CONTENTS

20 A MUCKRAKING LIFE THE IRE JOURNAL Early investigative journalist provides relevant lessons TABLE OF CONTENTS By Steve Weinberg MAY/JUNE 2003 The IRE Journal 4 IRE gaining momentum 22 – 31 FOLLOWING THE FAITHFUL in drive for “Breakthroughs” By Brant Houston PRIEST SCANDAL The IRE Journal Globe court battle unseals church records, 5 NEWS BRIEFS AND MEMBER NEWS reveals longtime abuse By Sacha Pfeiffer 8 WINNERS NAMED The Boston Globe IN 2002 IRE AWARDS By The IRE Journal FAITH HEALER Hidden cameras help, 12 2003 CONFERENCE LINEUP hidden records frustrate FEATURES HOTTEST TOPICS probe into televangelist By MaryJo Sylwester By Meade Jorgensen USA Today Dateline NBC

15 BUDGET PROPOSAL CITY PORTRAITS Despite economy, IRE stays stable, Role of religion increases training and membership starkly different By Brant Houston in town profiles The IRE Journal By Jill Lawrence USA Today COUNTING THE FAITHFUL 17 THE BLACK BELT WITH CHURCH ROLL DATA Alabama’s Third World IMAM UPROAR brought to public attention By Ron Nixon Imam’s history The IRE Journal By John Archibald, Carla Crowder hurts credibility and Jeff Hansen on local scene The Birmingham News By Tom Merriman WJW-Cleveland 18 INTERVIEWS WITH THE INTERVIEWERS Confrontational interviews By Lori Luechtefeld 34 TORTURE The IRE Journal Iraqi athletes report regime’s cruelties By Tom Farrey ESPN.com ABOUT THE COVER 35 FOI REPORT Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, Paper intervenes in case to argue for public database president of the U. S. Conference By Ziva Branstetter of Catholic Bishops, listens to a Tulsa World question after the opening session of the conference. Gregory has 36 MILITARY AVIATION Harrier jet bedeviled been forced to confront and with mechanical ills address sexual abuse scandals By Alan C. Miller and Kevin Sack hurting the Church. Los Angeles Times Cover story, pages 22-31 39 ASBESTOS Cover photo by Series tells story behind product liability problems Evan Richman, The Boston Globe By Patti Bond The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MAY/JUNE 2003 3 THE IRE JOURNAL FROM THE IRE OFFICES VOLUME 26  NUMBER 3 DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & EDITOR Len Bruzzese

MANAGING EDITOR Anita Bruzzese IRE gaining momentum

ART DIRECTOR Wendy Gray in drive for “Breakthroughs” BRANT HOUSTON SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Steve Weinberg reakthroughs” is the name we’ve given to the second phase of the IRE Endow- ment Drive and we believe the name is right on target. CONTRIBUTING LEGAL EDITOR David Smallman We want to break through to our initial goal of $5 million and keep going. “BWe want to break through to more individual donors and foundations so they know about EDITORIAL INTERNS IRE and its value to the industry and to society. Lori Luechtefeld We want to break through to all tiers of our profession so that publishers, editors, station managers and news directors know how much practical training and resources we provide – and how those services set the newsgathering standard for the profession. IRE And we want to break through to complete financial security and stability for IRE IRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR so that our core programs are always there. By doing this, we would keep our member- Brant Houston ship fees low. We would keep our staff stable. We would be able to concentrate more on improving and expanding our training and educational services in the United States and BOARD OF DIRECTORS internationally. Over the past three years, the board and staff have worked diligently to put IRE in a CHAIRMAN David Dietz, Bloomberg News good position for the second phase of the drive. We have formed a strong and professional staff, which has allowed the board to focus on the bigger policy issues. PRESIDENT We have refined our mission statement and strategic plan. We have continuously Shawn McIntosh, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution improved the operations of the IRE offices despite cutbacks and bare-bones staffing. We VICE PRESIDENT have increased the endowment fund to nearly $2 million, having obtained two major and David Boardman, The Seattle Times generous gifts – one from founder Myrta Pulliam for the IRE Resource Center and one TREASURER from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Duane Pohlman, WEWS-Cleveland (The Knight Foundation’s gift was two-fold. In addition to donating $500,000 to the SECRETARY endowment, it also established a $1 million partial-matching grant. Knight will give 50 Edward DeLaney, Barnes and Thornburg cents for every $1 given to the endowment.) At the same time, through wise investment policies, we had only mild losses during Paul Adrian, KDFW-Dallas/Fort Worth the past year in the endowment fund – during one of the worst markets in U.S. history. Stephen K. Doig, Arizona State University This meant we still have well over $200,000 in investment income earned in the past five James V. Grimaldi, The Washington Post years. Andy Hall, Wisconsin State Journal Chris Heinbaugh, WFAA-Dallas/Fort Worth Professional assistance Dianna Hunt, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Nonetheless, because of the difficult economic times, we realized that we would need Stephen C. Miller, The New York Times professional assistance to reach our goal. Again, the Knight Foundation stepped in to Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times help. In the spring, the Knight Foundation allocated a portion of its matching money to Mark J. Rochester, The Denver Post endowment drive expenditures. Stuart Watson, WCNC-Charlotte As this is a major step for IRE, the board and staff, we realized that we required profes- sional assistance and sufficient funds to run the drive. We have used the money to prepare new endowment materials and to contact donors. The IRE Journal (ISSN0164-7016) is published six times a year by Investiga- We will update the membership at our June conference. We know this is an ambitious tive Reporters and Editors, Inc. 138 Neff effort and we don’t expect the work to be easy. But we think the world turmoil of the past two Annex, Missouri School of Journalism, years has made it clear how valuable the passion and expertise of IRE’s members are. Columbia, MO 65211, 573-882-2042. E-mail: [email protected]. Subscriptions are We not only want to preserve this organization and its quality, we want to break through $60 in the U.S., $70 for institutions and those to complete financial security so IRE will always be a vigilant leader and inspiring guide outside the U.S. Periodical postage paid at in our profession. Columbia, MO. Postmaster: Please send ad- dress changes to IRE. USPS #451-760 Brant Houston is executive director of IRE and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted © 2003 Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. Reporting. He can be reached through e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 573-882-2042.

4 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 5 I R E N E W S Charlotte tipsheets Nonprofit audit data MEMBER NEWS available via Web site available from IRE oward Altman has moved from execu- The tipsheets from the 2003 Annual Com- How are government agencies and nonprofit tive editor of the Philadelphia City Paper puter-Assisted Reporting Conference are now groups spending money they receive from Uncle H to editor-in-chief.  Roberta Baskin has available on the IRE Web site. Sam? A database now available from the IRE You can access the Charlotte tipsheets and NICAR Database Library can help journal- moved from ABC’s 20/20, where she was a at www.ire.org/training/charlotte. To search ists find out. The Federal Audit Clearinghouse senior producer, to a position as senior Wash- all of IRE’s tipsheets, go to www.ire.org/ database lists all audits of state and local gov- ington correspondent for NOW with Bill Moyers, resourcecenter/initial-search-tipsheets.html. ernments, and nonprofits that spent $300,000 where she covers stories ignored by main- Charlotte tipsheets are available on topics or more a year in federal money. The database stream media. Her coverage includes money ranging from the latest Internet resources to begins with audits from 1997, when the federal in politics, environmental regulation, taxation, social network analysis to basic overviews of government started requiring them. There are mapping software. If you have any questions 170,900 records in all. corporate power, health and economic poli- about tipsheets, please e-mail the Resource The database looks at the spending of federal cies, and the influence of special interests on Center at [email protected] or call 573-882- assistance. It also includes audits of sub-recipi- policy.  David Boardman has been selected 3364. ents of federal aid, like when a state gives some to replace Alex MacLeod as managing editor of its federal award money to local agencies. at The Seattle Times when MacLeod retires The data contains information about whether the audits have revealed any problems, plus at the end of June. Boardman, most recently valuable contact information. To order the assistant managing editor for investigations, database, call at 573-884-7711 or go online to business and sports, has worked at The Times www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases/fedaudit. since 1983.  Roger-Luc Chayer, editor of Le Point, a Quebec-based magazine focused on Industry awards spotlight IRE members gay health issues, has purchased the Among the journalism awards handed out this allowed lawbreakers to get away with everything magazine and extended circulation into year by various organizations, many have singled from petty theft to murder. the United States.  David Dietz, David out the work of IRE members. We spotlight sev- • David Cay Johnston of The New York Times Voreacos and Alex Armitage of Bloomberg eral here. Members’ names are in bold: was a finalist in Beat Reporting for his stories about U.S. tax laws and of how they are abused News won the New York State Society of Pulitzer Prizes by corporations and individuals. Certified Accountants Excellence in Financial Winners • Amie K. Streater and the staff of the Pensacola Journalism Award in Wire Service for their work • Clifford J. Levy of The New York Times won the (Fla.) News Journal were finalists in Public on “Auditors Failed to Warn in More Than Half Pulitzer in Investigative Reporting for the series Service for stories that exposed a culture of of Big Bankruptcies.”  John Aloysius Far- “Broken Homes.” The series exposed the plight corruption in Escambia County, Fla., and that of 15,000 mentally ill adults housed in squalid resulted in the indictment of four of five county rell is leaving The Boston Globe to rejoin The New York state-licensed facilities. commissioners. Denver Post as bureau chief in Washington. • Alan Miller and Kevin Sack of the Los Angeles • Mike Carter, David Heath, James Neff and Hal Farrell had worked at The Post before joining Times won the Pulitzer in National Reporting for Bernton were finalists in Investigative Reporting The Globe in 1987.  Jeremy Finley, formerly their investigation of a military aircraft linked for “The Terrorist Within,” about an Algerian boy managing editor/reporter at KARK-Little to the deaths of 45 pilots. This work was also a who became a terrorist. finalist in the Investigative Reporting category. • Christine Willmsen, Cheryl Phillips, Steve Rock, is now a reporter at WSMV-Nashville. • Diana Sugg of The (Baltimore) Sun won the Miletich, Duff Wilson, David Heath, Mike  Sandra Fish has moved to assistant fea- Pulitzer in Beat Reporting for her stories that Carter, Ian Ith, Christine Clarridge, Susan tures editor at the Daily Camera in Boulder, illuminated complex medical issues through the Kelleher, Janet Burkitt, Hal Bernton, and edi- Colo., from covering the state legislature. lives of people. tors James Neff and David Boardman were  J. Todd Foster, a Washington-based Finalists finalists in Breaking News for coverage of the • Jim Haner, John B. O’Donnell and Kimberly many local connections to the ex-soldier and his freelancer and former investigative reporter A.C. Wilson of The (Baltimore) Sun were final- teenage companion arrested in the sniper attacks in Tennessee, Florida, Idaho, Washington ists in Explanatory Reporting for their work in in the Washington, D.C., region. state and Oregon, is now managing editor “Justice Undone,” an investigation of the city’s of The News Virginian in Waynesboro, Va. low conviction rate in murder cases. SABEW Best in Business  Mark Hyman has moved from executive • Ronald Hansen, Norman Sinclair and Melvin • Christopher Castelli of Inside the Navy won CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 × Claxton of The Detroit News were finalists in in Breaking News in a weekly publication for Public Service for their work that revealed the articles “Shipbuilding giants may swap Send Member News items to Len Bruzzese at the problems in a criminal justice system that CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 × [email protected] and include a phone number for verification.

4 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 5 FEATURESI R E N E W S FEATURES

