Investigative Reporter's Handbook : A Guide To Documents, Databases And Techniques - 4th edition

Summary: The most comprehensive classroom text for investigative reporting. Organized by topic for easy reference, The Reporter's Handbook gives students the tools they need to locate, obtain, understand, and publish information about anyone or anything. It identifies the most useful records and documents, both private and public, associated with each topic and explains where to get them and how to use them. An expanded index makes the text easier than ever to use as a refer ...show moreence.

Valuable guidelines for writing compelling stories. The Reporter's Handbook is also a writer's handbooks, offering students advice on such topics as getting the details while reporting; avoiding stereotypes; dealing with tension and resolution; and finding the appropriate tone and point of view for a story.

Broad coverage of important investigative topics. From financial institutions and utilities, to the government and insurance companies -- The Reporter's Handbook covers a broad range of topics and issues that have significant bearing on on everyday life.


A greater emphasis on local reporting. Throughout the text, examples of local investigative reporting mirror the types of stories students will write when they first enter the profession. This edition also includes a new chapter on "Managing Your Beat: Conducting Investigations at Small News Organizations."

Expanded section on ethics. New examples from working journalists include ethical disputes and dilemmas and allow students to critically assess situations that they will face during investigations.

New chapters on Documents and Databases and on Freedom of Information. Coverage of primary documents and computer-assisted reporting has been combined in a single chapter to show students the interrelationships between hard documents and electronic information with new material on acessing documents and databases. This edition also includes a new chapter on the Freedom of Information Act.

Updated to insure currency. Investigative reporters need access to the most up to date sources and must be aware of the latest developments in their field of research, and The Reporter's Handbook points readers to the most current sources and provides students with the latest developments in numerous investigative fields. Especially noteworthy is the new coverage of Health care (Chapter 14), Transportation (Chapter 18) and the Financial Institutions (Chapter 16) that includes coverage of the new banking regulations taking effect July 1. 2001.

Easy to find Internet address list. Capping off each chapter is a new, easy to use Internet address list that collects all of the Web sites mentioned throughout the chapter and lists them in one easy to use directory. Now students and investigators can spend less time hunting up Web addresses and more time on their investigations. ...show less

Edition/Copyright: 4TH 02
Cover: Hardback
Publisher: Bedford Books
Year Published: 2002

View Author Bio

Weinberg, Steve : University of Missouri, Columbia

Steve Weinberg teaches at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He was formerly the director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.

Houston, Brant : Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.

Brant Houston is the Executive Director of Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. and author of Computer Assisted Reporting, now in its second edition.

Bruzzese, Len : Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.

Len Bruzzese is the Deputy Director of Investigative reporters and Editors Inc.

View Table of Contents

PART I. THE BASICS: HOW TO INVESTIGATE ANYONE OR ANYTHING

Introduction: Paper Trails and People Trails: An Overview
1. Secondary Sources: Working from the Outside In
2. Primary Documents: Obtaining the Best Evidence
3. Computer-Assisted Information Gathering and Other Access Tools
4. Access to Information about Other Nations and across National Borders
5. People Trails: Finding and Interviewing Sources

PART II. INVESTIGATING INDIVIDUALS, INSTITUTIONS AND ISSUES

6. Investigating Government: the Legislative Branch and Those Who Try to Influence It
7. Investigating Government: The Executive Branch
8. Investigating Government: Education
9. Investigating Government: Law Enforcement
10. Investigating Government: The Judicial System
11. Where Government and the Private Sector Meet: Investigating Licensed Professionals
12. Investigating the Private Sector: For-Profit Businesses and Their Workers
13. Investigating Charities and Other Not-For-Profits
14. Investigating Health Care
15. Investigating Insurance
16. Investigating Financial Institutions: Banks, Savings and Loans, Credit Unions, Investment Companies and Their Mutual Funds
17. Investigating Energy and Communications Utilities
18. Investigating Transportation
19. Investigating Real Estate: Housing, Commercial Uses and Zoning
20. Investigating Environmental Issues
21. Investigating the World of the Disadvantaged

PART III. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

22. Writing Compelling Projects
23. The Ethics and Accuracy of Investigative Journalism

Other Editions of Investigative Reporter's Handbook : A Guide To Documents, Databases And Techniques:

Investigative Reporter's Handbook - 5 edition

ISBN13: 978-0312589974