The Investigative Reporter's Handbook; A Guide to Documents, Databases and Techniques

by Brant Houston; Len Bruzzese; Steve Weinberg

• ISBN13: 9780312248239
• ISBN10: 0312248237
• Edition: 4TH
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2002-02-15
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

An indispensable reference for students, journalists, and teachers and endorsed by the Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. (IRE) The Investigative Reporter's Handbookis the most comprehensive classroom text available for courses in investigative reporting.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
About the Authors	xiii
PART ONE The Basics: How to Investigate Anyone or Anything
Introduction: Paper Trails and People Trails: An Overview	3	(1)
Choosing a Subject for Investigation	4	(1)
The Research Hypothesis	4	(1)
The Outer Ring: Secondary Sources	5	(1)
Having a ``Documents State of Mind''	5	(1)
Human Sources	6	(1)
Research Techniques	6	(1)
Organizing the Information, Writing and Rewriting	7	(1)
Thinking Through the Conventional Wisdom	8	(1)
The Paul Williams Way	9	(4)
Conception
Feasibility Study
Go-No Go Decision
Basebuilding
Planning
Original Research
Reevaluation
Filling the Gaps
Final Evaluation
Writing and Rewriting
Publication and Follow-up Stories
Using All These Procedures in the Real World	13	(1)
Pat Stith's Version of the Paul Williams Way	14	(1)
Books With Insight Into the Investigative Process	15	(4)
Secondary Sources: Working from the Outside In	19	(16)
Using Newspapers	20	(3)
Broadcast and Cable Sources	23	(1)
Magazines and Newsletters	24	(1)
Reference Books	25	(1)
Dissertations and Theses	26	(1)
Books and Libraries	27	(3)
Secondary Sources on Databases	30	(1)
The Internet	31	(1)
Database Searching in the Real World of Journalism	32	(3)
Primary Documents: Obtaining the Best Evidence	35	(19)
Primary Documents on Commercial Databases	37	(1)
The Government's Own Databases	38	(1)
The Three I's	39	(2)
Box: The Social Security Number as Door Opener	41	(1)
Primary Documents as Entry Points	42	(1)
The Uniform Commercial Code	42	(1)
From UCC Filings to Tax Documents	43	(1)
Birth and Death Records	44	(1)
Depository Libraries	45	(2)
The National Archives System	47	(1)
Box: Putting It All Together With Primary Sources	48	(6)
Computer-Assisted Reporting	54	(15)
The Basic Tools of Computer-Assisted Reporting	55	(1)
Box: George Landau on Software	55	(1)
CAR Training	56	(1)
Finding and Deciding on What Databases to Use	56	(2)
Databases to Have on Hand	58	(7)
Demographic Data
State Data Sources
Local Data
Other Tips	65	(1)
Federal
State and Local
Intranets
Building Your Own Database	65	(1)
Box: Gaining Access	66	(3)
Crossing Borders: International Investigations	69	(13)
The World Wide Web	69	(1)
International Reporting at Home	70	(1)
Box: International Coverage on a Hometown Budget	71	(1)
Starting Points	72	(1)
Networks of Journalists	73	(1)
Guides to Reporting	74	(1)
Specific Resources	75	(3)
The National Security Obstacle	78	(1)
Archives	79	(1)
Box: Personal Papers and Oral Histories	79	(3)
People Trails: Finding and Interviewing Sources	82	(27)
Locating and Interviewing Sources	82	(3)
Tools for Finding People	85	(5)
Telephone Directories
City Directories
Workplace Directories
Life Patterns, Common Sense and Documents
Other Documents and Records
Whistle-Blowers	90	(1)
Outside Experts	91	(2)
Box: Power Structures, Obvious and Obscure	93	(3)
Interviewing Those In and Out of Power	96	(1)
Interviewing	97	(3)
The Research Stage
Looking for Credentials Fraud in Resumes
Getting Ready to Pop the Questions
Box: Getting in the Door	100	(9)
Asking the Questions, Dealing With the Answers
Note Taking and Other Matters of Accuracy
PART TWO Investigating Individuals, Institutions and Issues
Investigating Government the Legislative Branch and Those Who Try to Influence It	109	(27)
Following the Dollar	111	(2)
Campaign Finance Records	113	(1)
State and Local Coverage	114	(1)
Box: The Many Pockets of a Politician's Coat	115	(3)
The World of Lobbyists	118	(3)
Financial Disclosures of Legislators	121	(2)
Resources and Perquisites in Office	123	(2)
Constituent Service and Reelection	125	(1)
From a Bill to a Law	125	(2)
Authorizations and Appropriations	127	(1)
Legislating Through Committees	128	(1)
Committees and the Function of Oversight	129	(1)
The Connection Between Legislating and Personal Character	130	(1)
Using Congressional Information for All Manner of Investigations	131	(1)