LPD-17 and DDG-51 work worth billions” and chronicled the troubled textile industry in the Nashville won in Television Reporting for “Responding to Lott, DOD starts funding LHD-9 Carolinas. “Friends in High Places.” This series exposed and one more DDG-51.” • Michelle Starr of the York Daily Record won potential ethics violations by then-Tennessee • David Evans of Bloomberg News won in in Spot Enterprise in a small publication for Governor Don Sundquist. Spot Enterprise in real-time for his work on the article “Fields of danger: Farm life can be “Edison Schools boosts revenues with funds deadly.” Alfred I. duPont- not received.” Columbia University Awards • Alorie Gilbert, Mike Ricciuti and Joe Wilcox of Scripps Howard Foundation • Darío Klein, as news editor with CNN en CNET News.com won for Projects in real-time National Journalism Awards Español, and correspondent Jorge Gestoso won for their work on “A mortal Microsoft.” • Jim Haner, Kimberly A.C. Wilson and John a Silver Baton for outstanding investigative • Dan Herbeck, Fred O. Williams, Jerry Zrem- B. O’Donnell of The (Baltimore) Sun won in reporting in “Jorge Gestoso Investiga: La Doble ski, Tim Graham and Holly Auer of The Buffalo Public Service Reporting. The article, “Justice Desaparecida” (Jorge Gestoso Investigates: News won in Breaking News in a mid-size pub- Undone,” exposed serious shortcomings in the The Twice Disappeared), the first non-English lication for their work on “Adelphia scandal.” local criminal justice system. language program to receive the award. They Herbeck’s major role was investigating why • Sam Roe of the Chicago Tribune won in Envi- explored the 1970s “Dirty War” in Argentina. the U.S. Justice Department decided to throw ronmental Reporting (over 100,000 circula- • Reporter Brett Shipp and producer Mark Smith the book at Adelphia and the history of previous tion) for his report “Supercar: The Tanking of with WFAA-Dallas were awarded a Silver federal cases involving major financial scandals an American Dream.” This report revealed the Baton for the series “Fake Drugs, Real Lives.” in the US. behind-the-scenes forces that led to the demise of WFAA’s investigative unit revealed how Dallas • Meredith Jordan of the Atlanta Business Chron- the U.S. government project to produce a highly police department informants planted evidence icle won in Projects in a weekly for her work on fuel-efficient automobile. to convict poor and immigrant defendants on “Georgia’s corporate tax giveaway.” The project • Seth Rosenfeld of the San Francisco Chronicle drug charges. detailed a handful of Georgia companies that won the Distinguished Service to the First have secretly been receiving tax breaks from the Amendment award for his series “The Campus APSE Awards state for the past three years. Files: Reagan, Hoover and the UC Red Scare.” • Scott M. Reid, Natalya Shulyakovskaya and • Sandeep Junnarkar of CNET News.com won He exposed unlawful FBI cold-war intelli- Marla Jo Fisher of The Orange County Register for projects in real-time for work on “Cracking gence activities at the University of California won Best Investigative Writing for their series the nest egg.” at Berkeley. “Phantom Classes.” The investigation revealed • Lou Kilzer, Jeff Smith and David Milstead of the that community colleges across California were Rocky Mountain News won in Spot Enterprise George Polk Awards reaping tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer in a large publication for the article “Qwest’s • Walt Bogdanich, Barry Meier and Mary Wil- money by recording high-school athletes as col- rise and fall.” liams Walsh of The New York Times won in lege students. It was featured in the March-April • Miles Moffeit and Kris Hudson of The Denver Health Care Reporting for “Medicine’s Middle- issue of The IRE Journal. Post won in Projects in a giant publication for men.” This series exposed the market control of • MaryJo Sylwester, sports database editor of their work on “Unmasking Qwest.” The project private companies in the sale of drugs and sup- USA Today, won in News-Story Writing. The took readers inside board meetings where the plies to many hospitals, which leads to inflated award was given for a project that analyzed a CEO ordered executives to cook the books. The costs and inferior products. list of Augusta National members. She received series’ findings were investigated by the SEC and • R.G. Dunlop and Jason Riley of The Cou- the award with Erik Brady, Michael McCarthy, resulted in the firings of employees. rier-Journal, in Louisville, Ky., won in Local Julie Ward, Fred Meier, Gary Mihoches, Michael • Chris O’Brien and Jack Davis of the San Reporting for exposing an extremely misman- Hiestand, Sal Ruibal, Ellen Horrow, Rachel Jose Mercury News won in Projects in a large aged county judicial system. Shuster, Leslie Spalding, Theresa Howard, Tom publication for their work on “Rich man, poor • Clifford J. Levy of The New York Times won Anker, Ruth Fogle, Tristan Coffelt, Pam Fiawoo, company.” Their analysis revealed that insiders in Regional Reporting for the series “Broken Joe Hagarty, Ray Hicks, Susan O’Brien, Bruce at 40 companies took home $3.4 billion from Homes.” The series exposed the plight of 15,000 Rosenstein and Zubin Jelveh. selling their stock even though their company’s mentally ill adults housed in squalid New York value fell at least 99.5 percent from what it was state-licensed facilities. National Headliner Awards at the height of the boom. • Debbie Salamone of the Orlando Sentinel Print • Anthony Palazzo, Michael Stremfel, John Brin- won in Environmental Reporting for her series • John Barry, Babak Dehghanpisheh and Roy sley, Deborah Belgum and Mark Lacter of the “Florida’s Water Crisis.” This series documented Gutman of Newsweek won in Magazine Cover- Los Angeles Business Journal won in Projects the danger that unfettered growth poses to state age of a Major News Event or Topic for their in a weekly for their work on “Rise and fall of drinking water supplies. work on “War Crimes of Afghanistan.” global pipe dream.” • Ellen E. Schultz and Theo Francis of The Wall • Eric Eyre and Scott Finn of the Charleston • Rick Rothacker, Tony Mecia, Charles Lunan, Street Journal won in Financial Reporting for (W.V.) Gazette won in News Beat Coverage. Amber Veverka, Sharon E. White and Peter an investigation into employers who secretly The winning series, “License to Steal,” was St. Onge of The Charlotte Observer won for use employee benefit plans to generate dollars about illegal deal-making between a state Projects in a mid-size publication for their work for themselves. school’s assistant superintendent and Charles- on “Despair in mill town.” This yearlong series • Phil Williams and Bryan Staples at WTVF- ton businessmen

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• Willoughby Mariano of the Orlando Sentinel Maryland-Delaware-D.C. featured a death penalty case from every side and Walter F. Roche, Jr. of The (Baltimore) Press Association Awards – victim and his family, defendant, prosecu- Sun won in Investigative Reporting for an • Michael Dresser and Bill Patalon of The tor, defense attorney, key witness. The article article written for The Sun entitled “Indentured (Baltimore) Sun won in State Government appeared on the day of the execution. in America.” Reporting. The two investigated fraud and mis- • Kathleen Johnston Jarboe of The Daily • Amie K. Streater and the staff of the Pensacola management at the Maryland state employees’ Record won in Business/Economics Report- (Fla.) News Journal won in Public Service pension system. ing. Her article, “Shell Game: State Alleges Reporting for her report “Escambia County • Jim Haner, Kimberly A.C. Wilson and John Scheme to Avoid Taxes; Game of Wait and Commission.” The story revealed that the B. O’Donnell of The (Baltimore) Sun won See” was about Maryland companies trimming chairman of the Escambia County Commission in Public Service for the article “Justice their state tax bills by transferring profits to gave a fellow commissioner a collard-green pot Undone.” shell corporations in Delaware that hold their stuffed with $80,000 in small bills. • Heather Harlan and Roger Hughlett of the trademarks. Broadcast Baltimore Business Journal won in Local Gov- • Willoughby Mariano of the Orlando Sentinel • Yoruba Richen, Brian Ross and Brenda Bre- ernment Reporting. The article, “Job Growth and Walter F. Roche, Jr. of The (Baltimore) Sun slauer with ABC News won in Investigative Efforts Under Fire,” showed that the city and its won in Investigative Reporting for an article Reporting in television and cable networks and leading economic-development agency were written for The Sun entitled “Indentured in syndicators for the report “Unsolved Rapes.” The overstating its job-growth numbers. They also America.” investigation revealed hundreds of thousands of found that companies that never delivered on • Larry Rulison, Roger Hughlett and Keith T. rape evidence kits sitting unprocessed in police their promises were getting taxpayer money to Reed of the Baltimore Business Journal won in storage rooms across the country. subsidize their businesses. Series for the project “CEOs on the Frontline.” • Bryan Staples and Phil Williams at WTVF- • Tom Jackman, Patricia Davis, Brooke A. The three spent an entire day with chief execu- Nashville won in TV Investigative for “Friends Masters, Maria Glod and Josh White of The tives in Baltimore. They had them get out of in High Places.” This series exposed potential Washington Post won Best General News their office and do jobs that the regular employ- ethics violations by then-Tennessee Gov. Don Story. The story, “Death Penalty Taking its ees do “on the front line.” The series revealed Sundquist. Toll,” was a one-day package of articles that how the CEOs view their organizations. �������������������������� ������������ �����������������������������

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menting the bureau’s illegal and covert activities at the University of California. The contest judges said his work illustrated the importance of the WINNERS Freedom of Information Act. “His persistence through numerous court cases resulted in a story that revealed the federal NAMED government’s unconstitutional assault on ‘liberal’ students, faculty and a university president,” the judges said. IN 2002 “It forged new legal ground, expanding the nature of the information that must be released under the FOIA and the government’s responsi- IRE AWARDS bility for paying legal fees. Perhaps most signifi- cantly, Rosenfeld’s work is contributing to the nation’s post-Sept. 11 debate over balancing civil BY THE IRE JOURNAL liberties and national security.” An IRE Certificate was awarded to David Sloan, Carla DeLandri, Brian Ross, Brenda eporters and editors from The Boston Cleveland. Breslauer, Yoruba Richen and Tom Marcyes Globe took top honors in the 2002 IRE The Globe stories exposed a national scandal of ABC News 20/20 for showing how evidence Awards for their investigation into the that continues to reverberate, the award judges said. that could catch violent criminals – police rape Catholic Church. “These stories brilliantly documented a powerful kits – sits unprocessed across the country due RThe team won a prestigious IRE medal for institution’s inability to police itself, with tragic to lack of money. In an unusual and somewhat an extensive examination into decades of sexual consequences for its many young victims and ulti- bold collaboration, 20/20 offered to pay half the abuse of minors by Catholic priests and the cover- mately for the church itself,” the judges said. expenses to process 50 rape kits at the Baltimore up of their crimes by church leadership. (The story The Tom Renner Award – for outstanding Police Department. “20/20’s investigative project is highlighted on page 21.) The Boston Globe team crime reporting – went to Frank Main, Carlos led directly to catching and convicting two rapists included reporters Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer, Sadovi and Steve Warmbir of the Chicago and freeing another man who was imprisoned for Michael Rezendes, Stephen Kurkjian, Michael Sun-Times, for following the money from a $1 a rape he did not commit,” the judges said. billion-a-year drug trade into Paulson, Kevin Cullen, Tom Videostreamed excerpts of televi- Other certificate winners: Farragher and editor Walter V. beauty shops, apartments, • Alan C. Miller and Kevin Sack of the Los Ange- sion category winners and final- Robinson. record companies and even les Times, for “The Vertical Vision,” a grim tale The annual awards of ists can be found at the IRE Web Hollywood movies. of how the Marine Corps remains committed to IRE recognize outstanding site (www.ire.org/contest/past/ “The investigation a fighter plane that is killing its own in record investigative work in print, 02video.html). showed how savvy street numbers. (See page 36.) broadcast, online media and gangs were beginning to • Mark Grossi, Barbara Anderson, Russell for work furthering freedom of information. wield political influence, reaching into neigh- Clemings of The Fresno Bee for “Last Gasp,” IRE judges recognized a wide range of work borhoods to get out the vote,” the judges said. a compelling and comprehensive look at an that included probes into faulty military aircraft, “This series stood out because of its investigative agriculture hub that has become home to some pollution, government corruption, significant depth and sharp writing.” of the nation’s dirtiest air. defects in crime lab testing, gunrunning and The Renner Award comes with an IRE medal • Kevin Begos, Danielle Deaver, John Railey and intelligence failures preceed- and a $500 prize. Scott Sexton of The Winston-Salem Journal, Copies of all contest entries are avail- ing the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Other winners include for “Against their Will,” which meticulously able from the IRE Resource Center This year, the judges also those receiving IRE cer- documented the forced sterilization of more gave special citations for (www.ire.org/resourcecenter). The tificates: the Los Angeles than 7,000 residents – many of them poor and international work. center can be reached via e-mail at Times, The Fresno Bee, The black – over a 50-year period. The IRE Awards program [email protected] or by calling 573- Winston-Salem Journal, • Tom Robbins of The Village Voice for “The Lush strives to avoid conflicts of 882-3364. The Village Voice, ABC Life of Rudy Appointee,” which proved the vir- interest. Work that includes News 20/20, KHOU-Hous- tually, nonstop spending spree of tax dollars by any significant role by a member of the IRE ton, WTVF-Nashville, Newsweek, Center for an aide of former New York Mayor Giuliani on Board of Directors or an IRE contest judge may Investigative Reporting, The Center for Public items for himself and his friends. not be entered in the contest. This often represents Integrity, and the Chicago Sun-Times. A student • David Raziq, Anna Werner and Chris Henao of a significant sacrifice on the part of the individual award went to The Harvard Crimson. KHOU-Houston, for “Evidence of Errors,” an – and sometimes an entire newsroom. Among the The Freedom of Information Award went to investigation detailing Houston Police Depart- organizations affected this year are The Seattle Seth Rosenfeld of the San Francisco Chronicle ment Crime Lab problems one expert character- Times, the Wisconsin State Journal and WEWS- for his 17-year fight to obtain FBI records docu- ized as “repeated gross incompetence” that may

