April 14, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating the World of the Disadvantaged
By Ashley Dischinger
Investigating the world of the disadvantaged is often a complex task for journalists. The underprivileged are often in a position to be easily exploited by various sectors of our society.
Poverty is a widespread issue that impacts every corner of the globe, but it is also a very real issue for the United States. It can be localized when identifying specific cases in communities. A thorough investigation can successfully expose the exploited and draw attention to the injustices that they face.
Investigating challenging and complex issues
Chapter 21 of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook address the issues associated with the investigation of disadvantaged members of society. Often, reporters are faced with special challenges, especially when preparing for investigations in impoverished areas.
The chapter addresses important tips for investigating the financial exploitation of the poor, exploitation by way of employment, children, the homeless and issues involving programs such as health care systems, child care support and welfare reform.
Pulitzer Prize-winning series looks at child exploitation in city
In 2001 The Washington Post launched an investigation of the District of Columbia’s children placed in protective care. The result was a 2002 Pulitzer Prize-winning series that reflects the issues of child exploitation and investigating government programs for the underprivileged, which are discussed in Chapter 21.
Post reporters Sari Horwitz, Scott Higham and Sarah Cohen began their investigation in September 2001 when they discovered that the city’s social workers were responsible for the deaths of 40 children living under the “care” of the government. After studying similar cases in the area from 1993 to 2000, documents revealed that 229 children had perished at the hand of an inadequate child protection system.
According to the Handbook, impoverished children are easily exploited and often at the heart of injustice because they are incapable of taking care of themselves.
System failed to meet children’s needs
Indeed, the many instances of children dying in D.C. were because of improper care issued by the government to meet these children’s basic living needs. Many were injured or too young to care for themselves, yet the social welfare system failed to provide them with adequate amounts of food, shelter and care that is essential to life.
‘Investigating the programs’ by studying documentation
The Post’s investigation also reflects aspects of the “Investigating the Programs” section of the chapter. They first followed paper trails by studying the documentation of the children’s deaths.
These documents, which once remained a secret from the public, now provided the reporters with answers to why the childcare program was failing. The documents even provided the identities of specific workers who were responsible in the children’s deaths.
Investigation showed government did little to end abuse and neglect
Furthermore, the documents alerted the reporters that while government officials were aware that D.C. children were dying for avoidable reasons, they did little to put an end to the situation. Abuse reports were not fully investigated, social workers failed to adequately monitor neglected children and many children were simply sent to unlicensed foster homes where they remained unsupervised.
The reporters combined myriad of resources, including specific government documentation, interviews with officials and experts and various detailed personal stories of specific children who suffered under the system.
The Post story provoked further investigation into D.C.’s child welfare system. A large-scale reform effort that began in 1991 was clearly inadequate. Because of the brilliant reporting efforts by the Post team, the investigation into the city’s role in the children’s deaths was exposed to the public.
April 7, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating For-Profit, Nonprofit and Religious Organizations
By Ashley Dischinger
Investigating all kinds of businesses, from large corporations to smaller local businesses, is at the heart of Chapter 13 in The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook. The chapter details how to investigate such companies, ensuring that corruption does not lie within the confines of the company being investigated.
Chapter 14 tackles a similar topic: investigating nonprofit and religious organizations. The paper, people and database trails that were discussed in earlier chapters can also prove to be helpful in investigating these organizations.
Investigating an entire for-profit industry
Reporters Will Englund and Gary Cohn of The Baltimore Sun won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for exposing the dangers of the shipbreaking industry. Their 12-part series is a prime example of how investigating the workplace of businesses can expose safety and health concerns.
Englund and Cohn followed paper and people trails to help lead them to uncover startling discoveries about the working conditions within these for-profit businesses.
Exposing countless health and safety concerns
By interviewing many workers from shipbreaking companies across the country, Englund and Cohn found many physical hazards. Workers were regularly exposed to smoke and fumes, lethal asbestos dust, oil spills and other substances dangerous to their health.
Furthermore, The Sun found that many laborers had little training, supervision or proper equipment. These factors were responsible for the injuries and deaths of many workers through explosions and accidents that could have been prevented.
