Online; Tapping into the wired electorate
For political reporters, there's more to cyberspace than finding government records and campaign data. There's also the InterNet and the 1996 elections arguably will be the first in which this new medium plays a noticeable part. This package is a must for anyone going on-line for this election.
Tags: On-line Campaign Coverage Usenets Listservs Forums Mailing lists Databases 21 pgs.