mapping Archives

Enter the Philip Meyer contest for a chance to win $500

October 17, 2012

There are only a couple more weeks until the postmark deadline (Nov. 2) of the Philip Meyer contest and we want to see your work! Three awards are given annually — a first, second and third place — to recognize the best work using techniques that are part of precision journalism, computer-assisted reporting and social…

Cool tools to cover the election

August 30, 2012

By Doug HaddixKiplinger Program directorKiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, Ohio State University A new mobile app called Ad Hawk created a buzz this weekend during an IRE Election Watchdog Workshop at The Ohio State University. It’s an amazing new public service offered by the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C. Here’s how it works:…

Finishing the CAR story, overcoming initial hurdles

August 28, 2012

By Laura KrantzGatehouse Media This summer I attended my first IRE conference, in Boston. I really wanted to learn Microsoft Excel skills and I did, thanks to patient IRE staff. But more importantly, I was inspired by all the ruthless journalists using creative ways to mine for data and writing compelling stories. I left itching to…

Talking your way to the truth, mastering the interview

June 15, 2012

By Chelsea Sheasley@csheasley The interview is at the heart of all reporting, but mastering it can take a lifetime. In IRE 2012’s panel Talking your way to the truth: The art of the interview, three veteran reporters shared their tips on what it takes to get sources to talk and how to get key information…

Panel highlights for this year’s IRE Conference in Boston

May 25, 2012

We’ve got a fantastic line-up of panels for the IRE Conference in Boston. The speaker list includes winners of most of this year’s major investigative awards and other top journalists from news organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally. You can check out the schedule, but here are just a few of the great sessions we’ve got…

IRE announces new Database Library Director

May 1, 2012

We are pleased to announce that Elizabeth Lucas is joining IRE today as the new director of our National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) Database Library. Liz comes to IRE from the Center for Public Integrity, where she analyzed data for investigative projects on political, environmental and health topics. Among the projects she worked on…

Behind the Story: Investigating questionable police work when documents are redacted

March 21, 2012

One of the redacted documents California Watch received. In California Watch’s series Broken Shield, Ryan Gabrielson uncovered abuse and unknown injury cases at developmental centers that weren’t reported to the local police or district attorneys’ offices. Despite a number of condemning reports and a decreasing patient population, the number of abuse and unknown injury cases…

Double-check environmental data

February 26, 2012

Many investigative reporters are recreational data users, but data alone cannot be trusted. “You can’t take what is in those databases for granted,” said Kate Golden, a reporter and multimedia producer for WisconsinWatch.org. At the panel “Environmental analyses for any newsroom,” she emphasized the importance of speaking with the lead agency to find out what…

Rendering real-time

February 25, 2012

By Jon McClure @JonRMcClure What is real-time anyway? The Guardian’s Alastair Dant discussed the concept in terms of a continuous feed of information and provided a few tips on how journalists should approach it during “Dealing with real-time data.” Chaos is raw real-time data, Dant said. To render it journalists must first conceptualize the continuous…

The story behind failing government monopolies