A shameful attempt to cover up hazardous working conditions
Even worse, the reporters discovered the companies were attempting to cover up any safety and health issues that the public could deem hazardous, in order to protect their business. In one area of California, for example, 20 workers were fired after they told federal investigators how asbestos was improperly stripped from Navy ships, thus placing their health in danger.
Using paper and people trails to promote worker health and safety
Paper trails led Englund and Cohn to reveal ship scrappers who have records of bankruptcies, fraud, payoffs to government inspectors and environmental and safety violations.
The scrutiny of these businesses’ health and safety violations led to many public hearings and panel discussions. The public pressured the shipbreaking industry to comply with anti-pollution and worker-safety laws. Organizations such as the Navy Defense Department and Maritime Administration began to re-evaluate the way the industry is run.
Englund and Cohn’s series successfully followed the protocol for investigating not just one for-profit business, but tackled an entire international industry. Their thorough reporting and scrutiny of the workplace helped piece together a compelling investigation that exposed many health and safety concerns of shipbreaking workers.
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.
March 16, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating the Judicial System and Law Enforcement
By Ashley Dischinger
One of the important issues discussed in Chapters 10 and 11 of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook is investigating corruption within law enforcement agencies. It is the duty of a journalist to monitor and report on the actions of the police in order to carry out the watchdog function of the media.
Exposing disability pension abuses by police officers
In 1995, two reporters from Newsday in Long Island won the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for their series exposing disability pension abuses by police officers in the Long Island area.
Brian Donovan and Stephanie Saul’s 14-part series initially began when the reporters noticed a boom in disability pension claims that were filed by policemen within the past decade. After many months of thorough reporting they found dozens of cases of police officers unjustly collecting pension payments, and essentially robbing taxpayers of millions of dollars a year.
As described in Chapter 11 of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook, raises, promotions and pensions are all aspects of local law enforcement agencies that can easily “be riddled with personal favoritism, political intrigue, inefficiency and corruption.”
Law enforcement agencies ‘riddled with corruption’
Newsday questioned the possible link between pension payments and loopholes in the police disability system. Their investigation held these police officers accountable for their misdeeds that plagued the Long Island law enforcement system with corruption and inefficiency.
Donovan and Saul’s reporting highlighted a severe flaw in the system and the shocking number of officers who were taking advantage of loopholes. During the initial stages of their investigation they followed both people trails and “the money” to determine motives behind officers abusing pension.
Taking advantage of public resources
The reporters used various resources including public records of disability pension claims in the Long Island area. They also studied documents detailing the police disability system.
The use of these public documents allowed the Newsday team to obtain data specific to their case, including the exact amount of annual disability pension received by many young officers. One 30-year-old officer received $60,471 a year, tax-free according to their research.
Following people trails
Donovan and Saul followed people trails throughout the investigation by using connections to find more sources. Various case studies of sources revealed that many officers file for pension if they are facing criminal charges because if the officer retires early on disability, all criminal charges are dropped. One officer filed for disability pension payments and continued drug dealing.
The Newsday team also found that Long Island has strong police unions that have close ties to many law firms. This makes expert legal representation available for free, whether they are officers convicted of crimes or those injured by criminals.
Newsweek ‘watchdogs’
The work of Donovan and Saul exemplifies how investigative reporting can hold law enforcement agencies accountable for corruption. As The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook says, local police “are entrusted with great power and are a part of daily life.” It is therefore necessary for journalists to continue scrutinizing the actions and behavior of police officers, and in the case of this investigation, to scrutinize the disability pension system.
March 9, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Investigating the Executive and Legislative Branches
By Ashley Dischinger
Some of the most telling investigative reporting pieces involve closer examinations of the works of government officials. An important part of a journalist’s duty is to act as a watchdog, constantly investigating the actions of the executive and legislative branches to expose any instances of corruption.
Probing corruption in the legislative branch
Chapters Eight and Nine in The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook detail how journalists should successfully probe an investigative piece involving the government. Though often a tricky and tedious process, these investigations should be covered thoroughly in order to hold public officials to a higher standard.