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be sending innocent people to prison. • Phil Williams and Bryan Staples of WTVF- 2002 IRE AWARDS Nashville, for “Friends in High Places,” an investigation that exposed how millions of WINNERS AND FINALISTS dollars worth of state contracts were handed to NEWSPAPERS FINALISTS friends of Tennessee’s governor. • “Phantom Classes,” The Orange County Register, LARGE NEWSPAPERS (OVER 250,000) • Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman, Evan Scott M. Reid, Marla Jo Fisher, Natalya Shu- EDAL Thomas, Mark Hosenball of Newsweek, for its M lyakovskaya “Crisis in the Catholic Church,” The Boston • “Profiteering and Politics at Miami International series on 9/11 intelligence failures. Airport,” The Miami Herald, Ronnie Greene, Joe • A team at the Center for Investigative Report- Globe, Walter V. Robinson, Matt Carroll, Mozingo ing in San Francisco, for “Gunrunners,” a well- Sacha Pfeiffer, Michael Rezendes, Stephen • “Tax Cheats,” The New York Times, David Cay Kurkjian, Michael Paulson, Kevin Cullen, Johnston reported and deeply-sourced expose of the secret • “Death Benefits: How Employers Profit by Buying activities of international gun smugglers. Tom Farragher Life Insurance on Workers,” The Wall Street Jour- JUDGES’ COMMENTS: nal, Ellen E. Schultz, Theo Francis • Diane Renzulli, John Dunbar, Alex Knott, This is the astonishing story of decades of widespread, Robert Moore and Leah Rush of The Center chronic sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and EDIUM NEWSPAPERS (100,000 THROUGH for Public Integrity, for “Capitol Offenders: how the church leadership covered up their crimes. M 250,000) How Private Interests Govern Our States,” a By opening the door into this long-shrouded world, the Globe exposed a national scandal that continues to book demonstrating that vested interests are CERTIFICATE reverberate. A masterpiece of unrelenting investiga- “Last Gasp,” The Fresno Bee, Mark Grossi, Bar- influencing legislators’ decisions on education, tive reporting, these stories (retold well in the Globe bara Anderson, Russell Clemings health care, insurance, public safety and the book “Betrayal”) brilliantly documented a powerful institution’s inability to police itself, with tragic con- JUDGES’ COMMENTS environment. sequences for its many young victims and ultimately A compelling and comprehensive look at an agricul- • Amit R. Paley of The Harvard Crimson, for for the church itself. ture hub that has become home to some of the nation’s dirtiest air. The reporters documented lax government “The Secret Court of 1920,” which showed that CERTIFICATE oversight, repeated violations of air standards, and the a 1920 university investigation into a student’s “The Vertical Vision,” Los Angeles Times, human and environmental costs associated with air suicide ended with the university convening pollution that has been allowed to continue unchecked Alan C. Miller, Kevin Sack for decades. a secret court that labeled 14 men “guilty” of JUDGES’ COMMENTS being or knowing homosexuals. Some were By delving into documents and memories going back FINALISTS • “The Black Belt: Alabama’s Third World,” The forced to leave the university and the city of nearly three decades, the Los Angeles Times uncov- ered the grim tale of how the Marine Corps remains Birmingham News, John Archibald, Jeff Hansen, Cambridge, Mass. committed to a fighter plane that is killing its own in Carla Crowder, Thomas Spencer, Marie Jones A special citation was awarded to Nancy Phil- record numbers. Alan Miller and Kevin Sack showed • “Deadly Consequences, Ohio’s Broken Mental lips of The Philadelphia Inquirer for a continued that the vertical-takeoff Harrier jet is the military’s Retardation System,” Dayton Daily News, Steve most dangerous aircraft, responsible for the deaths of Bennish, Tom Beyerlein investigation into the 1994 murder of a rabbi’s 45 Marine pilots, all in non-combat crashes. Because • “Time of Death,” The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & wife. Eventually, one of Fred Neulander’s asso- of mechanical problems and maintenance mistakes, Observer, Joseph Neff ciates made a confession to her that finally led the Harrier has a staggering loss record – 143 major • “Operating Behind Closed Doors,” The Virginian- accidents so far. The series provoked congressional Pilot, Liz Szabo authorities back to Neulander – more than five scrutiny and won praise from former Harrier pilots. years after the crime. In November 2002, a jury SMALL NEWSPAPERS (UNDER 100,000) convicted Neulander of arranging his wife’s death CERTIFICATE and sentenced him to life in prison. “Against their Will,” The Winston-Salem Journal, “This is an outstanding example of a reporter Kevin Begos, Danielle Deaver, John Railey, Scott of great courage who persevered long after most Sexton JUDGES’ COMMENTS would have given up,” the judges said. The Winston-Salem Journal’s meticulous docu- A special citation for an international entry mentation and exhaustive reporting uncovered a was awarded to Mark Hunter, Nour Richard- dirty secret hidden in North Carolina archives for Guerroudj, Salim Jaouani, Fabien Laborde, decades: the forced sterilization of more than 7,000 residents – many of them poor and black – over a Lucie Monier-Reyes and Aurore Gorius. Hunter 50-year period. The Journal brought the program led Universite’ de Paris students as they broke and its unwitting victims to the public’s attention, the story (in Le Figaro) of how a law designed to and cast a harsh spotlight on the role played over the years by Winston-Salem’s power structure – includ- make officials more honest served only to enrich ing The Journal. them at public expense, in virtual secrecy. FINALISTS The IRE Awards will be presented during • “Subject to Inspection,” Belleville (Ill.) News- a June 7 luncheon at the IRE Annual Confer- Democrat, Gary Dotson, George Pawlaczyk and ence in Washington, D.C. The conference, Beth Hundsdorfer • “The Long Haul/Broken Promises,” Charleston scheduled for June 5-8 at the JW Marriott (W.Va.) Gazette, Eric Eyre and Scott Finn and the National Press Club, will feature • “The Dominic File,” Springfield News Leader, many of the winners speaking about the Laura Bauer techniques they used to develop their stories. • “Bitter Harvest,” Tri-City Herald, Mike Lee

8 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 9 FEATURESI R E N E W S FEATURES

LOCAL CIRCULATION WEEKLIES TOP 20 MARKETS and a reluctant Congress to face the fact that intel- ligence failures, the long-troubling rift among CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE investigative agencies and bureaucratic foul-ups “Lush Life of Rudy Appointee,” The Village Voice, “Evidence of Errors,” KHOU-Houston, David seriously hurt any chance that law enforcement Tom Robbins Raziq, Anna Werner, Chris Henao agencies could have prevented the Sept. 11 ter- Judges’ comments JUDGES’ COMMENTS rorist attacks. Tom Robbins of The Village Voice kept after a long- A remarkable investigative project that is shifting a denied FOIA request for the expense records of a top long-held belief that DNA evidence is irrefutable. FINALISTS aide to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Turning a tip into an exhaustive investigative project, • “War Crimes in Afghanistan,” Newsweek, Babak even after being told the records were lost. The impres- KHOU found errors at the Houston Police Depart- Dehghanpisheh, John Barry, Roy Gutman sive results, released three months after Giuliani left ment Crime Lab. One expert characterized those • “Look Who’s Cashing In at Indian Casinos,” Time, office, showed a virtually nonstop spending spree, with errors as “repeated gross incompetence” that may be Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele Russell Harding billing taxpayers for everything from sending innocent people to prison. This investigation • “Made in the USA: Hundreds of Americans Have an open airline ticket bought just before he left office is now resonating nationally and may shift a paradigm Followed the Path to Jihad,” U.S. News & World to thousand-dollar hotel bills in Hong Kong and Las as old as DNA testing itself. This investigation was Report, David E. Kaplan Vegas. Harding – a college dropout and the son of extraordinary and demonstrates a television station’s • “The New Math of Old Age,” U.S. News & World Giuliani’s political mentor – was appointed by Giuliani commitment to doing serious work. Report, Christopher H. Schmitt to head a city agency responsible for multimillion- dollar bond deals. In this well-written and engaging RADIO series, Robbins reveals not just Harding’s junkets but NO WINNER also a disturbing aspect of the Giuliani administration that had been kept out of the public eye because of the FINALIST former mayor’s zealous guarding of internal records. • “Investigation into World Business Review,” After publication, Harding promised to repay $52,000, WNYC-Radio, Bob Garfield, Sean Landis his former top aide was fired, ongoing city and federal FINALISTS probes were launched and Harding was indicted for • “Fake Drugs, Real Lives,” WFAA-Dallas, Brett ONLINE spending hundreds of thousands of agency dollars on Shipp, Mark Smith, Kraig Kirchem, David personal travel, gifts and parties for friends. Duitch CERTIFICATE FINALISTS • “Trafficked for the Military,” WJW-Cleveland, “Gunrunners,” Center for Investigative Report- Greg Easterly, Tom Merriman, Ron Mounts, Mark ing (San Francisco), Julie Reynolds, Matthew • “Northern Arc: Road to Riches,” Atlanta Business DeMarino, Dave Hollis, Tim Roskey Chronicle, Sarah Rubenstein, Walter Woods Brunwasser, William Kistner, Dave Gilson, Rick • “The Prisoner and The Politician,” WNBC-New Young, Lowell Bergman, Omar Lavieri, Allyce • “Sweetheart Deal,” Dallas Observer, Thomas York, Jonathan Dienst Korosec, Rose Farley Bess, Marlena Telvick, Monica Sagullo, James • “The Chief and the New West,” Northwest Explorer, Sandler, Will Evans, Mabel Tampinco, Robin Patrick Cavanaugh BELOW TOP 20 MARKETS Stein, Kelly Davis, Jared Saylor JUDGES’ COMMENTS CERTIFICATE “Gunrunners,” the Web site companion series to TELEVISION “Friends in High Places,” WTVF-Nashville, Phil a PBS Frontline/World episode, is an incredibly Williams, Bryan Staples well-reported and deeply-sourced expose of the NETWORK/SYNDICATED JUDGES’ COMMENTS secret activities of international gun smugglers that This swarming investigation exposed how millions went beyond what was broadcast to the public. A CERTIFICATE of dollars worth of state contracts were handed to team led by the Center for Investigative Reporting “Unsolved Rapes,” ABC News 20/20, David friends of Tennessee’s governor. In a series of well- launched a detailed, nine-month project that was Sloan, Carla DeLandri, Brian Ross, Brenda documented reports over many months, WTVF tied extremely effective in flushing out Jean Bernard big money contracts to two long-time friends of the Lasnaud, an arms dealer wanted by Interpol but Breslauer, Yoruba Richen, Tom Marcyes governor. This happened at a time when the state found to be living openly in Florida because he JUDGES’ COMMENTS was in the midst of a budget crisis and raising taxes. was a CIA informant. Lasnaud, who the team found A stunning investigation where ABC revealed a Facing retaliation, WTVF’s Phil Williams didn’t selling arms from his own Web site, was arrested “dirty secret” in police departments: Thousands of flinch and produced some of the most compelling in Europe two days after the series was published. rape evidence kits – evidence that could catch violent television investigations of the year. This impor- The center’s Web site, muckraker.org, also featured criminals – sit unprocessed in police storage rooms tant investigation does more than put an outgoing a transcript of an FBI tape made of Lasnaud’s son, across the country. Brian Ross and his investigative governor on notice; it sends a clear message to all which reporters obtained during a narrow window team at 20/20 discovered police don’t have the elected officials. before it was removed from the public record. money to process the kits. In an unusual and some- what bold collaboration, 20/20 offered to pay half FINALISTS FINALISTS the expenses to process 50 rape kits at the Baltimore • “The Pain Doctor,” WITI-Milwaukee, Bob Segall, • “Enron’s Big Political Donors,” The Center for Police Department. 20/20’s investigative project led Diane Carbonara Public Integrity, John Dunbar, Robert Moore, directly to catching and convicting two rapists and • “Charter School Investigation,” WKRC-Cincin- MaryJo Sylwester freeing another man who was imprisoned for a rape nati, Jeff Hirsh, Jeff Barnhill • “Cracking the Nest Egg,” CNET News.com, he did not commit. This report awakened the nation • “A Cozy Connection,” WOAI-San Antonio Sandeep Junnarkar to a hidden problem and has led to new funding com- (formerly KMOL), Joe Ellis, Brian Collister, • “Sex Slaves: Europe’s Trade in Drugs, Guns and mitments from private and public sources. Stephen Kline Women,” MSNBC.com¸ Preston Mendenhall, Andrew Locke, Mike Moran, Bob Arnot FINALISTS OTHER MEDIA • “Central Park Jogger,” ABC News PrimeTime, OOK David Doss, Cynthia McFadden, Robert Lange, B Eric Avram MAGAZINE/SPECIALTY PUBLICATION CERTIFICATE • “Good Intentions, Bad Results,” CBS News 60 CERTIFICATE “Capitol Offenders: How Private Interests Minutes, Steve Kroft, Leslie Cockburn, Stephanie Govern Our States,” The Center for Public Palewski, Sianne Garlick “Series on 9-11 intelligence failures,” Newsweek, Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman, Evan Thomas, Integrity, Diane Renzulli, John Dunbar, Alex • “Eligibility for Sale,” ESPN, Tom Farrey, Jon Gen- Knott, Robert Moore, Leah Rush stel, Tim Hays, Craig Lazarus, Bob Ley Mark Hosenball JUDGES’ COMMENTS JUDGES’ COMMENTS • “In A Child’s Best Interest,” MSNBC, Karen Grau, The scope of this investigation is breathtaking. The Bill Hussung, Scott Hooker Dogged reporting by Newsweek forced the nation

10 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 11 FEATURES I FEATURESR E N E W S

