IRE Radio Podcast

Police rely on alcohol breath tests to convict drunken drivers. But what happens when the machines they use aren’t reliable? Stacy Cowley of The New York Times looked into the problem of faulty breath test machines and found thousands of cases where the tests were thrown out. On this episode, Stacy breaks down how she discovered unreliable breath tests and the consequences they pose for real people. EPISODE NOTES: https://www.ire.org/archives/40664

Opioid addiction is a decades-long crisis that killed roughly 47,000 people in 2017 alone, largely due to the potency of fentanyl. But despite all the warning signs, Congress didn’t pass any legislation on opioids until 2016. On this week’s episode, we’ll hear how Katie Zezima of the Washington Post tracked inaction in Congress and visited a small town in rural Massachusetts to witness the consequences firsthand. EPISODE NOTES: ire.org/archives/40144

Investigative Reporters and Editors was formed in 1975, the year before Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles was killed by a car bomb. He died days before he was scheduled to speak at IRE’s first annual conference. Now, decades after his death, the team at The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com found tapes Bolles recorded before he was killed. On this special episode, we’re sharing the first installment of the their new podcast “Rediscovering: Don Bolles, A Murdered Journalist.” We hope you love it as much as we do. EPISODE NOTES: ire.org/archives/39877

On this bonus episode, we’re sharing audio from the 2016 IRE Conference. In a session on narrative storytelling, reporters T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong explain how they wrote their Pulitzer-winning story “An Unbelievable Story of Rape”. Their reporting is the basis of a new Netflix limited series called “Unbelievable". EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2PXWzLW

When protests rocked Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, few realized the tensions could be traced to a policy-based problem — local police were fining residents at abnormally high rates to fund the city’s operating budget. Mike Maciag of Governing Magazine spent a year looking into other communities reliant on fines. He found a trend that’s destabilizing governments in low-income communities across the country. EPISODE NOTES: www.ire.org/archives/39170

When police kill civilians, the victims are often people of color. So, when Arizona Republic reporters Uriel Garcia and Bree Burkitt decided to investigate police shootings in their state, they knew their sources should be as diverse as their community. On this week’s episode, we’ll go behind the reporting to learn how they tallied police shootings, identified sources, and used data and documents to show the true scope of the problem. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2ms5dFy

On this week’s episode, we’re sharing audio from the 2019 CAR Conference. Reporters from Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, Newsy, KUT Austin and ProPublica explained how they got data on “cleared” cases from more than 100 police departments across the country. The data showed police weren’t solving as many rape cases as they claimed. EPISODE NOTES: www.ire.org/archives/38358

On this special episode, students at the Missouri Investigative Journalism Workshop discuss their experiences at the weeklong summer program. Investigative Reporters & Editors supported the workshop, which was held at the Missouri School of Journalism. Corey Johnson of the Tampa Bay Times and Paula Lavigne of ESPN served as guest instructors. Host: Matthew O'Stricker of Woodward Academy (Georgia) Guests: Renee Born of Olathe North High School (Kansas), Ellianna Cierpoit of Blue Valley North High School (Kansas) and Kaden Meyer of Washington High School (Missouri). Music: Sunday Morning by Podington Bear Production: Sarah Hutchins, IRE& NICAR

Investigations today are full of data, documents and computer programming, but that wasn’t always the case. On this bonus episode, we’re sharing audio from the 2019 CAR Conference. Data journalism pioneer James B. Steele discusses his work with longtime reporting partner Donald L. Barlett. He also offers tips for finding stories and staying curious. EPISODE NOTES: www.ire.org/archives/37860

For decades, children passed through the doors of Catholic orphanages. Some never walked out. On this week’s episode, Christine Kenneally takes us behind her work investigating hidden abuses in orphanages around the world. Her BuzzFeed News investigation uncovered that dozens of children had died violently, their deaths covered up and lost to time. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2ZJEXWH

Think about the last time you got a call, email or direct message from someone who wanted to share a crazy story. You might have thought there was no way what they were telling you could be true. That’s what happened to Brett Kelman, a reporter at the Tennessean. A tip about military health care fraud back in 2015 seemed too wild to be true — until it wasn’t. On this episode, Brett breaks down how he reported the story years after getting the tip and how there’s still more fraud to be uncovered. EPISODE NOTES: ire.org/archives/37432