The opening of Chapter Nine mentions a scandal investigated by several members of The Washington Post staff. Their series of 10 stories brought to light the misconduct of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, spurred reform efforts and led to the eventual indictment of several other public officials. The staff, including Susan Schmidt, James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for Investigative Reporting.
The Washington Post’s coverage of the Abramoff scandal reflects many of the tips in The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook. Ultimately, the Pulitzer Prize-winning staff continued to scrutinize the conduct of an influential figure and his influence on public policy and legislation.
Following the money
The investigation began when the staff “followed the money” after realizing an Indian tribe and gambling services company made donations to a Washington public policy group. The staff researched the contributions from outside interest groups (the Indian tribe and a gambling services company) to legislators (Abramoff and his Republican associates.)
By studying numerous reports documenting expenses and donations, the Washington Post staff concluded that Abramoff had encouraged American Indian tribes and other clients to make close to $2.9 million in federal political contributions.
E-Lottery, a gambling services company, was just one of the outside interest groups linked to the Abramoff lobbyist scandal. Logo from the e-Lottery Web site.
After doing some initial research, they discovered that Abramoff had arranged a questionable weeklong trip that was funded by the Choctaw Indian tribe and eLottery, a gambling services company, both of which deny knowing their money would be funding the trip.
Investigating motives behind the ‘raw dollars’
The Washington Post staff went beyond looking at the “raw dollars” and investigated the motives behind the large donations on behalf of these groups, an important next step emphasized by the Investigative Reporter’s Handbook.
Shortly after this investigation, the Republican officials with whom Abramoff was closely associated killed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, which was opposed by eLottery and the Choctaws. It quickly become clear that Abramoff was encouraging financial contributions in exchange for influencing legislation that would favor the contributing groups.
As the investigation continued, the reporters also revealed that Abramoff funded various trips and other “favors” to congressmen to further ensure favorable legislation for his clients.
Close scrutiny leads to justice
Abramoff leaves the Federal Court in the wake of his lobbying scandal. The photo is taken from the Flickr Commons.
The Washington Post staff followed many of the steps for investigating lobbyists, as specified by the Investigative Reporter’s Handbook.
They closely examined the groups, businesses and government officials with which Abramoff was closely associated, which led them to the corrupt practices of several prominent Republican officials and congressmen.
Their award-winning work serves as a prime example of how investigative reporting can “push legislators to make decisions contrary to the public’s interest,” as discussed in Chapter Nine of the Investigative Reporter’s Handbook.
March 2, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Writing the Compelling Investigation
By Ashley Dischinger
There are many important components to writing a compelling investigative piece that sheds light on an issue or injustice while successfully drawing the reader into the story.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning series by The New York Times’ Clifford J. Levy is a prime example of a gripping presentation of an injustice that demonstrates the impact of that issue through exceptional storytelling.
In 2002 Levy wrote a six-part series called “Broken Homes” that ultimately exposed the abuse of mentally ill patients living in various state-regulated homes.
Levy demonstrated his strengths in both reporting and writing- skills that good investigative reporters must learn to master and balance. His research and reporting is incredibly thorough, with a balance of statistics and personal accounts.
Levy’s writing is equally powerful. The details of the story certainly answer the “who, what, when, where, why, how and so what?” of the issue.
His writing also exemplifies certain tips listed in The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook including keeping the “outrage” in sight and putting people in the foreground of the story. His story constantly relates back to the issue of the abuse of mentally ill patients, and the personal anecdotes are key in keeping people in the foreground of the story. Levy is also careful to address a controversial issue by presenting the facts and refraining from lecturing the readers.
Levy won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for his investigation involving the abuse of the mentally ill in adult homes. Photo from the Pulitzer Prize Web site
Levy’s investigative reporting remains consistently compelling from the opening lead through the ending without any lulls in the middle. The lead paragraphs demonstrate commanding writing that draws the reader into the story through the use of several anecdotes detailing various horror stories of abused patients.