Center for Public Integrity gathered information on FOI AWARD FINALISTS all 7,400 state legislators in America to focus on “The Campus Files: Reagan, Hoover and the • “Foster Shuffle,” Capital News Service (University a crucial, overlooked issue: Many legislators seek UC Red Scare,” San Francisco Chronicle, Seth of Maryland), Michelle Krupa committee assignments allowing them to enhance Rosenfeld • “State Salaries,” Capital News Service (University their private financial interests, often at the expense UDGES COMMENTS of Maryland), Hanah Cho of their constituents. The book demonstrates that J ’ Reporter Seth Rosenfeld’s 17-year fight to obtain • “Killer Coasters,” Capital News Service (Univer- vested interests are influencing legislators’ deci- sity of Maryland), Kathleen Johnston Jarboe sions on education, health care, insurance, public FBI records documenting the bureau’s illegal and safety and the environment. covert activities at the University of California perfectly illustrates the importance of the Freedom SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FINALISTS of Information Act. His persistence through numer- • “High and Mighty SUVs: The World’s Most Dan- ous court cases resulted in a story that revealed the gerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way,” federal government’s unconstitutional assault on SPECIAL CITATION Public Affairs, Keith Bradsher “liberal” students, faculty and a university president. Special Citation to Nancy Phillips for the Rabbi • “Betrayal: Crisis in the Catholic Church,” Little It forged new legal ground, expanding the nature of Fred Neulander investigation, The Philadelphia Brown and Company, The Boston Globe the information that must be released under the FOIA Inquirer and the government’s responsibility for paying legal JUDGES’ COMMENTS SPECIAL CATEGORIES fees. Perhaps most significantly, Rosenfeld’s work is Sometimes results don’t come until long after the contributing to the nation’s post-Sept. 11 debate over work appears. Nancy Phillips began writing about balancing civil liberties and national security. A New the Neulander murder case in 1994 after the wife of a TOM RENNER AWARD York Times editorial put it this way: “These accounts popular rabbi was found bludgeoned to death in their “Crime, Inc.,” Chicago Sun-Times, Frank Main, of the FBI’s malfeasance are a powerful reminder suburban Philadelphia home. For the next several Carlos Sadovi, Steve Warmbir of how easily intelligence organizations deployed to years, she kept following the case. Eventually, one JUDGES’ COMMENTS protect freedom can become its worst enemy.” of Neulander’s associates made a confession to her Reporters from the Chicago Sun-Times took the that finally led authorities back to Neulander – more old adage “follow the money” to new heights in than five years after the crime. In November 2002, their examination of the Mob and Windy City street a jury convicted Neulander of arranging his wife’s gangs. Frank Main, Carlos Sadovi and Steve Warm- death and sentenced him to life in prison. This is bir followed the money from a $1 billion-a-year drug an outstanding example of a reporter of great cour- trade into beauty shops, apartments, record compa- age who persevered long after most would have nies and even Hollywood movies. Full of intimate given up. portraits of young gangbangers and an aging Mob, the investigation showed how savvy street gangs SPECIAL CITATION were beginning to wield political influence, reaching Special Citation for an International Entry into neighborhoods to get out the vote. This series “How Elected Officials Divided Up 45 Million stood out because of its investigative depth and Euros Since 1992,” Le Figaro (Paris, France), sharp writing. The writers spent a lot of time doing Mark Hunter, Nour Richard-Guerroudj, Salim surveillance in dangerous conditions, but it yielded Jaouani, Fabien Laborde, Lucie Monier-Reyes, investigative gold. Aurore Gorius JUDGES’ COMMENTS Mark Hunter led Universite’ de Paris students as they broke the story of how a law designed to make officials more honest served only to enrich them at public expense, in virtual secrecy. French politicians FINALISTS are allowed to hold two offices at the same time. The • “A Failure of Public Health,” The Detroit News, “Transfer” system gave them a mechanism to redis- Kimberly Hayes Taylor tribute half of their second salary to others within • “Blood Errors,” Newsday, Kathleen Kerr their party. This turned into a patronage system • “Stories From FOIA Requests,” York Daily Record, funded to the tune of at least 45 million Euros (the Sharon Smith, Jim Lynch, Teresa Ann Boeckel, same sum in U.S. dollars) of public money over Sean Adkins, Rick Lee, Joe Hainthaler, Michele the last decade. Constructing databases and making Canty, Maryann James the most of public information, the students built a strong indictment of France’s “Transfer” system. STUDENT WORK (ALL MEDIA) Overcoming officeholder indifference and a lack of cooperation, the students built a strong investigation shining light into a dark system that shrouded how CERTIFICATE elected officials are paid. “The Secret Court of 1920,” The Harvard Crimson, Amit R. Paley JUDGES’ COMMENTS The author showed great perseverance and determina- SPECIAL RECOGNITION tion in assembling 80-year-old facts from an institu- Special Recognition for an International Entry tion, Harvard University, which was ultimately forced “Georgian Railway,” Rustavi2 (Tbilisi, Georgia), FINALISTS Nino Zuriashvili, Alexandre Kvatashidze • “Immigrant Express,” Daytona Beach News-Jour- to acknowledge a sorry episode in its otherwise stellar nal, Patrick Wright history. The newspaper showed that a 1920 university • “Trafficked for the Military,” WJW-Cleveland, investigation into a student’s suicide ended with the university convening a secret court that labeled 14 SPECIAL RECOGNITION Greg Easterly, Tom Merriman, Ron Mounts, Mark Special Recognition for an International Entry DeMarino, Dave Hollis, Tim Roskey men “guilty” of being or knowing homosexuals. Some were forced to leave the university and the “Tracking the E-Waste Trail,” Radio Television city of Cambridge, Mass. As a result of the story, the Hong Kong, Canace Lam Kit-yin, Benny Sea current university president issued an apology for the Chi-wai actions of the university.

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employed in the war on terror and other 2003 CONFERENCE data mining being conducted by the federal government. Expected panelists include: U.S. Sen. LINEUP FEATURES Richard Shelby (R-Ala), who focuses on intelligence and privacy issues; Viet Dinh, the Justice Department’s chief policy official and an architect of the Patriot Act; Morton HOTTEST Halperin of the Council on Foreign Rela- tions; Dan Gillmor, a San Jose Mercury News technology columnist; Kate Corrigan TOPICS of the ACLU; and Benjamin Bell, head of the Transportation Security Administration. The panel is co-sponsored by the Missouri School of Journalism’s Hurley Chair in Public Affairs BY MARYJO SYLWESTER Reporting, which is currently held by Geneva USA TODAY Overholser. Top foreign journalists will discuss lessons from the wars on terror during an international roundtable on Friday, June 6. Those expected to speak include Iqbal Athas, Sri Lanka’s top he 2003 IRE Annual Conference, set journalism are scheduled to appear. national security journalist; Ignacio Gomez, for Washington, D.C., will highlight Ben Bradlee, Washington Post executive an award-winning reporter who has twice resources in the editor from 1968 to 1991, is had to flee death threats in Colombia; Anna nation’s capital for REGISTER scheduled to give the keynote Politkovskaia, the Russian reporter who inter- all levels of investigative address about investigative viewed the Chechen rebels before they were T To register for the confer- reporting in the United States reporting in Washington. gassed; and Mariane Pearl, a journalist who and around the world. ence, visit www.ire.org/ Bradlee was a key figure in is writing a book about terrorism and who is The June 5-8 conference training/dc03/ or copy the many of the Post’s biggest the wife of slain Wall Street Journal reporter at the National Press Club form on the back of this stories, including Watergate. Daniel Pearl. and JW Marriott Hotel will The keynote speech will take issue of The IRE Journal, Special panels offer plenty more, ranging fill it out and fax it to place at the IRE Awards lun- from panels on medical and cheon on Saturday, June 7. To take advantage of the location of the 573-882-5431. education investigations to The Washington Post’s conference, organizers have planned some one-on-one writing sessions Bob Woodward, who has unique panels that provide in-depth under- and computer-assisted reporting classes. provided unique insights into the Bush standing of the institutions located in Wash- Some of the biggest names in investigative administration in the wake of Sept. 11, and ington that are beneficial for all reporters – no Seymour Hersh, whose matter where they are based. cutting-edge work on A series of panels called “The Insider’s national security regu- Guide to Washington” will show how to find larly appears in The the best records, chatty sources and investi- New Yorker, are among gative stories in the federal government. The the speakers who will series of fast-paced panels will spotlight Con- share their knowledge. gress, the White House and an array of federal A showcase panel, agencies. The experienced tour guides – a.k.a. scheduled for Thurs- the panelists – will offer tips on infiltrating day, June 5, will exam- the bureaucracy from inside and outside the ine the tension between Beltway. national security and Those itching for a more hands-on perspec- privacy, as exemplified tive can sign up for mobile panels on Saturday. by the Pentagon’s “Total Two panels, one to the Capitol and another to Information Awareness” the National Archives research facility, will project, the Patriot Act, take participants by bus to tour each site, while new facial recognition experts and experienced journalists share and other tools being insights. Participants will need to sign up for

12 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 13 FEATURES I FEATURESR E N E W S

these panels through the IRE Web site before EXPECTED SPEAKERS arriving for the conference. Iqbal Athas, The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka Tom Maier, Newsday Don’t miss Sunday Donald Barlett, Time Inc. Willoughby Mariano, Orlando Sentinel Make sure you plan to stay at the confer- David Barstow, The New York Times Stephen Mastrofski, ence through midday Sunday. A special pro- Roberta Baskin, Now with Bill Moyers George Mason University gram has been planned for the last day, with the Maud Beelman, International Consortium of Mike McGraw, The Kansas City Star top writers and reporters in the investigative Investigative Journalists Shawn McIntosh, business on hand. Benjamin Bell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution One track will be devoted to writing. IRE Transportation Security Administration John McQuaid, The Times-Picayune will offer four panels, three geared toward Peter Bergen, author Josh Meyer, Los Angeles Times print and one toward broadcast writing. All David Boardman, The Seattle Times Alan Miller, Los Angeles Times will walk through the process of organizing Walt Bogdanich, The New York Times Anne Mintz, Forbes Magazine and writing up the findings of an investigation, so they are transformed into a well-told tale Ben Bradlee, The Washington Post Blake Morrison, USA Today for readers and viewers. Tom Brune, Newsday James Neff, The Seattle Times The conference also will offer an oppor- Christopher Callahan, Ron Nixon, IRE and NICAR tunity for in-depth, one-on-one coaching on University of Maryland Robert O’Harrow, The Washington Post investigative reporting. IRE will offer the Rose Ciotta, The Philadelphia Inquirer Geri Palast, Justice at Stake chance for attendees to sign up for one-on- Sarah Cohen, The Washington Post Marion Paynter, The Charlotte Observer one sessions with accomplished investigative Steve Coll, The Washington Post Mariane Pearl, author, France/United States reporters and editors who have significant Katie Corrigan, Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times experience. These private 30-minute sit- American Civil Liberties Union Tony Pipitone, WKMG-Orlando downs will allow you to seek advice on Alice Crites, The Washington Post Anna Politkovskaia, Novaya Gazeta, Russia stories that have you stumped, or probe ideas Sylvester Daughtry Jr., Stephen Power, The Wall Street Journal for following up on reporting you’ve already Commission on Accreditation for Law Gary Price, author done. The one-on-one setting allows you to Enforcement Agencies, Inc. David Raziq, KHOU-Houston get specific advice, without worrying that your competitors might hear about the stories you Viet Dinh, U.S. Department of Justice Wally Roche, The (Baltimore) Sun are working on. Liz Donovan, The Miami Herald James Rosica, Tallahassee Democrat Gilbert Gaul, The Washington Post Jonathan Salant, The Associated Press On the Web Ted Gest, Criminal Justice Journalists Fred Schulte, South Florida Sun-Sentinel For the first time, the highlights of the Dan Gillmor, San Jose Mercury News Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. conference will be chronicled through a Web Ignacio Gomez, Canal Uno TV, Colombia David Smallman, Steinhart & Falconer LLC publication created by faculty and students Ronnie Greene, The Miami Herald John Solomon, The Associated Press from four universities. Students will report James Grimaldi, The Washington Post James Steele, Time Inc. on several panels or issues each day to Michael Grunwald, The Washington Post Joe Stephens, The Washington Post give those at the convention, and those who Dee Hall, Wisconsin State Journal Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times couldn’t attend, coverage of the major events. Morton Halperin, Marilyn Thompson, The Washington Post The student reporters are planning online video Council of Foreign Relations Al Tompkins, features as well. Tom Hamburger, The Wall Street Journal Poynter Institute of Media Studies The four schools are the Medill School of Journalism’s Washington program, the Univer- Seymour Hersh, author Steve Weinberg, sity of Maryland, the University of Missouri’s Mark Hosenball, Newsweek Missouri School of Journalism Washington program and American Univer- Brant Houston, IRE and NICAR Alice Wertheim, sity. The Web publication will be accessible David Cay Johnston, The New York Times The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at www.ire.org. David Kaplan, U.S. News & World Report Margot Williams, The Washington Post Tony Kovaleski, KMGH-Denver Phil Williams, WTVF-Nashville Optional Day offerings Jennifer LaFleur, Derek Willis, The Center for Public Integrity The Optional Day offerings on Thursday, The Reporters Committee on Freedom David Willman, Los Angeles Times June 5, will include panels on computer-assisted of the Press Nanci Wilson, KEYE-Austin reporting techniques and a track of criminal Lee Levine, Levine Sullivan & Koch, L.L.P. Bob Woodward, The Washington Post justice panels, co-sponsored by Criminal Jus- Toby Lyles, The News & Observer Marianne Zawitz, tice Journalists. In addition to panels about James Lynch, American University U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ×

12 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 13 FEATURESI R E N E W S FEATURES using CAR for various topics, the schedule IRE Award winners. Terrorism and war report- will include a panel track on how to take an ing will be prominently featured, with panels investigative CAR project from start to finish. planned on investigating the military in war- This series of panels will walk time and covering terrorism through the stages of a project LATEST LINEUP as a beat. – choosing the story, battling For the latest day-by- There’s a wealth of for data, pulling it together other topics. Expect to learn day schedule of panels and working with editors. The about investigating religious and other events, visit criminal justice track will fea- and health care institutions, ture tips on interpreting crime www.ire.org/training/dc03/ uncovering failures in the statistics, evaluating local law justice system, finding cor- enforcement agencies and covering judges. ruption in local or state government, digging Hands-on computer-assisted reporting into businesses in your community and making classes will be offered throughout the confer- sense of new campaign finance laws. ence at the National Press Club IRE classics on inter- and at the nearby Medill Wash- HOTEL viewing techniques, unsung ington bureau. Those classes This year’s conference hotel investigative documents, will cover using spreadsheets, is the JW Marriott at 1331 tips on sourcing and navigat- database managers and effec- Pennsylvania Ave. Call 800- ing the maze of Freedom of tive searching and background Information requests are on 228-9290 or 202-393-2000 using the Internet. the program, as well. Panels and ask for the Investiga- geared toward broadcast Best of the year tive Reporters and Editors journalists will discuss the The regular schedule of room block. unique elements of investi- panels will be packed with gative journalism in front of the best investigative reporting work in the the camera or microphone. uled for Saturday afternoon and will include U.S. and foreign media, including this year’s The annual membership meeting is sched- balloting for six seats on the IRE Board of Directors. The National Press Club will host a recep- tion on Friday night, and U.S. News & World Report will sponsor a reception on Saturday night. A program and breakfast for area high school students interested in journalism will be sponsored by The Washington Post’s Young Journalists Development Project. The fifth annual Blues Bash will feature exceptional live music and camaraderie in an eclectic setting on Thursday, the opening night of the conference. Details on tickets and directions are posted at www.ire.org/training/ dc03/. To date, the yearly event – begun as a broadcaster get-together – has raised more than $8,500 for the IRE Resource Center. Local hosts are the National Press Club, The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report. Sponsors include the Gannett Founda- tion, USA Today, the Poynter Institute, Inter- national Center for Journalists, the Philip L. Graham Fund, American University, Medill School of Journalism and Missouri School of Journalism.

