Finding Your Best Investigative

Business Story Michael J. Berens – The Seattle Times

Donald  W.  Reynolds  

Na/onal  Center  for  Business  Journalism  

The Death Ray

Spaceship  by  flickr  user  snautsego  

I’m  most  interested  in:  

Poll  Ques/on  1:  

•  Long-­‐form  inves:ga:ve  stories  •  Mid-­‐level  enterprise  stories  •  Fast  breaking  stories  •  All  kinds  of  stories  –  long  and  short  term  

Last  year,  the  school  spent  $8,300  for  office  equipment.  This  year,  it  will  spend  5  percent  less.  How  much  will  it  spend  this  year?  

Poll  Ques/on  2:  

•  $7,885  •  $7,737  •  $6,640  •  $6,690  

Iden/fying  the  story  

Not  every  story  is    your  story  

 

Project  checklist  Is  it  new?    Is  there  poten/al  for  change  or  reform?    Can  the  issue  be  quan/fied?    Will  readers  care?    Are  there  on-­‐the-­‐record  vic/ms  to  bring  the  story  to  life?  

Project  checklist  

Why  this  story,  why  now?    Is  the  minimum  story  good  enough?    Is  there  a  unique  source  of  new  informa/on?    Can  I  describe  the  story  in  six  words  or  less?    Do  I  care?  

Finding  the  story  

 Finding  stories  

•  There  is  a  seafood  company  that  operates  na3onally  that  is  linked  to  global  “cult”  leader  Rev.  Myung  Moon  

•  The  affiliated  group  is  True  World  Foods  Inc.  

•  True  World  Foods  is  registered  in  many  states  under  various  affiliates  

Finding  stories  

•  Hundreds  of  sales  agents  na3onally  are  peddling  a  computer  device  that  has  been  marketed  as  a  cure  for  cancer.  The  man  who  markets  and  manufactures  the  machines  works  from  an  armed  compound  in  Budapest.    

•  He  is  a  federal  fugi3ve.    

•  Countless  vic3ms  lose  their  life  savings  –  and  their  lives.  

Finding  stories  •  Dozens  of  senior  placement  brokers  aggressively  market  their  services  to  help  families  find  long-­‐term  care  for  loved  ones  –  for  free!  

•  One  of  these  senior  placement  companies  –  A  Place  for  Mom  –  is  a  mul:million  dollar  enterprise.  

•  Many  companies  rake  in  hidden  fees  –  even  kickbacks.  Seniors  may  not  be  guided  to  the  best  place  but  the  one  that  pays  the  highest  commissions.  

SeaRle  Times  photographer  Alan  Berner  

Have  you  quoted  or  cited  a  licensed  health  official  without  checking  the  person’s  background?  

Poll  Ques/on  3:  

•  Yes  •  No  

Finding  stories  •  The  federal  government  has  disciplined  thousands  of  licensed  health-­‐care  providers  for  abuse,  fraud,  felony  convic3ons,  theI  and  use  of  controlled  substances  –  even  sexual  assaults  of  pa3ents.  

•  Many  con3nue  to  work  other  jobs,  perhaps  in  schools,  in  government  –  most  anywhere.  

 Office  of  Inspector  General  –  

Exclusions  database    

 hRp://oig.hhsc.state.tx.us/exclusions/search.aspx  

   

