The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating Education

March 31, 2009

The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating Education

By Ashley Dischinger

Examining issues with educational systems can be a tedious and frustrating process, but it is one that can provide the public with deeply meaningful stories. Chapter 12 of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook deals with various issues surrounding the investigation of educational institutions.

Secondary and higher institutions of education must be carefully scrutinized through both traditional reporting and the use of databases and social science methods.

Exposing corruption in Alabama’s two-year college system

Reporter Brett Blackledge of The Birmingham News won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. In a 10-part series Blackledge scrutinized Alabama’s two-year college system. He exposed many instances of corruption within the system, resulting in the dismissal of the chancellor.

Blackledge’s reporting reflects the advice given in Chapter 12 for investigating institutions of higher learning. In his investigation he “followed the money” and scrutinized the faculty within the system.

Following the money and scrutinizing faculty

His thorough investigation into these areas revealed, among other instances of corruption, that a former college chief set up tens of thousands of dollars in contracts and scholarships for his children and those of administrators in Alabama’s two-year college system.

Studying public documents to pinpoint budget misuse

By studying public documents such as various colleges’ budgets, Blackledge determined that there were many instances of budget misuse and irresponsible spending. One school spent millions in state funds on friends and relatives of the college chief. Some relatives and children were even reserved scholarship funding and jobs within the system, including one woman who is now the state’s longest-serving board member.

Blackledge used public payroll records to find relatives working within the school system, and noted their specific incomes. Often, their contracts with the school also included various benefits that other faculty members and administration did not receive.

An exceptional performance of watchdog journalism

Blackledge’s investigation explored many of the questions posed in Chapter 12. He looked into how the faculty of the school system are recruited and hired and how staff and administrators evaluate them. Most importantly, how their salaries and benefits compare with those of other schools.

Thanks to Blackledge’s exceptional performance of watchdog journalism, the illegal and immoral activities within Alabama’s two-year college system were rightly exposed. The administration was finally brought to justice after many years.

After navigating through many statistics, reports, public documents and personal interviews, Blackledge produced a rewarding and informative series that brought to light an important issue to the public.

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