9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Using the web as an investigative tool
What reporters and editors need to know, from better search techniques to the invisible Web, how to find documents and databases on deadline and where to find reliable Web sites for enterprise stories. We will discuss how to effectively search on the Web, and handling issues of credibility of online sources and ethics when using online information.
Welcome speech: Kate Marymont, senior vice president of news, Gannett
Speakers: Megan Luther, trainer, IRE; Lisa Song, reporter, InsideClimate
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. Quick Hits/10 Investigations You can Start Next Week
Investigative pieces don’t always have to be lengthy projects. If you get your hands on the right information, especially data sets, you can report a quick and effective story. Speakers will share tips and tools to use to access databases across beats and topics, and the types of investigative stories that could come out of them.
Speakers: Megan Luther, trainer, IRE; Ron Lin, investigative reporter, Los Angeles Times
1-2:15pm Public Records & You
They’re the public’s records, yet it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get them. How to be effective in legally compelling government agencies for public records – and how to work through the pushback.
Speakers: Brad Heath, investigative reporter, USA Today; Barbara Wall, vice president of general counsel, Gannett; Michelle Ye Hee Lee (moderator), investigative reporter, The Arizona Republic
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Covering minority communities
Investigative reporting on issues that affect minority issues can be nuanced, and have unique challenges. How do you get community members to talk publicly on sensitive issues that could create blowback for an already disenfranchised group of people? How do you find credible sources and information where they may be hard to find? How do you navigate cultural sensitivities?
Speakers: Anh Do, reporter, The Los Angeles Times; Richard Lui, anchor, MSNBC
3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Bulletproofing your work
How to plan reporting and editing to build an airtight methodology that even people being written about will agree is solid. Make sure your investigations can withstand intense scrutiny and unexpected blowback. How to use documents, sources and data to do authoritative investigations. Hear tips on how to stay organized while fact checking and editing throughout the process so there are no last-minute surprises.
Speakers: Lisa Song, reporter, InsideClimate; Brad Heath, investigative reporter, USA Today