MaryJo Sylwester is database editor for USA Today’s sports section. She serves on the Wash- ington, D.C., local committee.

14 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 15 FEATURES FEATURES BUDGET PROPOSAL Despite economy, IRE stays stable, increases training and membership BY BRANT HOUSTON THE IRE JOURNAL

Proposed IRE Budget for Fiscal Year 2004 (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004) espite another year of bad economic Combined All Programs conditions, IRE has maintained finan- Proposed Estimated Proposed cial stability. This proposed budget Year FY 2003 FY 2003 FY 2004 has about $1.5 million in operating Membership Dexpenses – about the same as the previous year. Revenue During the past year, we kept our expenses New Membership $50,000 $60,000 $60,000 down by delaying equipment purchases, not fill- Membership-student $3,000 $4,000 $4,000 ing several positions, not giving raises and con- Membership-international $3,000 $2,000 $2,000 tinuing to make our operations more efficient. Membership Renewals $100,000 $110,000 $110,000 Renewals-student $1,000 $2,000 $2,000 At the same time, we have met many of our Renewals-international $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 revenue goals, although the bleak economy and Subtotal membership $158,000 $179,000 $179,000 the war in Iraq put pressures on the training funds Journal subscriptions $5,000 $6,000 $7,000 Journal ads $45,000 $55,000 $55,000 of news organizations that use our resources. Total membership revenue $208,000 $240,000 $241,000 Beginning last fall, we embarked on an ambi- Membership Service Expenses tious series of seminars – the Better Watchdog IRE Journal $85,000 $90,000 $90,000 Workshops – aimed at journalists at small- to Staff costs (membership) $72,000 $72,000 $75,000 medium-sized news organizations and young Postage and shipping $6,000 $6,000 $7,000 Total membership service expense $163,000 $168,000 $172,000 journalists. (We did this in addition to our regular Net membership activity $45,000 $72,000 $69,000 conferences and seminars.) Sales and Services The workshops, supported by a grant from Book sales $30,000 $50,000 $50,000 the SDX Foundation and done in collaboration Book costs $18,000 $35,000 $35,000 with the Society of Professional Journalists and Net book activity $12,000 $15,000 $15,000 other news organizations, brought in both revenue Resource Center sales $15,000 $15,000 $20,000 Prior/current year contributions $50,000 $50,000 $40,000 and membership. In fact, our membership reached Resource Center expenses $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 5,000 for the first time in IRE’s history this year Net Resource Center activity $(10,000) $(10,000) $(15,000) and it has stayed at or above that level. Web services revenue $10,000 $11,000 $12,000 The IRE Database Library and Resource Prior/current year contributions released $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 Web services expenses $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 Center also increased their services significantly, Net Web services activity $5,000 $6,000 $7,000 with the data library helping more news organiza- Database Library revenue $75,000 $100,000 $100,000 tions learn to do data analysis as a part of their Prior/current year contributions released $15,000 - - reporting. The IRE Journal not only won another Database Library expenses $70,000 $75,000 $78,000 Net Database Library activity $20,000 $25,000 $22,000 national award this year, but increased advertising Uplink subscription revenue $17,000 $20,000 $20,000 revenue within its tight acceptance guidelines. Uplink ads $5,000 $- $3,000 In the administrative area, we handled our Uplink expenses $11,000 $8,000 $8,000 membership and bookkeeping more efficiently Net Uplink activity $11,000 $12,000 $15,000 and more accurately. In the fiscal area, we Royalty revenue $7,000 $5,000 $5,000 improved accounting methods and the tabulation Other sales and services revenue $15,000 $5,000 $5,000 of ongoing expenses, overcoming the difficulties Other sales and services expenses $5,000 $3,000 $3,000 of the imposition of a new accounting system at Net other sales and services activity $10,000 $2,000 $2,000 the University of Missouri that we use for some Net sales and services activity $55,000 $55,000 $51,000 of our programs. Conferences and Seminars Our major financial effort this year was the Annual Conference launch of the second phase of our endowment Registrations and fees (IRE and NICAR) $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 drive. With the support of the John S. and James Optional CAR day $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 Other revenues $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 L. Knight Foundation, we’ve been able to allocate Prior/current year contributions released $120,000 $130,000 $140,000 significant funding toward the endowment drive, Total annual conference revenues $300,000 $310,000 $320,000 including revision of our strategic plan and the Conference expenses $150,000 $150,000 $140,000 Net annual conference activity $150,000 $160,000 $180,000 preparation of new materials. We have raised CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 ×

14 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 15 FEATURES FEATURES

Proposed IRE Budget for Fiscal Year 2004 (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004) Proposed IRE Budget for Fiscal Year 2004 (July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004) Combined All Programs Combined All Programs Proposed Estimated Proposed Proposed Estimated Proposed Year FY 2003 FY 2003 FY 2004 Year FY 2003 FY 2003 FY 2004 Newsroom Seminars *Census *Census General and Administrative Expenses Registration and fees $25,000 $6,000 $- Salary and personnel costs $370,000 $313,000 $363,000 Seminar expenses $15,000 $6,000 $- Professional services Net newsroom seminar activity $10,000 $- $- Consulting/Fundraising $15,000 $100,000 $100,000 Accounting $15,000 $15,000 $10,000 On the road seminars Legal $5,000 $12,000 $10,000 Registrations and fees $85,000 $85,000 $90,000 Total professional services $35,000 $127,000 $120,000 Prior/current year contributions released $- General office expenses Seminar expenses $75,000 $70,000 $73,000 Telephone and fax $10,000 $7,000 $7,000 Net on-the-road seminar activity $10,000 $15,000 $17,000 Postage $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Office supplies $10,000 $8,000 $8,000 Boot Camps Photocopying $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Registrations and fees $40,000 $50,000 $50,000 Insurance $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 Prior/current year contributions released $- Computer supplies $2,000 $1,000 $1,000 Seminar expenses $10,000 $9,000 $9,000 Equipment expense $8,000 $4,000 $4,000 Net Boot Camp activity $30,000 $41,000 $41,000 Other office expense $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Regional Conferences/Workshops Total general office expense $49,000 $39,000 $39,000 Registrations and fees $20,000 $30,000 $30,000 Other expenses Prior/current year contributions released $70,000 $65,000 Publications/Dues $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Conference expenses $8,000 $45,000 $45,000 Travel costs-board $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Net regional conference activity $12,000 $55,000 $50,000 Travel costs-staff $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 FOI conferences $1,000 $- $1,000 Conference Fellowships $10,000 $15,000 $15,000 Board consultant $5,000 $4,000 $- Fellowship expenses $10,000 $15,000 $15,000 Equipment purchases $15,000 $10,000 $10,000 Net fellowships $- $- $- Staff Training $2,000 $5,000 $5,000 Net conferences and seminar activity $212,000 $271,000 $288,000 Total other expenses $32,000 $28,000 $25,000 Grants and contributions Total General and Administration Expenses $486,000 $507,000 $547,000 Temporarily restricted/unrestricted $250,000 $170,000 $225,000 Permanently restricted $125,000 $515,000 $100,000 Fund-raising expenses Total grant and contributions $375,000 $685,000 $325,000 Commissions and other expenses $15,000 $33,000 $28,000 Other support and revenues Promotions $6,000 $2,000 $2,000 Award contest fees $23,000 $28,000 $28,000 Total fund-raising expenses $21,000 $35,000 $30,000 Award contest expenses $8,000 $10,000 $10,000 Contribution to Endowment $130,000 $515,000 $100,000 Net award contest activity $15,000 $18,000 $18,000 Depreciation $30,000 $30,000 $30,000 Investment return $10,000 $3,000 $5,000 Endowment Return $30,000 $40,000 Reserves $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 Net other support and revenue $25,000 $51,000 $63,000 Total Expenses $692,000 $1,112,000 $732,000 Net program activity $712,000 $1,134,000 $796,000 Excess net program activity over expenses $20,000 $22,000 $64,000 nearly $2 million so far and part of the endow- Salaries and Benefits ment investment income already is helping to As of July 1, 2003 support the Resource Center. Salary Benefits Total Contributions In the coming year, we will request the sup- or Allocations port of major donors, whose gifts will be partially Executive Director $76,000 $21,280 $97,280 $30,720 Journalism school Deputy Director $70,000 $19,600 $89,600 $15,360 Journalism school matched by the Knight Foundation. Training Director $48,000 $13,440 $61,440 $61,440 Seminars Despite the difficult market, we have pre- Database Administrator $49,000 $13,720 $62,720 $62,720 Database Library served much of our endowment investment Membership Coordinator $37,000 $10,360 $47,360 $47,360 Membership Admin Asst. Membership $22,000 $6,160 $28,160 $28,160 Membership income earned over the past five years – more System Administrator $34,000 $9,520 $43,520 $20,000 Knight Grant than $200,000. Web Coordinator/Advertising $32,000 $8,960 $40,960 Administrative In this year’s budget, we’ve increased fund- Web Administrator $35,000 $9,800 $44,800 $40,000 Knight Grant ing to continue the endowment drive, to cover Resource Center Director $40,000 $11,200 $51,200 $40,000 Endowed Post Conference Coordinator $33,000 $9,240 $42,240 $- Administrative mandated employee health benefit increases Campaign Finance Director $- $- $- and will propose salary raises for the staff, but Finance Officer $30,000 $8,400 $38,400 $- Administrative have not put those in the budget, while awaiting Program Designer $20,000 $5,600 $25,600 Administrative International Admin Asst $- $- $- $- Administrative board approval. The cost of the proposed raises for the staff would total about $30,000 for 13 Subtotal $526,000 $147,280 $673,280 $345,760 staff members. Graduate Assistants $33,000 $33,000 $33,000 On the revenue side, we are planning Part-Time Help $10,000 $10,000 Student Web $15,000 $15,000 another series of the Watchdog Workshops and Student Assistants $10,000 $10,000 will expand our training offerings. We also will Subtotal $68,000 $68,000 offer more services in the Database Library and $378,760 Subtotal of allocations Total $362,520 Net salaries & benefits the Resource Center, especially through our Total General/ Web site, and will seek additional funding for $741,280 our international efforts. Administrative

16 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 17 FEATURES FEATURES

but no doctors. We found astonishing rates of pregnancy, disease and squalor. At the bottom THE BLACK BELT of it all, we found hopelessness. The Black Belt is a once-fertile crescent Alabama’s Third World that sweeps through Alabama and other South- ern states. School books say it is named for its brought to public attention rich black soil. Others say that is a euphemism for a place where black descendants of slaves outnumber whites. BY JOHN ARCHIBALD, CARLA CROWDER The Black Belt is a once-fertile AND JEFF HANSENOF } crescent that sweeps through THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS Alabama and other Southern states. School books say it here are few places in America where two to three times higher in Mississippi and is named for its rich black children and families face greater Georgia than in Alabama. Those facts spurred hardship than in the 12 counties of legislators to demand changes in Alabama’s soil. Others say that is a Alabama’s rural “Black Belt.” A regressive tax system. euphemism for a place where quarterT of all families are led by single moms, • Shoe-leather reporting in the vast region black descendants of slaves 80 percent of students are poor enough for free revealed an illegal dual school system in lunch at school and life expectancy is lower than Greensboro, Ala., where student populations outnumber whites. ~ in many Third World countries. are manipulated so that whites never attend a Poverty and unemployment remain high; high school that is largely black. The “white We proposed a focus on 12 counties, and luring jobs to a systemically racist region with school,” as Greensboro West is called, receives suggested the name “The Black Belt: Alabama’s little infrastructure and a largely uneducated better equipment, better-educated teachers Third World.” Editors bit, and committed population is almost impossible. Health care in and all the revenue from city football games, unprecedented space and resources. the Black Belt is abysmal, infant death rates are among other perks. That revelation prompted The series was unlike anything we had ever alarming and schools are bad, even by Alabama the State Board of Education to investigate the tried. We were examining an isolated area about standards. system and demand changes. the size of Vermont, trying to tell history in news We knew much of this as we proposed a • We found towns with doctors but no medical stories, trying to tell readers where the region 2002 project that would examine Alabama’s equipment and others with medical equipment CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 × most troubled region. We also knew that many Alabamians didn’t know it, or they chose to ignore the injustice that has burdened the region for 180 years. Our goal was a project that not only informed Alabama’s oblivious about the problems and indignities of the area, but one that would give them a reason to care, that would awaken them and point them in the direction of atonement. By the end, the results surprised even those

among us who had pushed so hard to make the News Birmingham The Troncale Bernard project happen. Among the findings: • A computer analysis of 149,000 tax records – compiled into a single database for the first time – showed that more than two-thirds of all land in the Black Belt is owned by people living outside the counties. To make matters worse, most of these absentee owners qualify for agri- cultural “current use” tax exemptions, which, the News found, lowers the taxable value of the land by more than $1.1 billion. Examina- tions of comparable timberland in neighbor- Once 1,500 laborers worked on Perry County’s largest plantation. Tommie “Rooster” Moore, 48, is one of five ing states showed tax rates on similar land are who are left. He clings to the decaying five-room shack where he was raised.

