Computer-Assisted Reporting Newsletter, 1990–2007
European journalists are increasingly reporting on EU farm subsidies, largely through the work of Farmsubsidy.org, which uses freedom of information laws to expose previously secre…
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter describes how she used SQL Server to analyze 180 million records of U.S. farm subsidy data spanning over a decade to investigate cotton sub…
A 2006 Washington Post investigation revealed that federal farm subsidies, often justified as supporting small family farms, were instead distributed to non-farmers, duplicate paym…
Lee Davidson describes a quick investigation into gas pump accuracy in Utah using state inspection databases.
Jeff Porter highlights the wealth of data available on the OPEC website, including downloadable tables on oil production, imports, and global pricing.
A journalist describes how analyzing utility data from LIPA revealed that new power plants weren't necessary, and discusses how deregulation of the electricity industry created com…
Ronald Campbell investigates how solicitors use sound-alike charity names to collect millions of dollars from unsuspecting donors.
Eugene Mulero explores how cities spend taxpayer money on promotional items like stress-relief toys and pens.
The IRE and NICAR Database Library has completed its federal contracts database for fiscal year 2005 with over 1 million records, providing journalists access to detailed informati…
The article discusses how the Star-Telegram used U.S. Department of Transportation databases to analyze the impact of low-fare carrier AirTran Airways on Dallas-Fort Worth Airport …
Journalists use computer-assisted reporting and government databases to investigate workplace issues including employee compensation, occupational safety violations, and retirement…
The Oregonian investigated the Javits-Wagner-O'Day program, uncovering that charities were redefining disability and overpaying executives while mismanaging federal contracts.
Investigative journalists in Latin America are increasingly adopting computer-assisted reporting (CAR) to expose corruption, although challenges like limited technology and varying…
The article investigates the distribution of post-9/11 disaster loans, revealing that many funds were allocated away from directly impacted areas, raising questions about financial…
IRE and NICAR provide computer-assisted reporting resources and databases for business journalists, including tools for investigating labor violations, SBA loans, and federal contr…
The St. Petersburg Times describes how it compiles an annual report ranking the 10 largest public companies in the Tampa Bay area by gathering financial data from SEC filings and c…
Journalists at The Syracuse Post-Standard used Freedom of Information requests and Excel spreadsheets to investigate New York state economic development grants, discovering that 47…
The article provides examples of computer-assisted reporting investigations on business topics, demonstrating how journalists use data analysis to uncover stories about lending dis…
The Salt Lake Tribune conducted a computer-assisted investigation into Utah's high personal bankruptcy rate by analyzing a random sample of 1,053 cases filed in 2003-2004, collecti…
Georgia's transformation into a creditor-friendly state has left many borrowers struggling under high debts and fees, with a focus on fast foreclosure processes and small loan comp…
A journalist uses GIS mapping and Census data to quantify racial segregation in Greensboro, North Carolina, revealing that the city is divided almost perfectly in half by race, wit…
Journalists use computer-assisted reporting and database analysis to investigate government contracts with private companies, uncovering connections between major contractors and c…
An investigation into eBay sales of Florida swampland exposes repeated real estate scams facilitated by online auctions.
The Dallas Morning News investigated how a farm tax loophole intended for family farmers is being exploited by large corporations and land developers to save millions in taxes.
An investigative journalism project by the Orlando Sentinel and WESH-Orlando uncovered widespread construction quality problems in central Florida's new homes, leading a reporter t…
A St. Petersburg Times analysis using geographic information systems reveals that housing prices in the Tampa Bay area are skyrocketing, transforming the region from having cheap h…
An Indianapolis Star investigation found that over 9,300 taxpayers illegally claimed multiple homestead property tax credits on properties they didn't live in, costing Marion Count…
The IRE and NICAR Database Library updated their Single Audit database covering federal awards exceeding $300,000 annually from 1997 to January 2004, providing journalists with det…
IRE and NICAR have released an updated Home Mortgage Disclosure Act database for 2002, along with a guide by Jo Craven McGinty to help journalists analyze lending data and identify…
A Union-Tribune reporter used a campaign finance database to uncover connections between San Diego city councilmen and a Las Vegas strip club owner suspected of bribery, revealing …
An examination of underused state vehicles in Arizona, highlighting wasteful spending amidst a budget shortfall.
The IRE and NICAR Database Library provides journalists with comprehensive archived federal spending data from 1979-2002, including contracts and assistance awards, enabling them t…
The article highlights the investigation on tax delinquents in Charlotte County to identify top property tax defaulters, revealing significant uncollected taxes due to inaction by …
The Charlotte Observer used federal procurement data to identify Department of Defense contractors in the Carolinas during the lead-up to the Iraq war.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists used ArcView mapping software to create maps illustrating global weapons trade connections and natural resource locations …
The SBA Disaster Loans and 7(a) business loan databases contain hundreds of thousands of records showing which small businesses received federal loans for disaster recovery and gen…
Journalists can use public databases like 10-K Wizard, FreeERISA, and Department of Labor records to investigate pension plans and retirement savings, with examples of reporters un…
The Wilmington News Journal investigated a surge in campaign donations from MBNA executives, linking the spending to efforts to pass bankruptcy reform legislation.