On high school graduation day, the future looks bright, especially for Boston’s valedictorians. But as years pass, things come to look quite different for the city’s top students. A quarter of them didn’t finish college within six years. Many wanted to be doctors, and today, none of them are. On this episode, Meghan Irons and Malcolm Gay of the Boston Globe take us behind their investigation into how the city’s valedictorians are fairing more than a decade after graduation. The project offered a new approach to investigating inequality and could be replicated in any community. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2XWSLfl

In Oregon’s memory care facilities, confirmed abuse cases are more than twice as common as in other types of senior centers. Residents live in filthy conditions, develop bedsores, even die in the care of overworked and overwhelmed caregivers. But the failures of that system can be opaque unless you’re already trapped inside it. On this episode, Fedor Zarkhin walks us through The Oregonian’s investigation into memory care centers and discusses a tool his team made to help Oregonians find safe elder care facilities for their family members. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2H2CuzA

Journalism has always been a stressful job, but new challenges and pressures have made the work even more daunting. On this bonus episode, we’re reaching into our archives for audio from the 2018 IRE Conference. During a panel about managing stress, reporters Ken Armstrong, Mike Hixenbaugh and Lulu Ramadan recounted difficult experiences and talked about how they balance their jobs and personal lives. Ken also surveyed three dozen journalists to find out how they unwind. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2TbFL2Z

Mice, mold and lead paint. Tenants in Illinois public housing complexes were doing their best to make their conditions more livable. But even after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development swooped in and seized control, change wasn’t swift. On this week’s episode, Molly Parker, an investigative reporter for the Southern Illinoisan and a member of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, walks us through her deep dives into public housing. Her reporting found the federal government failed many of the citizens it was supposed to be sheltering. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2CaEHES

As podcast audiences continue to grow, more newsrooms are making the leap to telling stories with sound. Podcasts can be a great vehicle for investigations, allowing journalists to reach interested audiences around the world. But the format also presents challenges, especially when it comes to working with watchdog staples like data and documents. On this episode, Robin Amer takes us behind her USA TODAY podcast “The City” and shares how she made the 10-episode investigation work for audio. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2LmxPbP

In 2016, nearly 2.2 million adults were behind bars. If that were a city, it would be the nation’s fifth largest. That’s a critical community and one journalists often struggle to reach. On this episode, we’ll be exploring ways journalists can amplify the voices of inmates. The Marshall Project’s Eli Hager discusses the nonprofit’s popular “Life Inside” feature that highlights first-person essays from inmates and others close to the criminal justice system. Next, Shaheen Pasha and Razvan Sibii, senior lecturers in UMass Amherst’s journalism department, walk us through their prison journalism course. Their class pairs university students with inmates to tell stories from inside and out. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2Q9q8KV

Every year, more than 2,000 women in Minnesota report to police that they were raped or sexually assaulted. So, the Minneapolis Star Tribune decided to take a look at what happens after a report is made, analyzing more than 1,000 cases. They found that in almost half, police failed to interview potential witnesses. In roughly a third, the investigator never interviewed the victim. And in a quarter, police never assigned an investigator to the case. Reporter Brandon Stahl takes us behind the investigation. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2JHBPD9

Blood delivers oxygen to our tissues. It fights off infections. It courses through our veins. But can it help us catch a murderer? A little-known arm of forensic science, known as bloodstain pattern analysis, believes it can. On this week’s episode, Pamela Colloff, a senior reporter at ProPublica and writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine, takes us through her investigation into the case of Joe Bryan, a high school principal serving 99 years in prison for the murder of his wife. His conviction was based largely on expert testimony surrounding bloodstain patterns prosecutors argued placed Joe at the scene of the crime. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2RPFKBb

After Hurricane Harvey devastated homes and businesses in southeast Texas, construction workers began the long process of rebuilding. But when payday came, some found their checks were short or that they didn’t get one at all. An investigation from the Dallas Morning News and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting found that Texas officials did little to protect workers, both legal and undocumented, from wage theft. On this episode, reporter James Barragán takes us through his investigation into worker exploitation after the storm. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2xZ4bnt

Sometimes seeing is believing. But in Texas, at least, it’s not always that easy. Thanks to an obscure loophole in the Texas Public Information Act, law enforcement agencies can withhold evidence, including dash cam footage and recordings, if a suspect didn’t go through the court process. On this week’s episode, Josh Hinkle and Sarah Rafique of TV station KXAN discuss their investigation into the law’s unintended effects. Information in cases involving dead suspects — including deaths in police custody — can remain confidential, even to family of the deceased. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2OvR1EP

