Investigative Reporting - Organization

Investigative Reporting: Organization

Create a chronology, either in text or spreadsheet format.
Track records requests. Which ones are outstanding? What are the obstacles? What date did they promise to give you the records?
Create a spreadsheet of sources, contacts for the project.
Make your own database or spreadsheet for your data.
Create a common area in the system for sharing files.
Collect your data and analyze it.
Spend some time pre-reporting.
Bounce your theory off of the experts.
Look for real-world examples to back up your data. If you can’t easily find anecdotal evidence to back up your story, it might not be a story.
Build internal support for your project. Make sure your top editors are on board. Talk with your editor about how much time you will need, what resources you need etc.
Provide a written project proposal and update your editors regularly about your findings.

What kind of presentation works best for your story?
Narratives with a beginning, middle and end that build suspense.
Serial narratives.
Traditional multi-part series with different themes on each day.
Focus on one example to tell the whole story. Follow a single case from beginning to end to show how the system works.
The rolling investigation
Go with your strongest angle. Keep working on the follow-ups.
Write what you don’t know as well as what you know. People are often motivated to help you fill in the blanks.
Make sure potential sources know how to reach you.
Go back and publish a recap story that connects all of the dots for readers.
Write with authority.
Cite your sources but don’t over-attribute.
If it’s something you dug up, give yourself credit.
Don’t overdo the numbers. Pick your strongest numbers. Put the rest in a graphic.
Post PDFs of key documents, data, links to websites online.

Before you publish, check every verifiable fact.
Retrace your steps. How did you get each piece of key information? Can you document it?
Make sure everyone in the story has had a chance to comment or take issue with your reporting. Can’t reach someone? Send a letter.
Don’t be rushed into a story. Hold it if you aren’t sure.
A small mistake (wrong age, date) can lead to a correction and allow people to question the integrity of the whole story.
Ask people to read your story who aren’t familiar with it. What questions do they have?

Understand libel and the elements required, including false statement that identifies someone and harms them.
Plaintiffs must prove you were negligent (for private individuals) or acted with actual malice (for public officials).
Don’t hide from corrections.
Privileged documents and statements: Court testimony, police reports, government documents – must give fair and accurate report
False light: when a person a represented in such a way that there is a negative and inaccurate impression about said person.

Online extras
Searchable data
Links to related past stories
Slideshows
If you reference a key document, people want to see it. Add a .pdf on your website.
Don’t mark up or highlight documents until you scan them.
Consider redacting social security numbers, home addresses.

Use Twitter to get story ideas, Facebook to find people to talk about them
People say things that make news on social media.
Tread cautiously with juveniles.
Photos may be subject to copyright if they are professionally done. Otherwise, profiles set to public are fair game.
Build a list of local, state and national officials and organizations to follow in Twitter.