IRE and NICAR resources for war, security coverage

IRE and NICAR offer databases and resources to help journalists investigate federal spending on homeland security and military programs, including tipsheets, story reprints, and access to procurement and assistance award data.

The Iraq war and homeland security have been hot issues in news coverage. The IRE and NICAR Database Library and IRE Resource Center have resources for journalists who want do in-depth reporting about these subjects.

Federal Assistance Award Data System (FAADS) contains records of federal assistance awarded to state and local governments as well as all major programs are covered under FAADS. With FAADS and CFFR you can find grants and loans that are awarded to your local or state government for homeland security purposes.

For more information, log on www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases. Contact the Database Library at 573-884-7711 or 573-884-7332 to order the data.

The Resource Center offers tipsheets and story reprints that can help guide journalists who want to report on war and security issues using databases.

Adam Bell of The Charlotte Observer provides advice for using the procurement database to analyze military spending and avoid pitfalls along the way. (Tipsheet No. 1765)

Maud Beelman, formerly of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, provides a list of Internet and printed resources for following the multinational arms trade in Tip Sheet No. 591.

The Washington Post featured a story about how the Immigration and Naturalization Service system that keeps tabs on foreign students is riddled with errors. The Post exposed the problems in the system, since scrapped, and showed the flaws can be a risk to homeland security. (Story No. 20463)

The Oakland Tribune, Los Angeles Daily News and smaller sister Media News Group newspapers in California found that officials in the state misused homeland security funds. After obtaining more than 2,000 pages of purchase order documents from area counties, the newspapers put the data into a spreadsheet. The journalists then compared the data to a master list of identified terrorism targets in California. Some of the smaller counties used the anti-terrorism funding for such minor repairs as fixing courthouse doors, instead of becoming better prepared for future terrorist attacks. (Story No. 21353)

In "Anti-Terror Funds Buy Wide Array of Pet Projects," The Washington Post traced the path of the region's first wave of homeland security aid from its distribution to its final use. The Post found the path of the aid is largely unexamined by federal regulators. Reporters analyzed contracts, grant proposals and purchasing databases. Results showed millions were spent on items such as leather jackets for police officers. (Story No. 20865)

You can purchase stories and tipsheets by contacting the Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org.