More than 1.4 million people in the U.S. alone have fallen victim to a mail scam centered around a psychic named Maria Duval. Officials around the world have tried to shutter the multimillion-dollar scheme with little success. It was unclear if the scam’s namesake was even a real person. So, CNN investigative reporters Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken decided to follow the fraud back to its source and uncover its leaders. Their reporting took them through a maze of shell companies, to a Brazilian surfing school and even the South of France. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2LVastF

We’ve often wondered what happens with the investigations featured on the podcast. So, we decided to check in with three newsrooms featured on previous episodes and find out. Brian Rosenthal will share the impact of his Houston Chronicle investigation into Texas special education. Journalists at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting share an exciting discovery about the identity of Mountain Jane Doe. And the Associated Press reporters behind the 2015 investigation “Seafood from Slaves” take us through their latest investigation. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2zMhxaa

An anonymous tip led the Los Angeles Times to a shocking revelation about the University of Southern California’s medical school dean, an internationally renowned physician. Faculty and staff had complained for years about dean Carmen Puliafito’s conduct, but it wasn’t until the Times uncovered his secret drug use and partying that he was removed from the university. On this week’s episode, Paul Pringle of the L.A. Times takes us through his investigation into the dean’s double life. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2IDYGSQ

February 14, 2018 started out as a relatively calm day for Florida’s Sun Sentinel newsroom. Then, Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a semiautomatic rifle. Before the day was done, 17 people would be dead and 17 more would be wounded in one of the deadliest school shootings in modern American history. On this week’s episode, reporters Megan O’Matz and Brittany Wallman discuss how they investigated Cruz’s background amid the chaos of breaking news. Interviews, leaked documents and records requests revealed that officials had been warned of the shooter’s troubled past. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2Fuhi0P

If you’re walking down the street in San Francisco, it’s impossible to ignore. On any given day there are nearly 7,500 homeless people on the city’s streets. It’s an issue many of America’s largest cities are struggling to keep up with. But some have found a cheap solution to reduce their homeless populations: one-way bus tickets out of town. On this week’s episode, we talk with The Guardian’s Alastair Gee and Julia Carrie Wong about their 18-month nationwide investigation that revealed the extent to which cities were abandoning their homeless. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2Gik8bq

If someone dies under suspicious circumstances, it’s a medical examiner’s job to figure out what happened. But in New Jersey, 40 years of neglect has made it difficult for forensic pathologists to do their jobs. The result: grieving families without answers and potentially innocent people behind bars. On this week’s episode, Stephen Sterling and Sean Sullivan of NJ Advance Media take us through their investigation into New Jersey’s broken system. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2CLlUyw

A 1982 Virginia law meant to reduce recidivism had a pretty simple concept: Three strikes and you’re out. Or, in prison terms, you’re in for good. On this week’s episode, we talk with Virginian-Pilot reporter Tim Eberly about his three-month investigation into the law. Tim interviewed 41 “three-strikers” and found that the majority had never been to prison before and hadn’t harmed anyone in their crimes, and for that, they were serving more time than many murderers. Hear how Tim’s reporting could change the lives of hundreds of inmates affected by the law. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2E1Ig3u

President Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary caused quite a stir. Betsy DeVos barely passed her senate confirmation hearing, sparking protests from teachers and education advocates across the country. Their biggest complaint? Her support of something called school vouchers or scholarships. These programs give students public money to attend private schools. On this week’s episode, we talk with Orlando Sentinel reporter Leslie Postal about her on-the-ground look at Florida’s program, one of the largest in the country. Leslie, along with colleagues Annie Martin and Beth Kassab, visited 35 schools, dug through thousands of pages of documents and looked beyond the political debate to the people most affected: parents and students. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2D8IXVQ

A slow-moving housing crisis has been tearing apart communities in the city of Detroit. Homeowners have been replaced by renters. Mortgage and tax foreclosures have allowed landlords to scoop up potential rental properties on the cheap. On this episode, Detroit News reporter Christine MacDonald walks us through her data-driven investigation into evictions. Christine explains how the paper analyzed nearly 285,000 eviction cases and developed sources who could put a human face on the problem. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2keesFx