The middle of the story contains just the right amount of flow and momentum needed to keep the reader’s interest. Levy introduces relevant numbers and statistics that are easy to understand. He also uses the “scene” technique by telling numerous stories of patients who have been abused. For instance, one paragraph details the horrifying story of a patient who eventually committed suicide, leaving a note that simply said “evil wins.”
The ending is just as compelling as the rest of the story, and leaves the reader with deep thoughts and emotions regarding the prevalence of abuse of the mentally ill. Levy concludes with the story of a patient, Mr. Maddix, whose home did not adequately address his needs. He was often left to suffer daily seizures alone because the staff didn’t bother to give him proper care.
When Maddix eventually died of a seizure alone in his bathroom, the home tried to cover up their neglect by saying he was unresponsive when they found him and soon after died, even though he had been dead for a full day before his body was even discovered.
The final sentence is extremely powerful, saying the “discovery of his body was almost routine” at the home. The shock value of the suggestions of the mistreatment of the mentally ill leaves the reader to ponder the issue and question the morals of these adult homes.
February 23, 2009
The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook: Computer-Assisted Reporting, People Trails and Ethics
By Ashley Dischinger
Chapters Four, Five and Seven of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook discuss the importance of computer-assisted reporting, finding and developing sources and the ethics of investigative reporting, respectively. All three are important issues to keep in mind when working on an investigative piece.
Computer-assisted reporting, or CAR for short, is a vital part of investigative reporting. The use of various databases, which can be obtained through a multitude of resource systems, can be an extremely useful aid to a journalist’s research.
However, such databases are only the beginning to uncovering all angles of a story. Following “people trails” and conducting interviews are also essential parts of the process.
Although not all interviews will come easily, there are various methods for dealing with problems that journalists typically encounter during the interview stage of research.
A third issue that frequently arises is that of ethics. Laws remain black and white, but often times the circumstances surrounding the investigation are gray. A good rule of thumb is to follow the Golden Rule when in doubt.
In 2005, investigative reporter Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette Week was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his series of stories that ultimately exposed a prominent politician’s sexual misconduct with a minor. The crime was committed nearly 30 years prior to Jaquiss’ story, yet this was the first time it had been revealed to the public.
Willamette Week's Nigel Jaquiss won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for his investigative reporting surrounding accusations of former-Governor Goldschmidt's sexual misconduct with a minor. Photo from the Pulitzer Prize Web site.
The investigation displayed instances of CAR, people trails, and ethics that were discussed in The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook.
Jaquiss began his research by using various databases and public records searches to obtain information regarding the alleged crimes. (During the initial stages of his investigation, former-Governor Goldschmidt of Oregon had not yet been charged with sexual misconduct with a minor.)
The documents that Jaquiss found helped to identify court documents that described the case, but did not name Goldschmidt specifically. He also looked at court records from another case involving the rape of the same woman, years later.
The use of these databases and public records helped Jaquiss build the foundation of his story and pointed him in the direction of possible sources. Court documents helped him find the names of the woman’s lawyers, in addition to other lawyers who were involved in the case, all of whom provided information contributing to his story.
Furthermore, Jaquiss interviewed the woman herself in addition to many of her friends, ex-boyfriends, and others who gave deeply personal accounts of how the sex crimes affected her life. It is obvious that Jaquiss conducted thorough interviews with the woman from the amount of detail in his story. This implies he was able to establish a trusting relationship with the interviewee, as her story is highly personal and a troubling topic.
Former-Governor Goldschmidt of Oregon was at the center of the investigation led by Jaquiss. Image from the Oregon State Archives Web site.
Because the story involved the accusation of sexual misconduct with a minor, despite the fact that it occurred decades ago, the paper was faced with questions of ethics in its reporting. Originally, the paper was asked to refrain from publishing the story since it was “a private matter that occurred 30 years ago”.
Ultimately, the paper decided that it was a crime that the public deserved to know about, since it involved a prominent politician. Although it would have been perfectly legal, in an effort to respect the woman’s privacy the paper refrained from using the woman’s name.
A complete record of this Pulitzer Prize-winning series is detailed, in addition to a brief biography of Jaquiss.
Ashley's Reporting Endeavors 