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Information-gathering Strategies: The Investigative Mindset
[11.12.07.]
Believe your instinct when it tells you that something “just doesn’t look right”. Always ask yourself “Who would know?” Figure out the system. Look for victims and enemies. Do not forget to follow the money. And – do not embrace obstacles.
By Don Ray
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How I Investigated the Collapse of the “Deal of the Century”
[06.12.07.]
Krešimir Kovač, a journalist from Varaždin, brought to light in his thorough research outstanding debts amounting to millions owed by Coning Holding, a collapsed construction company headed by today’s Varaždin County Prefect Radimir Čačić. He writes for NetNovinar about months of investigation that took him as far as Israel in his search for sources and documents.
Written by: Krešimir Kovač, freelance journalist
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A Guide to the Investigative Synopsis (III)
[19.11.07.]
The guide's part three provides examples that point to the importance of a detailed list of those interested in the success of our story or its non-publication. The list helps us predict threats to the investigation posed by those against it and to timely protect ourselves from them, find sources and insiders missed at first glance, and predict our target audience's reactions.
Written by: Branko Čečen, journalist and trainer at Mediacentar Sarajevo
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“Talk to You? A Reporter? Do I Look Like a Fool?”
[04.11.07.]
Why would someone want to talk to any journalist? What would motivate a person to talk with a particular journalist? American journalist Don Ray offers tips that will help you recognize a source’s possible motives in deciding to give you a moment of their time.
By Don Ray
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A Guide to the Investigative Synopsis (II)
[01.11.07.]
The second part of the instructions for creating a synopsis will introduce you to questions that will help you plan your investigation, focus on a feasible and worthy goal, and prevent mistakes that may send months of work down the drain. Learn to use this fantastic tool.
Written by: Branko Čečen, journalist and lecturer at NetNovinar Training Center
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Interview the Document
[31.10.07.]
An American investigative journalist with decades of experience in all types of media and specialized in document and database searches suggests 25 questions you should ask any government-issued document.
By Don Ray
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A Guide to the Investigative Synopsis (I)
[29.09.07.]
Learn how to use this complex, but powerful investigative reporting tool. The investigative synopsis will pose 70 difficult questions and tasks, which will help prevent having months of work go down the drain as a result of a small or big oversight made due to the crazy rhythm of the news business.
Written by: Branko Čečen, journalist and lecturer at NetNovinar Training Center
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The Investigative Synopsis
[29.09.07.]
The synopsis is a list of questions that must be answered if you are starting to work on an investigative story and do not want to waste time and money in vain. It was created by Danish journalist Lars Møller, and NetNovinar Training Center considers it an obligatory and major step in all forms of investigative journalism education. Along with the synopsis form, NetNovinar is publishing a series of articles explaining in detail how it should be used, based on practical experience.
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Mark Brayne: A Journalist Needs to Be Inside and Outside the Story
[14.06.07.]
Mark Brayne, Director of Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma Europe, and psychotherapist, spoke to NetNovinar about professional reporting on trauma and about ways for journalists to protect themselves in such situations. Brayne worked as foreign correspondent and senior editor for Reuters and the BBC World Service for 30 years. He introduced routine trauma training and support to journalists and other media professionals at the BBC and other news organizations.
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Hunting Down Off-Shores
[20.04.07.]
Cyprus and several other states allow companies' founders to do their business through representatives without too many questions asked, and thus hide their identity from the public and investigative reporters. How can we overcome this hurdle in the quest for the origin of dirty money?
By Paul Cristian Radu, investigative journalist and co-founder of the Romanian Centre for Investigative Journalism.
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Our Cheating Culture
[08.03.06.]
Recent scandals at US newspapers, made editors to as themselves: “Do all young colleagues know that facts are not to be fabricated and passages plagiarized?” This is a handout for young “cut and paste” generation of journalists who, sometimes, do not consider copying material from the internet without proper attribution, an issue.
By Steve Buttry, Director of Tailored Programes at the American Press Institute
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The Civil Disobedience Test for Journalism
[02.02.06.]
The director of Project for Excellence in Journalism, organization of US journalists concerned about the state of professional standards, names three simple steps for analyzing the dilemma: “Is it justified to break the law in order to gather information?”
Tom Rosenstiel, Director of PEJ (Journalism.org)
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The Hierarchy of Accuracy
[27.01.06.]
A cautious editor, through his dedication to accuracy, spared the New York Times a scandal. He also brought a turning point to Times coverage of “Lewinsky case”. Further on, he made his daily more cautious and gave the authors of Project for Excellence in Journalism the idea for an article on basic classification of information accuracy
Project for Excellence in Journalism
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50 places to shop for story ideas
[30.11.05.]
