Digging deeper

1
Digging deeper

• David Herzog
• Missouri School of Journalism NICAR

2
Reporting techniques

• Investigative
• Computer-Assisted

3
What is investigative reporting?

• It is the reporting, through ones own work
  product and initiative, matters of importance
  which some persons or organizations wish to keep
  secret.
• The Reporters Handbook (1983)

4
Three requirements

• Reporting based on ones own initiative
• Matter of importance
• Others wish to keep it a secret

5
Investigative roles

• Watchdog
• Keep an eye of government, business and other
  powerful institutions

6
Investigative roles

• Explanatory
• Tell how complex systems work or fail to work.
• Relatively new role.

7
Investigative roles

• Deeper meaning
• Go beyond what people are saying.
• Make part of your routine

8
Three ingredients

• Sources
• Documents
• Databases

9
Types of sources

• Background experts
• Road maps
• Tipsters
• Official sources

10
Documents

• Official records held by public agencies, courts
  and law enforcement.
• Public by statute
• Private (can get from sources)

11
Databases

• Computerized public records
• An extension of documents
• Usually available under state and federal public
  records laws
• Can sort, summarize and search using database
  manager programs

12
Essential CAR Tools

• Web browser
• Spreadsheet
• Database manager

13
Web browser
14
Spreadsheet
15
Database manager
16
Google is great, but . . .
17
What are you missing?

• Specialized resources
• The invisible Web

18
Invisible Web

• The Visible Web is made up of the typical results
  you see in Google, etc.
• The Invisible Web includes searchable databases
  that Google and search engines cant find.
• Good for finding data on your beat.
• Some estimate the Invisible Web to be much larger
  that the Visible Web.

19
Searching the invisible Web

• Complete Planet
• http//www.completeplanet.com/
• Gary Price
• http//www.resourceshelf.com (RSS)
• http//www.docuticker.com (RSS)
• http//www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm

20
Journalists sites

• NICAR Net Tour
• http//www.ire.org/training/nettour/
• Reporters Desktop
• http//www.reporter.org/desktop/
• Who is John Doe?
• http//www.reporter.org/desktop/tips/johndoe.htm

21
Other sites

• Search Systems More than 2,220 updated links to
  free, online searchable databases.
• http//www.searchsystems.net
• ZabaSearch
• http//www.zabasearch.com/index.php

22
Local resources
23
Going beyond Google
24
Resource Center

• IRE Resource Center http//www.ire.org/resourcece
  nter/
• More than 2,000 tip sheets from IRE and NICAR
  conferences, many on covering the business beat
  and doing investigations.
• Searchable database of more than 20,000 stories,
  both print and broadcast.

25
Recent investigative CAR stories

• Extra!Extra!
• http//www.ire.org/extraextra/ (RSS)
• The Scoop
• http//www.thescoop.org/ (RSS)

26
Books