16 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 17 FEATURES FEATURES

important while trying to achieve these objectives. Interviews with the Interviewers And, believe it or not, being polite is still possible in a confrontational interview, and Some journalists have a natural gift for interviewing. Others spend entire may even help you appease the subject enough to get more information. careers mastering the skills. During 2003, The IRE Journal is presenting “You can say ‘please’ and ‘thank the series “Interviews with the Interviewers.” We have talked with some you’ and still ask: ‘Why did you steal of the most renowned interviewers in the field of investigative reporting. the money?’” Stith tells audiences at Focusing on a different style of interview each issue, we share their expe- IRE conferences. While trying to achieve the objec- riences, techniques and advice with you. This is the third installment. tives of a showdown interview, broad- cast journalists in particular might have PART 3 “When you become angry, you’re giving up the impulse to provoke emotions in their something,” Nalder says. “If they get angry at interviewees to get more compelling images you, you own something of them.” on the screen. Confrontational Nalder says that although journalists “I have to check myself against the tendency shouldn’t react with anger, they shouldn’t try to just get a moment,” says Duane Pohlman of interviews to calm the subject either. WEWS-Cleveland. “My interest is in getting “It’s patronizing,” he says. “Interview the the truth, not the embarrassing moment.” anger.” Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute BY LORI LUECHTEFELD Anger often comes to the surface in final agrees, saying that while a lot of journalists THE IRE JOURNAL interviews with central subjects in investiga- “intentionally make interviews confronta- tions. Stith refers to such final interviews tional” to make themselves look aggressive, o ahead. Pick a fight with Pat Stith. He as “showdown interviews.” During these it should really be a last resort. welcomes it. interviews, says Stith, a reporter has three Roberta Baskin, senior Washington corre- “That’s a mistake on their part,” objectives: spondent for “NOW with Bill Moyers,” says Gsays Stith, an investigative reporter with The • Confirm information and gather new informa- experience helps journalists in this area. News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. “I’m not tion. “In the old days, I would cross a line going to react to it. I’m not going to pour • Get a confession. between being too confrontational,” she says. gasoline on it, but I won’t retreat from it one • Eliminate the counterattack after the story is “I would turn the villain into the victim.” iota.” published. Baskin says after an interview she sometimes When people get angry, says Stith, seasoned He stresses that maintaining control is felt like she had beaten up her interview reporters know it’s a golden opportunity to not only get good quotes, but a way to maintain the upper hand in an interview. “I have a lot more experience interviewing people like this than they have being inter- viewed,” he says. Top reporters say that often the nature of an investigation leads to unavoidable confronta- tions in interviews where tempers can flair and lies can be told again and again. There might Observer & News The Bounds Jim be more than one “no comment” from a dis- gruntled subject. But how a reporter chooses to deal with these confrontations can make all the difference in a story. “Don’t build up the idea of confrontation in your head,” says Eric Nalder of the San Jose Mercury News. “Just be ready to deal with it.” Nalder agrees with Stith when it comes to dealing with angry subjects. “The key thing is to not become angry and hostile back,” he says. Nalder says this is often News & Observer reporter Pat Stith prepares to interview an officer for the North Carolina Division of Motor a mistake made by young reporters. Vehicles’ Enforcement Division.

18 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 19 FEATURES FEATURES

subject. ask about other people involved, he says. a subject down the streets of Chicago in high Baskin says one of the most important Mike McGraw, of The Kansas City Star, fol- heels, which she admits “I can’t picture myself things to do in an interview is to let the sub- lows a “no comment” with a simple question: doing now.” ject talk. She realized this while working on a “Why?” He also points out to his subject what a When a confrontational source does grant story about drug testing “no comment” looks like an interview, often the subject will not be alone. in the National Football More tips to a reader. Powerful people often will have handlers, such League. Her subject, IRE has tipsheets, audio tapes In addition to “no- as lawyers or assistants, who will try to control when allowed to speak from conference panels and other comments,” journalists the interview. Others might have had consider- able coaching before the interview, such as the freely, commonly made resources on tough interviews avail- often will have trouble racist comments. getting a confrontational senior vice president of a credit card company able at www.ire.org/resourcecenter, “Just stand back and person to speak to them who spent thousands of dollars on interview let it rip,” Baskin says. including: in the first place. Some coaching before talking to Williams. Interrupting a sub- Tipsheet No. 1262 – The Showdown journalists will then have In other cases, the handlers might be the ones ject whenever a conflict Interview, Pat Stith to resort to ambushing a who try to answer the questions for the main arises often will keep an person for an interview. subject. When that happens, Stith advises turn- interviewer from getting Tipsheet No. 1090 – The Art of the “I have ambushed, ing the question back to the real subject when to the heart of the story. Broadcast Interview, Tony Kovaleski yes, only after repeatedly the handler is done speaking. Interviewers often have trying to make contact,” In some cases, the handler might try to the greatest urge to pounce on interview sub- Williams says. terminate an interview prematurely, such as jects when they realize the subject is lying. While Williams was working on a story with a mayor’s handler present during a Pohl- Nalder suggests handling lies the same way about mercury in child vaccines, a government man interview. “We’ll stop this interview with you handle anger. official repeatedly refused to be interviewed. your admission that we’re not getting to crucial “Interview the lie,” he says. “See lying as After asking him one more time at a congres- points, “ Pohlman told the handler. a gift to you.” sional hearing, Williams chased him with the Advises Pohlman: “Don’t shut the camera Liars often use a lot of details, says Nalder. camera, and then broadcast his “no comment.” down for anything.” This gives a journalist plenty of opportunities to “It was a serious enough topic,” Williams pick a lie apart. Wait until the liar is exhausted, says. Lori Luechtefeld is a graduate student at the then go back to ask about details that will indi- Baskin also remembers a time in her career, Missouri School of Journalism and magazine cate what they are saying is a lie. many years ago, when she ended up chasing studies intern with The IRE Journal. However, Stith recommends not using “gas- oline words such as ‘lie.’” He let that word slip from his mouth once and the subject’s lawyer ������������������ ������������ � terminated the interview immediately. �������� ��� � Valeri Williams, most recently with ����������������������������������������� WFAA-Dallas, likes to test the reliability of a subject. ����� ������������ “Sometimes I intentionally misstate a question to test if they will be honest,” she �������������������������������������������������� says. If a subject doesn’t correct her, she �������������������� knows she should be cautious elsewhere in ����������������������������������� the interview. Pohlman says he will restate his question ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� when a subject lies. ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� “I give them a chance to retract because the �������������������������������������������������������������� dynamic of an interview isn’t normal,” he says. ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� “They’re nervous.” ����������������������������������������������������������������������� If the person sticks to the lie, Pohlman will ������������������������������������������������������������������ then break it apart systematically, pointing out how he knows they aren’t being truthful. ��������������������������������� Often, rather than lying, a subject will resort to the infamous “no comment.” �������� “I almost never have to settle with a ‘no ��������������������������������������������� comment,’” Nalder says. ��������������� Nalder recommends dealing with a “no comment” by giving the subject a smaller ���������������������������������������������� task. Ask an easier question. It often helps to

18 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 19 FEATURESBOOKS

of what had become known as the Beef Trust, dominated by the Armour family. Later, Rus- A MUCKRAKING sell took on creeping corporate monopoly in a variety of industries. His exposés from 100 years ago sound a lot like today’s exposés of amoral, multinational corporations. He would have LIFE understood modern-day scandals at companies like Enron and Tyco just fine. Early investigative journalist The Beef Trust expose started simply provides relevant lessons enough, with Russell reading the testimony of J.W. Midgley, an expert on railroad shipping, to the Interstate Commerce Commission. Midgley BY STEVE WEINBERG explained how meat packers used their clout THE IRE JOURNAL with railroads to control markets and the prices paid to livestock farms that shipped to those markets. Unlike other investigative journalists harles Edward Russell has been dead Abraham Lincoln, Russell’s father used his of his era, Russell decided against going 62 years. But his investigative report- newspaper to advance causes as well as inform undercover. Instead, he worked sources from ing reads as if it could have been the community of births and deaths. the stockyards to the corporate suites, relied on published yesterday. The relevance Edward Russell told his son that a newspaper information developed by congressional com- ofC history for today’s journalists has rarely, must be “the guardian and nourisher of civic mittees, and wove in profiles of key players to if ever, been more obvious than in Russell’s virtue,” with a related goal of “terrifying evil draw readers. magazine articles and books. doers and arousing the communal conscience.” After what would become an eight-part Robert Miraldi, a journalism professor Charles Russell loved those ideas. So, after fin- series began running in Everybody’s magazine, at the State University of New ishing his formal education in valuable new sources contacted Russell. One York, New Paltz, has resurrected Vermont in 1881, Charles Rus- of those sources worked inside the industry the mostly forgotten Russell for sell made the long trek back to and could feed Russell first-hand information. a contemporary audience with Iowa to help run the family news- Another source knew a middleman who car- a fascinating biography of this paper. He did so with distinc- ried messages among the Beef Trust leaders. Iowa native who spent most of tion for several years, until his The messenger apparently shared information his career in Chicago and New ambition led him to St. Paul and with Russell’s source, information that upon York City. Minneapolis to write about urban further investigation by the journalist checked Like many journalists of his issues in a venue larger than out. For example, Russell first learned important time, Russell (1860-1941) was Davenport. In 1886, Russell left details about rebates from his informant. A an activist as well as a reporter, the Midwest, heading to New packer with lots of beef to transport would running for political office four York City, where the national tell a freight line operator that the beef would times as a Socialist (hoping to newspapers promised fame. travel on a different train route unless the become a U.S. senator or New railroad would kick back some of the ship- York State governor); helping THE PEN IS MIGHTIER: Working with sources ping cost regulated by the federal government. launch the NAACP; and serving The Muckraking Life of Fame did not come right The rebates violated the law, but, Russell Charles Edward Russell the U.S. government as a diplo- By Robert Miraldi away. Despite Russell’s solid learned, were being disguised through false mat during World War I because Published by Palgrave, Iowa and Minnesota news- classifications and by undercounting the of President Wilson’s confidence 328 pages, $35 paper experience, New York weight of the shipment. “Wherever we in his abilities. City editors failed to hire him. turn in this story,” Russell wrote, “there is but When Russell entered the world, Dav- Russell turned to freelance writing, hustling one prospect, and that is graft.” enport, Iowa, seemed an unlikely platform for stories he could sell to the newspapers and The Beef Trust exposé ran during 1905. It for his later fame. Despite its small size, magazines where he wanted to be a salaried would be three years later that he published an however, Davenport had formed connections staff member. The strategy worked. Russell exposé causing an even greater sensation. to the wider world as a river city, a railroad ended up employed inside several New York Among modern chroniclers of journalism hub and a farming exporter. Russell’s father, newsrooms, where his sharp intelligence and history, there is agreement that Russell’s piece Edward, was a newspaperman, starting as memorable prose helped him stand out. de resistance was his investigation of New editor of the Le Claire Republic in 1858, then Eventually, he moved from telling slice-of- York City’s Trinity Church. In addition to serv- becoming part owner and editor of the Dav- life stories to investigative reporting. Spending ing as a prominent place of religious worship, enport Gazette in 1862. A fierce opponent of time in Chicago, Russell exposed the terrible the architecturally imposing church and its slavery and a strong supporter of Republican working conditions and dangerous products CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 ×

20 THE IRE JOURNAL FEATURES

20 THE IRE JOURNAL C O V E R S T O R Y C O V E R S T O R Y FAITH HEALER Hidden cameras help, hidden records frustrate probe into televangelist

PRIEST SCANDAL BY MEADE JORGENSEN Globe court battle DATELINE NBC unseals church records, he live orchestra always plays reveals longtime abuse T “How Great Thou Art” when televangelist/faith-healer Benny BY SACHA PFEIFFER THE BOSTON GLOBE Hinn makes his entrance in his custom-made white suit with the ur project began with an aston- “Holy Spirit” logo embroidered in O ishing admission, followed by gold on the pocket. a simple question. “Pastor Benny,” as he is known to The admission came in June 2001, his followers, will tell you they are from the then-leader of the Archdio- singing about Jesus. But after follow- cese of Boston, Cardinal Bernard F. ing him on and off for two years, it’s Law. He acknowledged in a public hard not to think “Thou” might refer court filing that in 1984, he had to the good pastor himself. transferred the Rev. John J. Geoghan He has been known for his outra- to a new parish – despite knowing geous theological statements (one of that Geoghan had been accused of my favorites is that God originally molesting seven children. intended for women to give birth The question came in July 2001, from their sides), his outrageous from the then-brand-new editor of “comb-over” hairstyle, and the way The Boston Globe, Martin Baron, he “slays people in the spirit,” at his who asked why church documents in crusades. You might get a chuckle Geoghan’s case were shielded from out of watching Hinn fill the stage public view by a court-imposed con- with prostrate followers, and hear- fidentiality seal. The answer – that ing him call down healings for every- church lawyers had requested the thing from HIV to cancer to demons protective order – spurred Baron – but you had better take this man to send the newspaper’s lawyers to seriously. court to file a motion to lift the seal. He has millions of followers. His Continued on page 24 Continued on page 26