An exploration of various workplace data sources, including OSHA logs, pension filings, and workers' compensation records, used by journalists to investigate employer practices.
The IRE Resource Center catalogs investigative reports on housing violations and slumlord practices, including stories about property owners evading enforcement and widespread code…
After 9/11, a Dallas-Fort Worth newsroom used NICAR's federal contractor database to identify local defense companies that might benefit from increased military spending, finding o…
The IRE Resource Center highlights investigative journalism stories exposing systemic failures in housing enforcement, including how slumlords exploit legal loopholes and evade pen…
The IRE Resource Center offers investigative journalism stories exposing housing code violations and slumlord practices, including reports on how landlords evade enforcement and ho…
Journalists built a custom database from scratch to track mortgage fraud by compiling public property records manually, highlighting both the control and risks of creating data sys…
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review used computer-assisted ratio studies to evaluate whether Allegheny County's $24 million property reassessment was accurate, finding significant flaws …
A Pennsylvania newspaper obtained early data on a county property reassessment and used Excel, mapping software, and publicly available millage rates to calculate how individual ta…
An analysis of Palm Beach County's affirmative action program reveals significant increases in contracts awarded to minority and women-owned businesses over a decade, despite polit…
Reporters investigated the $500 million body parts industry, uncovering unethical practices between nonprofit tissue banks and for-profit processors through business records analys…
Journalists investigate a pattern of fatal accidents involving Firestone Radial ATX tire tread separations on Ford Explorers, compiling court records and accident reports after dis…
Investigates issues with Firestone tires on Ford Explorers, identifying a surge in tire-related fatal accidents and highlighting potential oversight by government and manufacturers…
A St. Paul Pioneer Press investigation examined restaurant inspection records across the Twin Cities to determine whether establishments were following health codes and whether con…
The Columbus Dispatch investigated Ohio's gambling industry by analyzing lottery sales data mapped by ZIP code and estimating out-of-state casino gambling through multiple data sou…
A collection of IRE tipsheets providing guidance for reporters investigating housing issues, including inspection fraud, scams, rental industry practices, and related investigation…
IRE's Resource Center offers several investigative journalism pieces on housing issues, including The Seattle Times' housing affordability series and investigations into corruption…
A collection of journalism tipsheets providing guidance on investigating housing issues, including inspector misconduct, rental scams, and industry data collection.
A guide to investigative journalism resources on housing issues, including stories examining substandard conditions, HUD programs, and government subsidy distribution practices.
A comprehensive analysis of New York City's rental market reveals a significant increase in median rents during the 1990s, although growth in income has kept pace.
An analysis of Seattle's housing market reveals that despite rapid price increases in desirable neighborhoods, homes are more affordable now compared to the last 15 years due to ri…
These IRE tipsheets provide guidance on investigating tax-exempt organizations and nonprofits, including where to find disclosure information, government contacts, and state regula…
This article provides resources and references for investigating nonprofit fundraising expenses and charitable giving practices, including access to relevant databases and organiza…
An investigation by The Chronicle of Philanthropy reveals that many large nonprofits are failing to accurately report fund-raising expenses on their IRS Form 990 tax returns, despi…
An exploration of the significant economic impact of private foundations in Arkansas, revealing the vast assets they control and their contributions to societal needs.
