At the New Haven, Conn., Better Watchdog Workshop, Maurice Tamman of The Wall Street Journal shared his thoughts on why skills in computer-assisted reporting can help strengthen and legitimize a story. At the IRE workshop, which provides journalists with instruction on the tools needed to be better watchdog journalists, Tamman provided participants with an introduction to computer-assisted reporting and explained how using electronic files and databases provides readers with a fuller account of an issue without relying solely on anecdotal evidence.

This audio snippet comes from the Saturday, Nov. 15, Better Watchdog Workshop in New Haven, Conn., where WTTG-Washington reporter Tisha Thompson shared tips on the art of the interview. When Tisha Thompson of WTTG in Washington, D.C., gets a call from a tipster who’s afraid to leave a name or phone number, she has a surefire way of staying in touch. Thompson suggests that the source set up an e-mail account with an alias on AOL, Google or another national provider. To help protect potential whistleblowers, she reminds them not to communicate with her from a work computer ... Read more ...