22 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 23 C O V E R S T O R Y C O V E R S T O R Y CITY PORTRAITS Role of religion starkly different in town profiles IMAM UPROAR The Rev. D. George Spagnolia pumps BY JILL LAWRENCE his fist at a press Imam’s history conference declaring USA TODAY his innocence and hurts credibility rightright toto duedue processprocess after being removed fromfrom hishis postpost becausebecause n my first trip to Montclair, on local scene of allegations of sexual misconduct. O N.J., at a routine meeting about BY TOM MERRIMAN Photo: Bill Greene, economic development, Alison Bar- The Boston Globe WJW-CLEVELAND nett rose to discuss downtown deco- rations. “We’re calling it seasonal he instructions were simple: lighting instead of holiday lighting T Catch a flight to a city on because I don’t want to get into the east coast. Rent a car. Drive to trouble with anybody,” she said. a specific parking garage. Await “We are looking at the snowflake instructions. theme because it seems very non- The rules were uncompromising: denominational.” No cameras. No taxis. No disclosure When I stopped by Franklin Book- of my ultimate destination. sellers in downtown Franklin, Tenn., The payoff was unbelievable: manager Carol Ann Shull volunteered Complete access to volumes of that all her employees are Christian. hidden camera tapes, transcripts, and “We try to avoid having things that translations documenting the Islamic aren’t wholesome,” she said. terror network in America. I could not have asked for a better Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, the introduction to the contrasting reli- WJW I-Team began unraveling the gious attitudes in these two towns. controversial past of Cleveland’s Moments like these over the course most prominent Islamic leader. A of an eight-month project crystallized personal history far different from one of the principal conclusions of the public persona Imam Fawaz my three-day series stemming from Damra had crafted during the prior the 2000 election: that religion is decade. To most people in northeast the wellspring of the culture gap in Ohio, Damra was not only the local America. It’s at the root of opposition face of Islam, he was a man of to abortion and homosexuality. peace. Continued on page 27 Continued on page 29

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Have Beetle, will travel How did we get here? Geoghan story on Jan. 6, PRIESTBy Dick SCANDAL J. Reavis The Catholic Church was an 2002, the spokeswoman for unconventional target for the Spotlight Team. For the Boston archdiocese not only refused to answer from page 22 much of its three-decade history, Spotlight had our questions, but said the church had no interest Ultimately, Globe attorneys were successful carried out its mission of exposing corruption by in knowing what those questions were. in persuading the court that the public’s right taking on municipal and government institutions, We launched our investigation by interview- to know outweighed the archdiocese’s privacy like bad cops, crooked politicians and corrupt ing everyone we could think of who knew any- claim, resulting in the release of more than 10,000 public agencies. At the same time, newspapers thing about the Geoghan case: lawyers, known pages of previously secret church records. The across the country had been writing stories for victims, prosecutors, the small circle of people documents proved devastating to the Boston years about clergy sex abuse, and the Globe had who had studied the issue of clergy sexual abuse. archdiocese. But while the legal motion wended been writing for several years about Geoghan. Within a week, it was clear that the dimension of its way through court, the Globe Spotlight Team, But most of those stories focused on isolated the clergy sex abuse problem extended far beyond a four-person investigative unit, set out to learn cases of abuse, and on the actions of individual Geoghan, and far beyond the Boston archdiocese. as much as it could about what the church knew priests rather than church officials. Again and again, we were told that Geoghan was about Geoghan, when it knew it, and what it did With Cardinal Law’s June 2001 admission, only “the tip of the iceberg.” about it. however, the story of clergy sex abuse shifted How, we wondered, had one priest – who by from one about priests who abused children to Not an aberration January 2001 had become the subject of at least one about church leaders who had covered up for In an effort to quantify the extent of the abuse, 84 civil lawsuits alleging that he had molested priests who abused children. That was territory we combed through nearly 20 years of the archdi- children – accumulated so many victims in six few newspapers had explored, largely because ocese’s annual directories, which list every priest different parishes in three decades before being church files were inaccessible to the public. Still, in the archdiocese and his parish or administrative removed from active ministry in 1993? before the breadth of the crisis was exposed, assignment. From those directories, we devel- many church leaders, including Cardinal Law, oped a spreadsheet to track what seemed to be an Unconventional target denounced the media for its coverage of the issue, unusually large number of priests who had been Our research began in August 2001, and our insisting that the problem of clergy sex abuse had placed in categories like “sick leave,” “awaiting findings stunned us. In the Boston archdiocese been blown out of proportion. assignment,” “clergy personnel office,” or “unas- alone, we now know, more than 150 priests have But had it? The task of testing the church’s signed.” From interviewing numerous victims, been credibly accused of sexually abusing chil- claim was a daunting one. We were faced with we knew that priests frequently received those dren in recent decades. Often, family members somehow cracking open an institution that had dubious labels after church officials received and even fellow priests alerted top church officials neither the obligation nor desire to make its abuse complaints about them. of wrongdoing. But the crimes were concealed, records public or discuss how it operates. One Scrutinizing the directories was tedious and ignored and forgiven by a lengthy succession of example of the church’s rigid resistance to public time-consuming, but fruitful. From them, we bishops and cardinals who were widely viewed as inquiry: Just before the Globe published its first found that in the mid-1980s, there were usually icons of morality in the Catholic Church. By March 2003, the Globe had published more than 900 news stories about the clergy sex abuse scandal, and more than 500 people had come forward with legal claims that they were molested by priests in the Boston archdio- cese. Nationally, similar accusations forced the removal of an estimated 450 priests in 2002. As Bill Greene The Boston Globe Boston The Greene Bill public disgust grew over ugly disclosures about abusive priests and indifferent bishops, and about millions of dollars paid in so-called hush money, church attendance and donations plummeted. Lay reform groups like Voice of the Faithful were born, attracting thousands of outraged Catholics. In December 2002, Cardinal Law, once America’s most influential church leader, resigned in disgrace. Meanwhile, reeling from the abuse scandal and a down economy, the Boston archdiocese now teeters on the brink of financial ruin, and has considered bankruptcy as a solution to its troubles. Cardinal Law issues a statement to the press in December.

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The Book our “tip box,” which became an invaluable tool for gathering information. The tip box listed two In “Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic phone numbers (one to reach a live reporter, one ��������� Church” (Little Brown & Co., $23.95), the to leave a recorded confidential message) and an investigative staff of The Boston Globe e-mail address so readers could contact us with ����������������������� gives the complete story of the Catholic news and comments. That box brought such a ��������������������� Church’s cover-up of abusive priests that torrent of phone calls and e-mails from readers across the country and even around the world lasted for decades and involved hundreds – several thousand, at last count – that we had to of victims hire a student intern to help us answer them. Most The book adds “new, never-before of the people who contacted us were victims, and disclosed details,” on how abusive priests from them we learned the identities of many more were shuffled to different locations, as well alleged abusers. as those who knew about the problem and As the story exploded, the Spotlight Team did nothing to stop it. – reporters Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer and The book was a finalist in the book cat- Michael Rezendes and editor Walter V. Robin- egory of this year’s IRE Awards. son – was joined by religion reporter Michael Paulson and special projects reporters Stephen ����������������� Kurkjian, Thomas Farragher and Kevin Cullen. ������������������������� about two dozen priests in all those categories More than a year and a half later, the tragedy combined in any one year, out of more than 1,000 of clergy sexual abuse remains a high-profile ������������������������������������� priests. By the mid-1990s, after the church had national issue. The crisis has led to new church ��������������������������������������� begun to pay secret settlements and quietly policies, changes in state law, the resignations ������������������������������� ���������������� remove offending priests from parishes, the of numerous top Catholic prelates, and massive number shot up to more than 100 priests. shakeups in dioceses throughout the U.S. ������������������������������������ We also scoured a state trial court database, For the Globe, the story has been a refreshing ������������������������������������ looking for cases in which victims had filed law- reminder that newspapers should not shy away ��������������������������������������� suits. That led to the identities of other accused from questioning even society’s most revered �������������������������������������� priests. Then we assembled a list of every attorney institutions. It also has renewed our belief that ����������������������������������� we knew who had handled a sexual abuse com- there are always ways to extract information from ������������������������������������� plaint, including the cardinal’s lawyers, and we seemingly impenetrable institutions. Throughout ������������������������������������������ ����������������������������������� obtained docket numbers of all civil cases those this project, our extensive contact with victims ����������������������� lawyers had handled since the late 1980s. Among has demonstrated the immense value of reaching the hundreds of docket numbers, we found other out to readers, who are often rich repositories of lawsuits that had never been reported. In some information. And our investigation has taught us ��������������� instances, judges in those cases had ordered all that there is no substitute for documents to prove ����������������� the records impounded, keeping them out of the a case of this magnitude. In the end, the church’s public eye. own files were its downfall, and theGlobe ’s deci- ������������������������������������� In November 2001, Superior Court Judge sion to go to court to unseal them was worth the ������������������������������������ Constance M. Sweeney ruled in the Globe’s favor resources it took to do so. Other newspapers ������������������������������������� on its motion to unseal the Geoghan file. The would be well-served to do the same. ���������������������������������� ������������������ archdiocese appealed, but a state appeals court Perhaps the key lesson we have taken from ������������������������������������� judge upheld Sweeney’s ruling. The documents this project, which has consumed more than ������������������������� were eventually released in late January 2002. a year and a half of our professional lives, is ��������������� Our original series on Geoghan was published how deeply important it is to question author- �������������������������������� Jan. 6-7, 2002, before the Geoghan court file ity. Before we published our original Geoghan ������������������ was formally unsealed, and was based entirely stories, we braced ourselves for picket lines on our reporting and public court records. Then, outside the Globe by Catholics enraged over our �������� on Jan. 31, 2002, we reported that the archdiocese reporting. But those protests never came. Instead, �������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� had secretly settled sexual abuse claims against readers focused their anger where it belonged: ���������������������������� at least 70 other priests in the previous 10 years. on the church. ������������������������������������ The story obliterated the church’s long-time claim ����������������������������� that Geoghan had been an aberration. Sacha Pfeiffer is a reporter for the Boston Globe ��������������� Alongside the stories, which triggered a Spotlight Team, the newspaper’s investigative ������������������������������� massive public outcry and a series of apologies unit. The Globe reports won an IRE Medal in ������������������������������� by Cardinal Law, we published what we called this year’s IRE Awards and the Pulitzer Prize.

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those would be edited down Hinn repeatedly refused FAITH HEALER for Hinn’s show. to speak to us. He placed We quickly saw that the only way we were questions about a U.S. Attorney’s investigation from page 22 going to be able to document this process, and into the ministry off limits. The catch of course daily TV show, “This is Your Day,” is seen in more to try to verify the incredible claims of healing, was that the U.S. Attorney’s Office wouldn’t tell than 100 countries. And, from an investigative would be with hidden cameras. We ended up use what was investigated. standpoint, he takes in an estimated $100 million attending crusades in about five different cities. At Then Hinn said he would only speak to us if he a year, though the ministry denies that figure. one crusade, we were able to volunteer to help the could go on live and unedited. He had appeared He lives lavishly by almost any standard. The “healed” people backstage for their interview. on “Larry King Live” twice. We explained to him ministry is building him an eight-bedroom, nine- We were able to show our viewers how the that was almost unprecedented, not our format, bathroom house in an exclusive gated community process works, and also to show that in at least two and even if we did it, would require cramming in Southern California. He flies around in a top- cases, the healings didn’t happen. Two women we the interview into about five minutes at the end of-the-line private jet. He stays in the presidential followed later died of their cancers after being of the piece. suites of whatever hotel (preferably Hyatts, Four “healed” at a Benny Hinn crusade. We finally approached Hinn outside his hotel in Seasons, or Ritz Carltons) he happens to be in. But debunking healing claims was easy com- Buffalo, N.Y., (yes, it was the Hyatt), after he had I was assigned the story in May of 2000, after pared to our attempts to get inside Hinn’s finances. finished his crusades. He promised to get back to four people died waiting for Hinn to appear at a The most interesting part of this story, and the us with an answer about an interview. Eventually crusade in Kenya. I was asked to see if there was most troubling from a journalist’s perspective, is it was “no.” a story there. At first, it was not conceived as an that Hinn does not have to reveal much about any Despite our frustration, we were able to at least investigative piece. It was more biographical. of his ministry’s finances. raise some questions about Hinn. We called atten- As my colleagues and I looked into it, and met As one expert told us at an IRE conference a tion to the fact that the ministry had promised on with resistance from the ministry itself, it gradu- few years ago, “The story about religious organi- its Web site that it would be building an orphanage ally turned into an investigation. It became the zations is not what is illegal, but what is legal.” in a small town in Mexico “soon.” only way to do a story on Hinn. Because his ministry is registered as a church, Months after the Web site announcement, Just about every month, Hinn has a two-day Hinn does not have to provide audited financial we sent a crew from our Mexico City bureau to crusade somewhere in the United States. My col- statements, and it’s extremely difficult to find out check it out. There was no Hinn orphanage, and league and I attended one without cameras on a where the money goes. not even a building permit registered with the Friday night in Philadelphia. It was a pretty amaz- My colleague, Andy Lehren, our producer for town authorities. ing experience: It’s a professional sound and light computer-assisted reporting, did his best. He actu- The ministry did get wind of our efforts to extravaganza with thousands of firmly believing ally found a small religious nonprofit corporation check out the orphanage. On a rebuttal show that faithful from all walks of life. And at the center in California that held Hinn’s mansion. The house aired two days after our show, Hinn claimed he of it all is Pastor Hinn. is considered a “parsonage” or church residence. now had all the building permits and had begun At every crusade we attended, the formula was But it was like pulling teeth to get the ministry to construction. He showed video of what he said always the same: an immediate appeal for money, give us even the minimal required paperwork on were orphans in a “temporary” facility, and one music, preaching, passing the collection bucket, the corporation. of his assistants was shown at what appeared to and finally, the “healing” portion of the crusade. Lehren also found building records in Orange be a construction site. At just about 10 p.m., at every crusade we County that gave us the size of the house, and Finally, I recently received a form letter from attended, Hinn would say that God was speaking location. So we were able to do a flyover to docu- the ministry (I am still on their mailing list). In to him – telling him about miracles of healing ment its existence on tape. it, Hinn told his flock that, because “… of a story going on throughout the arena. Using building records, we calculated that that aired on a secular network,” the ministry’s “There is a man named George,” Hinn called it cost about $3.5 million. It’s probably worth finances were affected “… during January and out one night. “George has HIV. Well, my brother considerably more. The ministry said it was a early February, resulting in a loss of over 10 George, God is telling me, the Holy Spirit is burn- “good investment.” percent of our income.” He goes on to say that ing it out of your body!” Apart from the house, almost anything else he needs $2.5 million to cover the shortfall. “A back problem has just been healed,” Hinn – from ministry financial statements, to salaries Assuming that’s true, and if you calculate would say. “You may feel a burning sensation in of Hinn and his highest paid staff, to records about from the assumption that $2.5 million is 10 your body,” Hinn would suggest. multimillion-dollar fund-raising projects – was percent of the ministry income for six weeks “If you think the Lord has healed you, line up almost impossible to obtain. (January and early February), that’s about $216 on the left and right of the platform,” Hinn said The ministry had floated a bond issue in the million dollars a year. Maybe our estimate was at almost every service. 1980s, and Lehren was at least able to give us a just too low. Hundreds of people would line up. Screeners, small snapshot of what the ministry looked like some of them doctors, would then go up and back then. But there was little else. Meade Jorgensen has been a producer at Dateline down the lines to pick out the most believable The ministry refused to provide us with any NBC since 1994. He has worked on a wide variety and telegenic candidates. The lucky few would financial data, and just simply denied any esti- of stories, from an investigation of the New York get to go up on stage with Pastor Benny and tes- mates of income or salary that we came up with City Police Department to a story about polar tify before the throng and the TV cameras. Later, from former insiders. bears invading a small town in Canada.

