Journalist’s Trade

Redefining a Newspaper’s Watchdog Approach

On a soggy December morning, a hillside above a busy Oregon highway gave way, and a torrent of mud, rock and trees buried the road, destroyed homes, and smashed cars.…

Instilling a Watchdog Culture in the Newsroom

‘Watchdog work is not just about projects; it’s about an approach to beat coverage that should be reflected in daily and longer-form work.’

A Vital Responsibility in Need of Support

‘… our industry, as a whole, cannot afford to abandon or cut back on investigative reporting, particularly on local and regional issues.’

What Are Newspaper Journalists Investigating?

RELATED WEB LINK“Extra! Extra!”— ire.org/extraextraWhat follows are a few examples from the wide range of investigations being done by mainstream media outlets throughout the United States. The examples—grouped by general…

Changing Equations in Investigative Reporting

An editor proposes that journalists seek new partners in their mission of monitoring those in power.

Using Expertise From Outside the Newsroom

After ‘crowdsourcing’ worked to expand reporting, The News-Press reached out to nearby residents to form Team Watchdog.

Understanding the Risk

To communicate with people about risk, journalists need to better understand how and why people respond in the ways they do to messages they receive about danger. An expert in…

The Many Dimensions of the Avian Flu Story

Reporters from the United States, China and Germany discuss how a story about a health issue such as avian flu can be covered competitively, with its web of connections that…
Understanding the Threat

Understanding the Threat

Two infectious disease specialists describe and discuss what the scientific community knows about the avian flu virus H5N1 and how pandemic influenza might emerge.

Reporting From the Frontlines of the Flu

Reporters and editors discuss how they've covered disaster situations, including those in which people were infected by the H5N1 virus. And they talk about preparations they are making at their…