Pulitzer winner Michael J. Berens of The Seattle Times teaches journalists how to find low-risk, high-impact investigative stories hiding in plain sight by analyzing data. This presentation -- Watchdog Reporting on a Budget -- was part of the Las Vegas NewsTrain on Oct. 10-11, 2014. Please see associated handouts: Finding the Story, Journalism Project Checklist, Web Tools - Finding Stories and The Data Journalist Checklist. NewsTrain is a traveling workshop for journalists sponsored by Associated Press Media Editors. For more information, visit http://www.apme.com/?AboutNewsTrain

1. WATCHDOG REPORTING
ON A BUDGET
LOW RISK, HIGH IMPACT STORIES
MICHAEL J. BERENS | MBERENS@SEATTLETIMES.COM | @MJBERENS1
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2. MEET MY EDITOR
– A GUY WHO
THOUGHT A
SPECIAL
PROJECT WAS
SOMETHING
THAT TOOK TWO
HOURS INSTEAD
OF ONE

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Not every story is your story

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Do not begin with a noun
Nouns are not stories

5. PROJECT CHECKLIST
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Text for slides is ARIAL (BODY)
36 PT

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Quantify

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He said.
She said.
Now I’m going to tell you
who’s telling the truth.

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COLLECT THE TOOLS
OF THE TRADE

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Find enterprise and watchdog
stories in your own publication or
broadcast
Clips from a random day:
Sept. 15, 2014

10. FAA ACCIDENT DATA
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
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11. WWW.LANDINGS.COM
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12. FATALITY ANALYSIS REPORTING
SYSTEM
LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL
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14. FATALITY ANALYSIS REPORTING
SYSTEM
KTNV LAS VEGAS
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15. How many children die outside of car seats?
How often do drivers to roll over a pedestrian?
How many children die in car accidents?
What’s the most dangerous intersection?
Do teens or seniors have more fatal crashes?
How many cop cars are involved in fatal
crashes?
How many involved police pursuits?
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16. Powerful and exclusive
stories are derived from
databases that you create
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17. CREATE STORIES
KTNV LAS VEGAS
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18. CREATE STORIES
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
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19. How many victims are killed by strangers?
How many homicides involve domestic violence?
What is the deadliest area of your region?
How many children are homicide victims?
What % of killings involve guns?
What kind of gun?
… any question you want
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20. A LESSON LEARNED
An editor’s question:
“What day of the week is the most
popular for police drug raids?”
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21. OSHA DATA
LAS VEGAS SUN
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22. WWW.OSHA.GOV/OSHSTATS/
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23. Most dangerous profession in your city or state?
Business with the most worker injuries?
Categories of injuries and deaths?
How many grain blasts each year?
Percentage tied to negligence?
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24. STORIES HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
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25. STORIES HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
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26. STORIES IN PLAIN SIGHT
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31. A health care professional was
administratively charged with sexual
misconduct with patients.
His punishment?
He was only allowed to treat women
age 50 or older (re: public record on
Wa. Dept. of Health website)
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34. BREAKDOWN THE STORY –
FOLLOW THE PAPER
A source tells you that officers
assigned to an undercover police
unit, which investigates bars and
liquor violations, is legally getting
drunk on duty.
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35. WWW.GAO.GOV
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36. WWW.IGNET.GOV/IGS/HOMEPAGE1.HTML
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37. WWW.GUIDESTAR.ORG
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38. Require reporters to write story memos
On breaking news, create a central file
Create a FOIA database
Hold regular watchdog meetings
Create a database library for the staff
Designate a database editor
Create a “story process”
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39. WWW.IRE.ORG
Searchable Story Database (26,000+)
Searchable Tipsheet Database (23,000+)
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40. UNLEASH YOUR WATCHDOG
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