The Research Arms of the Legislature	132	(4)
Investigating Government the Executive Branch	136	(30)
Probing an Agency's Mission	137	(1)
Probabilities of Corruption	138	(2)
Uncovering Conflicts of Interest	140	(2)
Scrutinizing the Top Executive	142	(2)
Cabinet Secretaries and Regulatory Commissioners	144	(1)
The Permanent Bureaucracy	144	(3)
Public Affairs Personnel as a Gateway to the Bureaucracy	147	(2)
The Budget and Management Watchdog	149	(1)
Making Sense of Agency Budgets	150	(2)
Who Gets the Money, and How	152	(2)
The Contracting Process	154	(3)
Informal Cost Estimates
Notice of Bid
Bid Specifications
Requests for Proposals
Product Preferences
Minority Contracting Requirements
Audit Requirements
Bid and Performance Bonds
Change Orders
Executive Branch Thievery	157	(2)
The Twilight Zones of Government: Public Authorities and Self-Regulatory Organizations	159	(1)
Inspectors General	160	(2)
Box: Using the Federal Register	162	(4)
Investigating Government: Education	166	(37)
Visiting the Schools	167	(1)
Covering Compulsory Education Versus Higher Education	168	(1)
Local Education	169	(16)
Student Test Scores
School Violence and Discipline of Students
Student Retention
Teacher and Administrator Competency
Instructional Materials, Tracking and Class Sizes
Special-Needs Students
Desegregation, Multiculturalism and Gender Equity
School Choice
Nonteaching Employees
School Buildings
Who Pays for Education?	185	(2)
Box: Private Schools	187	(1)
Home Schooling	188	(1)
Higher Education	188	(15)
Crime on Campus
The Big Picture
University Revenues and Expenditures
Students
Faculty
Support Staff
Administrators
Governing Boards
Accreditation Documents as a Source of Information
Investigating Government: Law Enforcement	203	(46)
Monitoring Individual Law Enforcement Officers	206	(1)
Recruitment	207	(1)
Police Academy Training	208	(2)
Raises and Promotions	210	(1)
The Top Command	211	(2)
Discipline of Wayward Law Enforcement Officers	213	(3)
Box: Edna Buchanan's Tips	216	(1)
Evaluating an Agency: Preventing and Investigating Crimes	217	(20)
Murder
Juvenile Criminals
Rape
Domestic Violence
Narcotics
Vice
Organized Crime and White-Collar Crime
Missing Persons
Stolen Property
Arson
Bombings
Traffic Patrol
Canine (K9) Corps	237	(1)
Civil Rights and Community Relations	238	(1)
Process Servers and Fugitives	238	(1)
Evidence Rooms	239	(1)
Crime Site Technicians, Crime Laboratories	240	(1)
Patrol Officers, Dispatchers and 911 Operators	240	(3)
Records Divisions and Public Information Officers	243	(1)
The Meaning of Crime Statistics	243	(2)
Law Enforcement Budgets	245	(1)
People Trails	245	(2)
Paper Trails	247	(2)
Investigating Government: The Judicial System	249	(60)
The Judicial System as a Political System	251	(2)
Corruption in the Courts	253	(1)
Between Arrest and First Court Appearance	254	(1)
Making Bail	255	(2)
Initial Appearance in Court	257	(2)
Pretrial Hearings	259	(1)
Assigning Cases to Judges	259	(1)
Investigating Judges	260	(3)
Investigating Prosecutors	263	(2)
Investigating Defense Attorneys	265	(2)
Choosing a Jury	267	(3)
The Trial	270	(3)
Box: Wrongful Convictions	273	(2)
The Victims of Crime	275	(1)
Sentencing	276	(3)
Appeals	279	(3)
Probation, Parole, Commutations and Pardons	282	(2)
Prisons	284	(6)
Juvenile Cases	290	(4)
Civil Cases	294	(3)
Specialized Courts	297	(8)
Traffic Court
Municipal Court
Divorce Court
Probate Court
Small Claims Court
U.S. Tax Court
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Military Courts
Court Budgets, Court Operations	305	(1)
Using Courts for Other Stories	306	(3)
Where Government And Private Sector Meet: Investigating Licensed Professionals	309	(10)
Licensing as a Window Into the World of Professionals	310	(1)
Uncovering Individual Fraud or Misconduct	310	(2)
The Process	312	(3)
Licensing
Performance Standards
Complaints and Investigations
Professional Associations as Sources	315	(1)
Investigating the Protectors	316	(3)
Investigating the Private Sector: For-Profit Businesses and Their Workers	319	(32)
Investigating a Takeover: One Prototype	320	(2)
Companies Whose Stock Is Traded Publicly	322	(1)
Other SEC Documents	323	(1)
Resources Outside the SEC	324	(4)
Federal Agencies
State and Local Agencies
Pulling It Together on the Paper Trail	328	(2)
Human Sources	330	(2)
Management-Worker Relations	332	(1)
Labor Unions	333	(3)
Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration	336	(1)
Safety and Health in the Workplace	337	(3)
