Mc Nelly Torres

Independent Journalist
torres.mcnelly@gmail.com
McNellyTorres.com
@WatchdogDiva

Jill Riepenhoff
Investigative producer
InvestigateTV/Gray Television
jriepenhoff@investigatetv.com
@JRiep

Fast and Furious Investigations

Quick-turn investigations you can do in 14 days or less. Jump off a breaking news event, a
press release or a politician claim to do impressive accountability reporting. You’ll learn about
source building to get good investigative tips, documents, data and see examples of powerful
investigations done on the fly.

Immigration
TRAC ​https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/
http://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2019/01/how-trumps-anti-immigrant-policies-separate-familie
s-in-puerto-rico/
Inspection data and documents
Restaurants, nursing homes, cosmetic surgery shops, stadium food, elevators - just about
everything is inspected
Nonprofits (990s tax filings)
https://www.citizenaudit.org/
https://www.guidestar.org/
www.sourcewatch.org​ Center for Media and Democracy (overall org activities/lobbying/news)
Campaign finance
http://www.opensecrets.org​ Center for Responsive Politics (politicians/lobbying/PACs)
www.campaignfinance.org
www.followthemoney.org​ National Institute on Money in State Politics
Government spending
https://www.usaspending.gov/Pages/Default.aspx
Publicly-traded companies
http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml​ 8k= something happened; 11k - affects stockholders (must be
major); 10Q - 3quarterly reports followed by annual 10k report (the best).
http://www.zdii.com/fp.asp
www.tenkwizard.com
Air Travel
https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100:93:::NO:::
Drones sighting data
https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/public_records/uas_sightings_report/
Air traffic consumer complaints:
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/air-travel-consumer-rep
orts​ Has incident reports when an animal died
Wildlife strikes:​ ​https://wildlife.faa.gov/
Death and disease
http://www.floridahealth.gov/statistics-and-data/florida-injury-surveillance-system/index.html
Centers for Disease Control ​https://www.cdc.gov/
State health departments
Health-care deserts:​ ​https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area​ ​ U.S. Health and Resources
Agency
Public Safety
National Highway Traffic Security Administration
https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data
Boating accidents:​ ​https://www.ire.org/product/boating-accidents​. From IRE, free to members.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/After-Increase-in-Boater-Deaths-in-Florida-A-Look-At-Bo
ating-Regulations-204924341.html​) Data and documents on boating accidents
Parking ticket hotspots: request from your local city/county
Hate crimes:​ ​https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2017
Public housing
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/pis.html​ . Provides inspection scores of public housing
units
Consumer complaints
Public in about half the states from Attorneys General offices
Data breaches
https://www.privacyrights.org/data-breaches
Nursing homes
https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html​ and nursing home inspection
reports from ProPublica​ ​https://projects.propublica.org/nursing-homes/
Policy manuals
Are they following their own rules?
https://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/Police-Pursuits-When-Policy-Isnt-Followed-and-Peopl
e-Die-413339443.html
https://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/Police-Chases-Being-Reduced-in-Miami-Dade-County
-413629433.html
Lawsuits
Look for legal claims and settlements from cities and county government and law enforcement)
Let the IRE Resource Center be your friend: Tipsheets packed with quick-turn
ideas/inspiration
· 60 ideas in 60 minutes, No. 5653:​ ​https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/5653/
· 30 stories in 60 minutes, No. 5616:​ ​https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/5616/
· 60 stories in 60 minutes, No. 4529:​ ​https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/4529/
· Quick Hit Investigative Story Ideas, No. 4009:
https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/4009/
· Unsung Documents, No. 4589:​ ​https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/4589/
· The Kitchen Sink of Coverage of College Athletics, No. 4489:
https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/4489/
· Stories that make a difference, No. 5626:
https://www.ire.org/resource-center/tipsheets/5626/