Finding  stories  –  Abuse    

LASTNAME FIRSTNAME SPECIALTY CITY STATE

ALSANO DIANA HEALTH CARE AIDE W VALLEY CITY UT

ANDERSON LYNETTE NURSE/NURSES AIDE SALT LAKE CITY UT

ANDERSON ROBERT NURSE/NURSES AIDE TAYLORVILLE UT

ANDREW LARRY OSTEOPATH SPRINGVILLE UT

ARAGON MARIO NURSE/NURSES AIDE PROVO UT

BEDELL RAYMOND OSTEOPATH PROVIDENCE UT

BOLITH JACOB NURSE/NURSES AIDE BEAVER UT

BROWN ROBERT NURSE/NURSES AIDE N SALT LAKE UT

BURGERS SHARLEAN NURSE/NURSES AIDE SALT LAKE CITY UT

BUTIKOFER GORDON NURSE/NURSES AIDE MANTI UT

CARLIN BRANDY NURSE/NURSES AIDE W JORDAN UT

Finding  stories  –  felony  drugs  

LASTNAME FIRSTNAME SPECIALTY CITY STATE

CANNON MAX SURGEON SALEM UT

DROPESKY BRUCE PHARMACIST SANDY UT

FISK PATRICK COUNSELOR SPRINGVILLE UT

GARDNER RODNEY DENTIST GARLAND UT

HOUSTON DONALD SURGEON SALT LAKE CITY UT

JONES STEPHEN ANESTHESIOLOGIST BOUNTIFUL UT

KAP ALECIA NURSE/NURSES AIDE FARMINGTON UT

RELYEA RANDALL OSTEOPATH SPRINGVILLE UT

SANZENBACHER ERIC INTERNIST/IM SALT LAKE CITY UT

TAYLOR PAUL FAMILY PRACT PHYS'N ROY UT

THEODORE ALEXANDER GENERAL PRACT PHYS'N SANDY UT

Finding  stories  –  loans  

LASTNAME FIRSTNAME SPECIALTY CITY STATE

APPLEGATE KIRK CHIROPRACTOR SOUTH JORDAN UT

BINGHAM MICHAEL DENTIST BOUNTIFUL UT

BLAMIRES CRAIG CHIROPRACTOR SOUTH JORDAN UT

BOWMAN JEFFREY CHIROPRACTOR SALT LAKE CITY UT

BURTON GERI CHIROPRACTOR MURRAY UT

CHRISTIAN CORI GENERAL PRACT PHYS'N HEBER CITY UT

CHRISTIANSEN JOHN CHIROPRACTOR SALT LAKE CITY UT

GIFFORD CRAIG DENTIST SALT LAKE CITY UT

HANSEN KRIS CHIROPRACTOR ST GEORGE UT

HASSIOTTI LEONE CHIROPRACTOR SALT LAKE CITY UT

HENLEY ROBERT CHIROPRACTOR BOUNTIFUL UT

REPORTING  TOOLS  

Finding  stories  -­‐  from  the  past  

Utah  pursuit  ends  in  fatal  collision    

       The  Salt  Lake  Tribune  -­‐  TAYLORSVILLE,  Utah  —  A  Taylorsville  police  officer  who  allegedly  ran  a  red  light  and  crashed  into  a  Tooele  man's  car,  killing  him,  was  aRemp:ng  to  join  a  pursuit,  Salt  Lake  County  Deputy  District  ARorney  Sandi  Johnson  confirmed  Monday.    

       (6/5/07)  

Fatal  Accident  Repor/ng  System  

www-­‐fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/  

Security  and  Exchange  Commission  –  Edgar  Database  hXp://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml  

   10K:    Annual  report    10Q:  Quarterly  report  

DEF14A:  Proxy  statement  8K:  Current  events  

   Financial  statements  Disclosure  of  lawsuits  Ownership  statements  

Footnotes  Look  deep  into  the  filing  for  good  stuff  

 

U.S.  District  Courts,  bankruptcy  courts  and  appellate  courts  –  PACER    

         

hRp://www.pacer.gov/  *  Must  establish  an  account  *  Cost  is  10-­‐cents  a  page  

*  Hunt  for  exhibits      

Finding  financial  informa/on  on  nonprofit  organiza/ons  

             

www.Guidestar.org    

Wayback  Machine            

hRp://archive.org/web/web.php    

Who  owns  the  website            

www.networksoluRons.com/whois/index.jsp  

 

Money  in  Poli/cs  –  Open  Secrets              

hRp://www.opensecrets.org/    

Portal  for  state  court  records  hRp://www.courtreference.com/  

   Portal  for  state  legisla/on  

hRp://www.brbpub.com/freeresources/pubrecsitesSearch.aspx?subcat=State+Legisla:ve+Bill

+Search      

Portal  for  state  laws  and  codes  hRp://www.brbpub.com/freeresources/

pubrecsitesSearch.aspx?subcat=State+Statutes+and+Codes  

 

Group  ques/on:    

What  is  your  best  Web-­‐based  research  tool  for  

business  stories?      

When  do  you  pitch  a  story?  

Poll  Ques/on  4:  

•  As  soon  as  I  think  about  it  •  Early?  •  Midway?  •  Late?  

Selling  the  Story  

                 SeaRle  Times  photographer  Mike  Siegel  

Seniors  for  Sale  Follow  the  InformaRon  

 

Have  you  ever  applied  computer-­‐assisted  reporRng  techniques  to  your  story?  

Poll  Ques/on  5:  

•  Yes  •  No  •  Have  no  idea  what  you’re  talking  about.  

The  loca:on  of  the  home  was  secret.  Only  poten:al  buyers  with  a  $500,000  line  of  credit  could  learn  its  SeaRle  address.  The  seller  insisted  on  discre:on  because  the  price  included  

three  frail  seniors  who  lived  inside.  

A  Bothell  real-­‐estate  lis:ng  last  year  touted  five  seniors  for  $120,000,  "sold  separately"  from  the  home.  Bids  for  five  vulnerable  adults  in  Arlington  opened  at  $90,000  —  "cash  

only.“  

These  deals  aren't  illegal.  Washington  officials  not  only  know  about  it,  they  allow  it.  

SeaRle  Times  photographer  Alan  Berner