The Society of Professional Journalists advises that reporters should only use undercover methods when absolutely necessary to get information that’s vital to the public. But even if a reporter follows those guidelines, where do they stand in the eyes of the law? Are they still vulnerable to civil suits and criminal charges? On this bonus episode, Jane Kirtley, the head of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota, talks about some of the legal implications of going undercover in the U.S. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2ivROuC

When you think about temp work, short-term office jobs are likely to come to mind. But across North America, all of that is changing. These days, factories and other industrial companies are using temporary laborers to fill jobs that used to go to employees. The combination of low pay, minimal training and reduced liability has created a recipe for tragedy. On this episode, Sara Mojtehedzadeh of the Toronto Star talks about her decision to go undercover in an industrial bakery to understand the realities of a workforce at risk. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2iZuUci

The numbers are striking: Across the country, some 700-900 women die every year from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. The U.S. has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world. For more than six months, ProPublica’s Nina Martin and NPR’s Renee Montagne dug into the stories behind these statistics. On this episode of the podcast, Nina and Renee discuss how they shed light on a system that places a greater emphasis on caring for newborns than the mothers who birthed them. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2zFf7s7

For a local sheriff, Joe Arpaio can’t seem to stay out of the national news. The longtime Maricopa County Sheriff made headlines again this summer when, in the wake of a criminal conviction, he was was pardoned by President Trump. But Arpaio’s story goes back nearly two decades. On this episode we’re turning back the clock to the late 2000s, when reporter Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribunethe launched an investigation into some of the questionable things happening in Arpaio’s office. Their investigation would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize and change the conversation around "America’s toughest sheriff." EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2gDyO8S

On this week’s episode, former Chicago Tribune reporter Jason Grotto explains why investigating municipal finance isn’t as dry and daunting as you might think. What started with a dig through county property taxes ended with a three-part series delving into how and why Chicago’s broken property tax system benefited the wealthy and burdened the poor. During his two-year investigation, Jason ran up against complex data analysis, tight-lipped officials and hesitant sources. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2yFdqrA

Investigations often don’t go according to plan. Dead-end data and stubborn sources are just some of the factors that can throw off a months-long reporting project. Other times, breaking news can put your work on the fast track to publication. That’s exactly what happened to the Tampa Bay Times when reporter Corey Johnson and colleague John Romano started digging into Henry Lyons, a powerhouse preacher who once swindled millions as the head of one of the largest religious organizations in the country. On this episode, we talk to Corey about how he was able to obtain church records and how breaking news forced the paper to make a detour from their original plans. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2wD765W

After the 2016 election, reporters across the country began noticing what seemed like a wave of hate crimes, harassment and abuse. But with limited data, they weren’t sure if what they were seeing marked an increase. To solve that problem, more than 100 news organizations united to tell the story of hate in America. They’re led by ProPublica’s Rachel Glickhouse, the partner manager for the project “Documenting Hate.” On this episode, we talk to Rachel and Jessica Weiss, a Univision reporter participating in the collaboration. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2hZRinG

Federal regulators counted 99 cases of advanced black lung over a five-year period in the U.S. So why is it that hundreds of miners with the most serious stage of the disease are walking into clinics across Appalachia? That’s the question NPR’s Howard Berkes set out to answer last year. Howard ultimately found that the number of advanced black lung cases was at least 10 times the number generated by federal regulators. On this episode, Howard takes us through his reporting and explains how he found and counted cases the regulators missed. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2uIxT04

If there's one word to describe Craig Harris and Dennis Wagner's Arizona Republic investigation, it’s diligence. They spent 18 months untangling a complex web of issues feeding the Navajo Nation's housing crisis, all while turning other stories. Their investigation put the Navajo Housing Authority and HUD under a microscope for consistently failing to provide the homes and renovations needed by thousands on the reservation. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2qfGbXw

Thomas Hargrove spent decades reporting for the Scripps Howard News Service — until he was abruptly laid off in 2015. Then things got interesting: Court battles, destroyed records, and an algorithm that just might be able to spot serial killers. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2q5nxSj

How do you cover a topic as complicated and divisive as immigration? On this episode, Jay Root and Todd Wiseman take us through the Texas Tribune’s approach. Their “Bordering on Insecurity” project went beyond border walls and sanctuary cities to explain the deeper issues at play in the immigration debate. The reporters talked their way onto a crime scene in El Salvador, calculated how many people in Texas prisons were undocumented, and investigated what feeds the demand for immigrant labor. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2nxWv8H