Journalists can use county tax assessment databases to expose unfair and inaccurate property valuations that create disparities in taxation across similar properties, as demonstrat…
Newsday provides resources for exploring property tax assessment disparities, including investigative stories about uneven tax burdens and links to national assessment data and pro…
Fifteen years after an investigation into racial disparities in Long Island's property taxes, Newsday revisits the topic, finding persistent systemic issues. A shift to market valu…
A Pittsburgh Tribune-Review investigation uses computer-assisted reporting to analyze Pennsylvania lottery sales data by zip code and demographic information to determine whether p…
Colorado journalists created an interactive tax calculator to help voters understand how proposed tax cuts would personally affect them, making complex fiscal policy accessible by …
A Business Week correspondent describes his strategy of analyzing CEO political donation patterns to gain a competitive edge in presidential campaign reporting, detailing the metic…
A Mercury News analysis of Silicon Valley's wealth distribution reveals economic paradoxes: while roughly 1 in 9 Santa Clara County households are millionaires, most residents aren…
A journalist describes how computer-assisted reporting (CAR) tools, particularly Microsoft Excel, enable deeper data analysis and discovery rather than just surface-level coverage,…
Examines the significant role of high school football in Georgia communities, highlighted by financial investments and social status, with data collection revealing the economic im…
An investigative reporter pursues animal disposition records from accredited zoos to track where surplus animals are sent after leaving facilities, eventually seeking access to the…
The Charlotte Observer's investigative series exposed widespread construction defects in new homes across the Carolinas, revealing that overworked building inspectors and inexperie…
A Tallahassee newsroom investigated local car dealers' claims of booming business by examining vehicle registration data, discovering sales were actually down significantly, which …
Real estate flipping—buying property and quickly reselling it for inflated profits—is a widespread scam involving appraisal fraud, straw buyers, and equity skimming that devastates…
The San Jose Mercury News used computer-assisted reporting to analyze Nasdaq trading data, revealing that concentrated dealer competition forces investors to pay significantly high…
A study reveals that hospital ownership type significantly impacts how often complications are reported, with for-profit hospitals claiming complications more frequently than non-p…
A Philadelphia newspaper analyzes airline fare data from the U.S. Transportation Department to show that Philadelphia has the third-highest average fares among major U.S. cities, r…
Data journalists can use advanced statistical tools like the Gini coefficient to measure income inequality more effectively than basic descriptive statistics, allowing for meaningf…
A guide to free and paid government databases for accessing employment, economic, and demographic data at local, state, and regional levels, including resources from the Bureau of …
A curated list of useful websites for journalists to improve their reporting, including databases, archives, and reference resources covering public records, newspapers, and consum…
A week-long series examining bankruptcy in the Peoria area, exploring its causes, effects, contradictions, and potential solutions while analyzing how bankruptcy impacts various st…
A journalism investigation into bankruptcy filings in the Tri-County area revealed that most filers were low-income individuals burdened primarily by credit card debt, not the weal…
Real estate journalism offers significant opportunities for impactful local reporting, as home values directly affect Americans' largest financial investment and can influence cons…
An investigation by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters uncovers a link between campaign contributions and preferential treatment by Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson.
Mark Lagerkvist of News 12 Long Island conducted a six-month computer-assisted investigation into pension plan theft, analyzing 6 gigabytes of government data to uncover systemic w…
An investigative reporter used data analysis to expose that Ohio's Bureau of Worker's Compensation significantly understated the average time between injury claims and payment, dis…
A guide for journalists covering professional sports team relocations, emphasizing the importance of treating teams as businesses and understanding the financial significance of lu…
News organizations are using computer-assisted reporting to move beyond homers and cover sports as a business, including salary comparisons, NCAA investigations, and statistical an…
A New Jersey investigative project analyzed property tax changes from 1993 to 1996 using computer-assisted reporting on over 2 million records, finding a median 12% increase in res…
An investigation into bankruptcy abuse in Sweden reveals it as a tool for economic criminality, highlighting challenges in proving cases and detailing involved business networks.
A journalist describes their first experience using spreadsheet software to analyze six years of Dare County tourism tax data on an extremely tight deadline, discovering that fall …
Periodistas de Investigacion has compiled a curated list of over 250 border resource links organized by theme, including environmental archives, government agencies, and health ini…
The Detroit Free Press conducted a computer-assisted analysis of movie reviews from seven major newspapers, tracking ratings for over 200 films from January to March 1996 to compar…
A newsroom implements computer-assisted reporting (CAR) at The Free Lance-Star to investigate local issues through data analysis, resulting in investigations into police chases, la…
MSNBC investigated potential bid-rigging in FCC spectrum auctions by analyzing massive datasets to uncover whether telecommunications companies used coded bid amounts to signal com…
Investigates the flawed efforts in Baltimore's public housing that resulted in financial burdens on low-income homeowners due to liens and a mismanaged demolition program.
J.J. Thompson explores income inequality using the Gini coefficient to analyze income data, showing the growing gap between different economic classes.
A San Francisco Chronicle investigation using database analysis revealed that the INS rarely punishes employers who hire undocumented immigrants, with over 7,000 cases resulting in…
Neil Reisner provides a curated list of essential online resources and websites for business reporters. The list includes financial data providers, government agencies, and useful …
A journalist investigates the Federal Maritime Commission's claim that a shipping cartel agreement would save importers and exporters $65 million, discovering the agency based this…
An investigation in Philadelphia revealed that SBA loans were disproportionately awarded to businesses in wealthier neighborhoods rather than struggling communities. The reporter u…
This article provides a comprehensive list of story ideas and methodologies for business reporters to use computer-assisted reporting (CAR). It covers the use of spreadsheets, data…
An investigation into IRS prosecution data reveals significant geographic disparities in tax fraud prosecutions, with some regions like Roanoke, Virginia experiencing dramatically …
A Syracuse University research group analyzed IRS criminal prosecution data and found that taxpayers in some American communities face charges at dramatically different rates, thou…
An investigative journalist uncovers that Circle K's advertised partnership to sell UNOCAL 76 gasoline was misleading, as the gas was actually still coming from the same non-UNOCAL…
A Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel investigation by reporters Fred Schulte and Jenni Bergal exposed widespread fraud and poor care in Florida Medicaid HMOs, revealing that executives e…
Kansas City reporters investigated suburban sprawl and found that many homes in the metro area failed to keep pace with inflation between 1980-1990, while also discovering systemic…
Neill Borowski explains how to use 'location quotients' to measure industry concentration in local economies compared to national averages.