Wage Enforcement	340	(2)
Pension, Health and Welfare Plans for Workers	342	(1)
State Employment Security Divisions	343	(2)
Labor Lawyers and the Courts	345	(1)
Box: The Mintz Way	346	(5)
Investigating Charities and Other Nonprofits	351	(16)
Box: Beyond the Bottom Line	354	(3)
The Bottom Line of Charities	357	(4)
Foundations	361	(1)
Fund-raising Techniques and Conundrums	362	(2)
Federal, State and Local Government Regulation	364	(1)
Box: Summing Up: Boys Town and the Sun Newspapers	365	(2)
Investigating Health Care	367	(25)
Hospitals	368	(7)
Veterans Administration Hospitals	375	(1)
Emergency Medical Services	376	(1)
Health Maintenance Organizations	377	(1)
Nursing Homes	378	(3)
Mental Health Institutions	381	(2)
Home Health Care Companies	383	(1)
Medical Laboratories	383	(1)
Blood Banks	384	(1)
Drug Companies	385	(1)
Pharmacies	386	(1)
Medical Device Companies	387	(1)
Individual Health Care Providers	387	(3)
Box: General Reference Sources	390	(2)
Investigating Insurance	392	(24)
Investigating the Sellers: Insurance Companies and Agents	393	(4)
Finances
Looking at the Agents
Health and Disability Insurance	397	(2)
Box: Crashing for Cash	399	(2)
Life Insurance	401	(1)
Automobile Insurance	401	(2)
Investigating Homeowners' and Other Property Insurance	403	(1)
Investigating Commercial and Professional Insurance Policies	404	(1)
Investigating the Regulators: State Insurance Commissioners	405	(1)
Investigating the Government as Insures	406	(8)
Medicare
Medicaid
Workers' Compensation
Insurance Sources to Use Over and Over	414	(2)
Investigating Financial Institutions: Banks, Savings and Loans, Credit Unions, Investment Companies and Their Mutual Funds	416	(16)
Government Regulators as Sources of Information	417	(1)
Banks	418	(3)
Savings and Loans	421	(1)
Credit Unions	422	(1)
Credit Cards	423	(1)
Farm Credit Banks	423	(1)
Mutual Funds and Other Investment Company Products	424	(1)
Redlining by All Types of Financial Institutions	425	(3)
Insider Transactions	428	(1)
High-Risk Transactions	428	(1)
Box: Money Laundering	429	(3)
Investigating Energy and Communications Utilities	432	(17)
Heating and Cooling Utilities	438	(2)
Box: Nuclear Power Plants	440	(1)
Water Utilities	441	(1)
Polluting the Environment	442	(2)
Cultural and Property Value Impact	444	(1)
Communications Utilities	444	(1)
Cable Systems	445	(4)
Investigating Transportation	449	(22)
Aviation Safety	451	(7)
Pilots
Air Controllers and On-the-Ground Problems
Drugs and Alcohol
Following an Investigation
Land Transportation	458	(7)
Cars
Driver's Licenses and Inspections
Trucks
Buses
Taxis and Limousine Services
Railroads
Hazardous Waste
Mass Transit
Water Transportation	465	(3)
Commercial Shipping
Boating Accidents
Other Transportation Investigations	468	(3)
Investigating Real Estate: Housing, Commercial Uses and Zoning	471	(17)
Who Owns the Land?	474	(4)
How Much Is the Land Worth?	478	(1)
Box: Landlords and Tenants	479	(2)
Changing How the Land Is Used: Zoning and Rezoning	481	(3)
Low-Income Housing and Homelessness	484	(2)
Land and Housing Fraud	486	(2)
Investigating Environmental Issues	488	(14)
Government Regulation of the Environment	489	(4)
Air Pollution	493	(1)
Water Pollution	494	(2)
Soil Pollution	496	(3)
Box: Paper Trails, Databases and Human Sources	499	(3)
Investigating the World of the Disadvantaged	502	(19)
Documenting the World of Poverty	509	(1)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families	510	(1)
Child-Support Enforcement	511	(1)
Food Stamps	512	(1)
Child and Family Nutrition Programs Other than Food Stamps	513	(1)
Box: The Never-Ending Bureaucracy	514	(1)
Children and Families	515	(6)
PART THREE Putting It All Together
Writing Compelling Projects	521	(17)
Getting the Details While Reporting	525	(1)
Avoiding Stereotypes While Collecting Details	526	(1)
Writing From an Outline, a Chronology or Both	527	(1)
Tension and Resolution	528	(1)
Leads: The Opening Sentences	529	(2)
Middles: Flow and Momentum	531	(3)
Finding the Appropriate Point of View and Tone	534	(1)
Endings	535	(1)
Box: Story Structures	536	(1)
Literary Journalism as a Discipline	537	(1)
The Ethics and Accuracy of Investigative Journalism	538	(9)
Obtaining Information Covertly	538	(1)
Ambush Interviews	539	(1)
Exposing Private Behaviors of Public Figures	540	(1)
Unidentified Sources	540	(1)
The Golden Rule	541	(1)
Fairness, Accuracy and the Law	542	(1)
Box: Prepublication Review	543	(1)
The Line-by-Line Accuracy Check	544	(3)
Bibliography	547	(14)
Index	561