If there’s a sweet spot in investigative journalism, Brian Rosenthal found it. His investigation into special education in Texas schools managed to pull back the curtain on a policy that was felt by thousands of students, teachers and parents – and was understood by none. Brian’s reporting for the Houston Chronicle revealed that state officials were arbitrarily blocking hundreds of thousands of children from the services they needed. On this episode, Brian talks about his investigation and its impact. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2o9lqfx

What happens when you investigate the leader of your own country? There’s perhaps never been a more relevant time to ask that question. On this episode, we’ll hear from two journalists who went up against some of the most powerful people and institutions in their own backyards. Rita Vásquez of Panama’s La Prensa and Vlad Lavrov, a staff writer for the Kyiv Post in Ukraine, discuss how they contributed to the massive Panama Papers investigation and offer tips for journalists wanting to afflict the powerful in any country. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2krqUCx

Soaring heroin and opioid addiction rates have left journalists across the country looking for new ways to cover the crisis and make the statistics stick. On this episode, we talk to reporters at two papers who found innovative ways to humanize America’s heroin epidemic. Stephen Stirling of NJ Advance Media takes us on a tour of “Herointown,” the state’s fourth largest city. Then Pat Beall and Mike Stucka of the Palm Beach Post discuss how they identified and profiled all 216 heroin deaths that occurred in one county in one year. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2jvIYLM

It’s been 50 years since the federal Freedom of Information Act was signed into law. A lot’s happened since then – not all of it good for the press. We’re calling this bonus episode "The State of the FOIA" because, over the next 30 minutes, we’ll be talking to three experts to figure out what our open records law looks like today and where we go from here. Media law scholar Jonathan Peters will provide some context on changes to the law, and reporters Philip Eil and Jason Leopold will help prepare us for our next FOIA battle by sharing stories of their hard-fought cases. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2i6VQUq

One of the biggest scoops this election cycle came from Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold. His relentless shoe-leather reporting – and list making – revealed that Donald Trump wasn’t exactly the philanthropist he was claiming to be on the campaign trail. Instead of donating his own money to charity, Trump would give away or spend dollars donated to his foundation by other people. On this episode, David shares his experiences investigating Trump, talks about how he felt the morning after the election and offers tips for journalists covering the president-elect. EPISODE NOTES: ire.org/archives/30480

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re affected by the topic of our show today. The phone, computer or tablet you’re using to play this episode is likely powered by a lithium-ion battery. And one of the main ingredients in those batteries is cobalt. Much of our cobalt comes from the Congo, where miners often dig by hand in unsafe conditions to find and sell the valuable mineral. On this episode, Washington Post journalists Todd Frankel, Michael Chavez and Jorge Ribas discuss their work in the Congo and explain how they tracked the supply chain back to the U.S. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2genkrx

How many people in the U.S. die of antibiotic-resistant infections? It seems like a simple question. But when a team of journalists from Reuters set out to gather the numbers, they realized that the answer would be anything but straightforward. They found out no one was properly keeping track of how many people die from these “superbugs” every year. On this episode, Deborah Nelson, Ryan McNeill and Yasmeen Abutaleb discuss their reporting process, from death certificate text analysis to interviewing loved ones left behind. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2fgYBSA

If you’ve ever been stopped by police, it’s likely an officer filled out something called a field contact report. Officials say the documents can be useful crime-solving tools, but they also have an unintended side effect: police now have massive digital databases tracking law-abiding citizens. On this episode, Glenn Smith and Andrew Knapp of The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, discuss how they investigated field interview practices across the country. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2eBGhVE

Brandon Stahl has spent years reporting on foster care for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. But at a meeting with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, he stumbled across a fact he’d never heard before: Minnesota places a higher share of American Indian kids into foster care than any other state. A year-long investigation with data journalist MaryJo Webster left them with a series of articles, some heartbreaking stories, and one big question. EPISODE NOTES: http://bit.ly/2dDV6JK

What happens when a state cuts $100 million from its mental health budget? Reporters from the Tampa Bay Times and Sarasota Herald-Tribune spent 18 months finding out. Their Pulitzer-winning investigation exposed deadly violence in Florida's mental hospitals, where staff shortages, regulatory fumbling and years of neglect were, for years, hidden from the public eye. In today's episode, we hear from Anthony Cormier and Leonora LaPeter Anton, two of the reporters who helped spur reform in the broken mental health system. EPISODE NOTES: bit.ly/2bLZz74