A guide for journalists on how to research and background nonprofit organizations using online resources, including financial evaluation tools, trade publications, and comprehensiv…
Journalists provide guidance on how to investigate nonprofit organizations for executive enrichment, hidden compensation, and misuse of tax-exempt status through examination of sal…
A U.S. News and World Report investigation reveals that 1.1 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. control $1.475 trillion in assets while avoiding taxes on property, income, …
The SEC is considering privatizing EDGAR, its free public database of company financial documents, and is soliciting public input through a survey with an extended deadline of Nove…
This journalism newsletter discusses upcoming election coverage resources through an IRE and NICAR conference focused on campaign contributions and polling analysis, while also fea…
The Office of Economic Conversion and Information, a joint Pentagon and Commerce Department office, provides resources on military base closures including conversion projects, job …
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced plans to launch its own searchable patent database on November 9, and the SEC took over management of the EDGAR corporate financial r…
The New Yorker investigated how media and telecommunications conglomerates use campaign contributions and lobbying to influence Congressional decisions on communications and tax po…
The Wall Street Journal used computer-assisted reporting to analyze FDIC bank filings and reveal that major banks lend significantly less to small businesses than their advertising…
Asbury Park Press writers Paul D'Ambrosio and Michelle Hill won the 1994 New Jersey Press Association's Business Writing Award for their investigative series on redlining titled 'T…
Journalists should investigate how government agencies and businesses purchase, implement, and manage computer systems, as decision-makers often lack technical expertise and may wa…
The article highlights a CAR award won by The Olympian for a restaurant inspection database story, announces Illinois criminal justice system profiles for all 102 counties, and rep…
Sheshunoff Information Services offers Bancpen, a comprehensive database containing geographic and financial data on all bank branches, savings-and-loans, and credit unions, availa…
A journalist uses computer mapping and database analysis to investigate whether banks are underserved in poor neighborhoods, discovering that statistical data initially contradicte…
Reporter David Washburn outlines key pitfalls to avoid when analyzing HMDA mortgage lending data, including proper data cleaning, appropriate tools, and verification strategies.
Reporters across the country are using computer-assisted analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data to uncover significantly higher loan-denial rates for minorities than white a…
The article discusses the efforts and challenges faced by The Eagle-Tribune in Lawrence while conducting a computer-assisted investigation into the Massachusetts Welfare System. Th…
A major investigative journalism project used spreadsheet analysis of government data to reveal that Connecticut families paid over 50% of their income in taxes, exposing wasteful …
A computer-assisted analysis of FEC records reveals that Republicans raised nearly three times more soft money than Democrats in California through June, with particularly large do…
The Greensboro News & Record uncovered a major bid-rigging scheme where North Carolina dairies defrauded school systems of approximately $8 million between 1982 and 1989 by manipul…
A startup journalism company struggles to recover a $2,000 down payment after canceling an order for a used computer tape drive from a vendor who applied unexpected restocking char…
A New Jersey journalist created a bank safety ranking system using federal deposit insurance data to ease consumer fears following the 1991 Bank of New England collapse, helping re…
A Riverside Press Enterprise reporter used property tax databases to document how California's Proposition 13 creates vast disparities in property taxes between neighbors with comp…
Small and medium-sized newspapers face challenges with the cost and complexity of acquiring computerized data for computer-assisted reporting, though some papers have found ways to…
Penny Loeb explores property tax issues in New York City, revealing inefficiencies and the disproportionate tax burden on poorer areas, supported by data analysis from computerized…
This article examines the costs and pricing structures involved in computer-assisted reporting, explaining different fee calculation methods from data processing centers and advisi…
John Freed discusses the New York Times' investigative series on U.S. banking stability, utilizing federally available data to assess and report on potentially weak banks.
An investigation by New York Newsday revealed that the city owes $275 million in tax overpayments to property owners, highlighting the ease of uncovering bureaucratic errors using …
The Palm Beach Post's investigation of over 22,000 property records revealed systemic inequities in how the county appraiser assessed homes, with expensive properties undervalued a…