Every newsroom has ’em: Reporters who come up with their own stories, and reporters who don’t come up with their own stories. The job is much easier – and enjoyable – if you’re a story hunter rather than a perennial assignment receiver.
Funny, it’s usually the reporters who don’t come up with their own stories who grumble about the assignments they receive and the 'news' value of such stories. “Half of what we cover isn’t news!” a perennial assignment receiver might protest.
Gregg McLachlan, Associate Managing Editor of the Simcoe Reformer, Ontario, Canada
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Critical Thinking: What Do You Mean by That?
[23.11.05.]
Editors want "better critical thinking" from their reporters, but do they know what that precisely means? And, better yet, do they know how to instigate it in their newsrooms? Jill Geisler of Poynter Institute digested the complicated definition of critical thinking down to key elements and useful questions you can ask your reporters and your self.
By Jill Geisler, Leadership & Management Group Leader, The Poynter Institute
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How to find people around the World
[19.10.05.]
To look for and to find successfully people around the World is one of the most important things for the investigative journalist in the Global Era we live in.
The journalist might look for somebody because he or she is a crook, ex prisoner, drug trafficker or is mentioned in the World news for whatever reasons. To find and to contact these people as soon as possible is very important for a follow up story.
By Alexenia Dimitrova (24 Hours Daily - Sofia, Bulgaria)
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How to request documents From the American Secret Archives
[19.10.05.]
The journalist who has decided to look for and to work with secret documents must combine at lest 2 talents – of a researcher and of a writer. But need one more before starting – to be a fighter - with the bureaucrats who keep the secrets and would be responsible the documents you asked for to be declassified.
By Alexenia Dimitrova (24 Hours Daily - Sofia, Bulgaria)
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A Guide to Computer Assisted Reporting
[14.09.05.]
Read the detailed guide through CAR and tens of stories done by Pulitzer Prize winner and his team, their techniques, tips and tales of the succesfull reporting by computers. Learn of numerous advantages you could acquire through training and implementing CAR in your newsroom.
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Writing Tool #50: The Writing Process
[20.04.05.]
Use these tools to demystify your writing.
In 1983, Donald Murray wrote on a chalkboard a little diagram that changed my writing and teaching forever. It was a modest blueprint of the writing process as he understood it, five words that describe the steps toward creating a story. As I remember them now, the words were: Idea. Collect. Focus. Draft. Clarify.
By Roy Peter Clark (Senior Scholar, Poynter Institute)
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What is investigative reporting?
[22.09.04.]
What are particularities of investigative reporting? How to differentiate investigative reporting from "standard" reporting? What is the role of an investigative reporter? How was investigative reporting created and how did it develop?
Author: Saša Leković (lekovics@slinter.net)
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Writing is rewriting
[08.08.04.]
Ernest Hemingway once confided to George Plimpton during an interview that he rewrote the ending to "A Farewell to Arms" 39 times before he was satisfied.
Why so many rewrites? Plimpton asked.
Because, Hemingway responded, he wanted to get the words right.
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Kindling the Flame
[31.07.04.]
"Word has reached me that you are having fun on the set. This must stop."
- JackWarner, quoted in "Lauren Bacall By Myself"
By Steve Buttry NTNG
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Editors, help Reporters to improve Stories
[22.07.04.]
Each reporter is different and each story is different. Gauge the needs and personalities of your staff and try these techniques as you think they fit the situations and people. Remember that you are working not just to improve the story at hand, but future stories as well.
By Steve Butrry NTNG
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Kindling the Flame
[12.07.04.]
"Word has reached me that you are having fun on the set. This must stop."
-- Jack Warner, quoted in "Lauren Bacall By Myself"
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Birthing the Big Project
[06.07.04.]
How to conceive, grow and launch a successful investigative story
David Boardman The Seattle Times
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Interviewing: How to do it?
[05.07.04.]
For a reporter, the key to a good interview is knowing what you want, and how to
get it. For a news programme editor, the important thing is to make sure that
the interviewee has been carefully selected, and the designated reporter
well-prepared.
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Press conferences: how to use it?
[05.07.04.]
Press conferences are often a valuable source of news for journalists. However,
they can often pose difficult problems for inexperienced (and even experienced!)
journalists. Below is a list of check points to consider.
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Reporting diversity: A checklist
[03.07.04.]
This Checklist was developed by journalists, journalism professors and diversity advisers at a workshop at Carleton University in June, 1995. They exchanged information about diversity initiatives and how to sustain them; they shared experiences both positive and negative; they debated with vigor the difficulties and the merits, the problems and the advantages of greater diversity in both hiring and coverage; they worked at case studies based on real events; and they drafted this set of principles to help newsrooms respond better to the changes in Canadian society. They would like to share these principles, condensed and formatted as a checklist, with other newsrooms.
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