26 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 27 C O V E R S T O R Y C O V E R S T O R Y CITY PORTRAIT from page 23 It influences how people view government and judge the personal behavior of public figures. Today USA Dillon Tim It is an engine of diversity in some places and nourishes like-minded people in others. And it is something candidates need to understand in order to bridge the values gap. The election map and exit polls after the presidential election produced hard evidence that America was a nation divided: blue Demo- cratic territory dominating both coasts, the urban Midwest and Indian reservations, and red Republican turf across vast swaths of the South and the interior heartland. The blue zone contained half the country’s population, the red zone the other half. Town profiles Who are these people in these two separate, evenly matched Americas? Are they as different from each other as this map and these polls sug- gest? What are their towns like? What are their Pastor Scotty Smith of Christ Community church preaches about the merits of a faithful marriage during his lives like? What matters to them? How do they third Sunday service. feel about the other half of the country? Why do they vote the way they do? What can national anti-tax business types for Bush. our choices with Gallup polls of each town. They leaders do to bridge the gap? As most Americans My first stop was the National Association were gulfs apart on questions of morality, abor- gratefully put the botched election behind them, I of Secretaries of State (www.nass.org), which tion, religion, homosexuality, evolution, illegiti- couldn’t get these questions out of my mind. has links to each state’s secretary of state office. macy and worship. The same was true when it Eventually I persuaded my newspaper, USA These state sites had election returns, sometimes came to taxes, guns, regulation and the role of Today, to let me profile two towns, one on each by county and sometimes down to the city level. government in general. It was hard to avoid the side of the divide. The result was “One Nation, I compiled lists of potential towns based on conclusion that the more important the role of Divided.” lopsided vote totals for Bush or Gore. Then religion, the less important the role of government There were many challenges along the way, I looked at Census data and a portal site that – and vice versa. from finding the right towns, to maintaining compares cities. The keys to this series were extensive use of objectivity, to getting strangers to talk to me Finding the right mix was complicated. For the Internet and letting one thing lead to another. about things you don’t even bring up with friends Gore, I looked at the West Coast, but found that I worked closely with an editor, Doug Pardue, and relatives: politics, religion, homosexuality, the minority population of most towns was whose patience and confidence never wavered abortion, their taxes, their kids and their dreams. either minuscule or predominantly Hispanic. during a long period of gathering information. And during my final half-hour of field research, On the East Coast, a friend suggested Montclair, I also worked with a photographer, Tim Dillon, in Montclair, N.J., the World Trade Center came N.J. Twelve miles from Manhattan, it is often with a bit of red-zone background – he’s a under attack. The project immediately stopped, described as an urban suburb. It turned out to churchgoer who owns a gun and has been hunt- but we resumed it in November to see if the gap be perfect: one-third black, highly educated and ing. Suffice it to say my background is different between our towns had narrowed. We found three-quarters had voted for Gore. and the tag team effect helped put people at ease through follow-up polls and interviews that it Seeking a Bush suburb roughly parallel to in both towns. had not. Montclair, I settled on Franklin, Tenn., an affluent I didn’t know anyone in either town and Identifying our towns was a labor-intensive county seat 15 miles south of Nashville. Specific had only two indirect personal connections task that took several weeks and would have been vote totals for Franklin were not available, but – a Montclair book agent who handles a close infinitely harder without the Internet. I was look- Williamson County had voted two-thirds for friend’s work and the brother of an office col- ing for towns that had voted mostly for Al Gore or Bush. The fast-growing town itself was a micro- league who knew Franklin inside out. Beyond mostly for George W. Bush, and that accurately cosm of the evangelicals and tax-cut enthusiasts that, the Internet was a helpful launch pad. reflected each man’s distinctive support groups: enamored of Bush. African-Americans and well-educated profes- With input and guidance from Jim Norman, Raising questions sionals for Gore, religious conservatives and the USA Today polling editor, we later confirmed Before the first of my six trips to each place,

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I scouted online for meetings of civic groups, I steeped myself in the town government leaped PTAs and town councils, and names of academ- cultures of both towns by into action with emergency ics, school officials and economic development studying yellow pages and Internet listings, plans and brought in a boatload of psychologists boosters. The idea was to start with people and taking driving tours, attending church services to counsel people. But government in Franklin institutions accustomed to dealing with media, and festivals, reading and work my way inward from there. I also sermons on the Web, and quickly discovered that pastors and real estate following local doings agents are networkers with dozens of contacts. on newspaper Web sites. Almost everybody in Montclair wanted to Once, desperate to find talk. The school PR person gave me names of gay people in Franklin,

friends in interracial marriages. The meeting I had a Nashville gay bar Today USA Dillon Tim that yielded the “seasonal decorations” anecdote post my name and e-mail also yielded an invitation to a PTA meeting in a address. The pillars of the private home. That led to discussions with vari- project, however, were ous individuals about politics, religion, racial old-fashioned interview- tensions and whether kids should stay in the ing, observation and Boy Scouts if gays could not participate. You analysis. get the picture. Listening carefully, I Franklin was more reserved, but not impen- realized that Montclair etrable. The school district spokeswoman clued clergy almost invariably Reverend Stephanie Weiner of the Union Congregational Church delivers her me in to the many musicians and recording stu- described their roles as Sunday sermon. dios in town, which led to learning that Franklin raising questions rather was the new base for the Christian music indus- than supplying answers. Those conversations was rebuked when it tried to get involved. Some try and thus to interviews with Michael W. Smith immediately came to mind when Scott Brick- area leaders wanted to contribute $1 for each and other pillars of that industry. A pastor at a ell, manager of several Christian rock bands in county resident to a fund for children of fire- megachurch invited me to a weekly gathering Franklin, said one group resumed a tour right fighters and other responders who were killed. of evangelical pastors committed to racial rec- after Sept. 11 because “the world’s looking for The proposal died; a county commissioner told onciliation. A school superintendent discussed answers. As Christians, we’ve got the answers, me people had already contributed through local views on morality and Bill Clinton. A so why should we sit home?” their churches and didn’t want to mix charity fundamentalist with a home-based business That was only one of many stark contrasts and government. pointed me toward one of the only Jewish on religion. Start with the diversity of religion Then there was the meeting white evangeli- families in town (his daughter had babysat the in Montclair versus the dominance of evangeli- cal clergy told me they had requested after the kids) and one of the only gay people in town cal Christianity in Franklin, and the major role 2000 election. They wanted their black coun- (it took three contacts before I felt comfortable religion plays in Franklin versus its relatively terparts to explain how black Christians could enough to bring up the unacknowledged fact incidental role in Montclair. The 9/11 attacks vote for Democrats who supported abortion and that he was gay). exposed further contrasts. Some Montclair resi- homosexuality. According to several partici- dents visited mosques pants, black pastors said black voters consider and Muslim clerics practical concerns such as jobs more important. in the aftermath; A fundamentalist pastor, Scotty Smith, said the the largest Franklin discussion jolted white evangelicals out of their congregations heard assumption that “any thinking Christian is going from Islamic experts to vote Republican.” Tim Dillon USA Today USA Dillon Tim but not from Mus- The series and its conclusions rested on a lims. One pastor said mass of details like these, obtained painstakingly that would have been over time, using tools as new as the Internet, awkward because the as scientific as polling and as traditional as guests would have shoe leather. The upshot was a double portrait known their hosts praised and circulated by strategists in both considered their own political parties. religion the only true one. Jill Lawrence is a political writer at USA Today. Several 9/11 vic- She was a columnist for The Associated Press tims lived in Mont- and a freelance magazine and newspaper writer clair and many more before joining the paper in July 1996. She won made narrow escapes. a National Headliner Award in 1995 and is now Pastor DuWayne Battle leads his congregation at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Montclair in some old-fashioned Gospel singing. In the aftermath, the covering her fifth presidential campaign.

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was probably the first time we ever started an various acts of terrorism. None of the informa- IMAM UPROAR investigation by interviewing the subject. tion was confidential. It had all been entered Damra was so enraged by the questions, he into evidence in some court at some point in from page 23 showed up at the station the next day demand- time. And yet, it was completely inaccessible He reached out to the Jewish community, lec- ing we discard the interview. We refused, but through typical official channels. tured at local universities, and showed restraint agreed to give the imam a second chance after a drunken hatemonger plowed his car before our cameras. By this time, we had Looking for help through the front door of the Islamic Center. obtained a videotape of a 1991 speech in To this day, I have never met Steve Emer- By the end of our investigation, that public which Damra called Jews “the sons of mon- son. He is a very difficult man to track down. A persona was changed forever. It was shattered keys and pigs.” pioneering terrorism expert with some serious by hidden camera videotapes, court filings, Realizing this would probably be his last enemies, Emerson directs The Investigative and a single-page, 13-year-old, public record opportunity to interview Fawaz Damra, Sheil Project from an undisclosed location. He first maintained by the New York Secretary of made the unorthodox decision to ask a wide exposed the presence of an Islamic terror State’s Office. The real Imam Fawaz Damra range of questions for which we had little or support network in the United States in his advocated the murder of Jews, raised money no foundation (Have you ever met any of the documentary “Jihad in America,” a former IRE for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and established original World Trade Center bombers? Have Tom Renner Award winner. Critics may dis- what the U.S. Justice Department described you ever met Osama bin Laden? Have you ever miss The Investigative Project as a pro-Israeli as “Osama bin Laden’s first beachhead in the met any of bin Laden’s associates?) Damra’s think tank, but the intelligence-gathering skills United States.” answers (particularly his denials and eva- of Emerson’s research staff can be an invalu- The Cleveland media often turned to Imam sions) gave us important clues for conducting able asset to journalists. Fawaz Damra as a local expert on all things the investigation. After weeks of conversations with his staff, Islamic. We were no different. Developing a I finally spoke to Emerson by phone. He agreed story on the Holy Land Foundation, we asked Tight-lipped law enforcement to grant me complete access to the extensive the imam to talk about the group’s fund-raising We quickly learned the Justice Depart- library of tapes and documents his organiza- activities in northeast Ohio. ment’s interest in Fawaz Damra grew out of his tion had amassed since 1995. I was to come When I mentioned Damra’s name to our role in the late 1980s as imam of the Al Farooq alone without cameras. For security reasons, source, however, it quickly became clear we Mosque in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Al Farooq had I would not learn of the office’s location until had stumbled upon a much bigger story. It was long been known as a hotbed of Islamic radi- I reached a pre-determined destination. rooted in a Florida deportation case involving a calism and the place of worship attended by Although Emerson’s researchers had several of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers. Damra’s resume, however, revealed he had left the Brooklyn mosque in the summer of 1990. Damra insisted during the MOVING? second on-camera interview that he had never met any associates of Osama bin Laden and didn’t know any of the original Trade Center defendants. The most difficult challenge facing journalists attempting to investigate terrorism-related stories is the virtual lockdown of govern- Palestinian named Mazen Al-Najjar. Included ment sources since 9/11. It is extremely dif- Please send us your new in the evidence was the affidavit of a federal ficult to cultivate law enforcement officials address so you don’t miss agent describing Al-Najjar’s frequent phone willing to talk off the record about closed The IRE Journal calls to “known alien terrorist suspect Fawaz terrorism investigations. We overcame this one issue of Damra.” There was also reference to a vid- obstacle by identifying individuals who had or any important member retired from various joint terrorism task eotape in which Damra was allegedly shown announcements. raising donations for the Islamic Committee forces, specifically, retired New York police for Palestine. ICP was allegedly a front for the detectives who were more than willing to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. give us personal history lessons about the Al Drop us a note at With little time to digest the information, Farooq. One retired officer even turned over [email protected] I caught I-Team reporter Bill Sheil as he was undercover videotapes, transcripts, and mug shots arranged on a poster board outlining the leaving for the Damra interview, “Read this Investigative ReportersSee and more Editors, on page Inc. 35 and ask the imam about the videotape!” It relationships between individual suspects and

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������������������� not previously focused on tiny, public debate, and Fawaz Damra, they were even outrage. When that ��������� able to identify several key court transcripts leader is Islamic, the context is post-Septem- describing Damra’s activities. Most importantly, ber 11th, and the topic is terrorism, however, ���������� we were able to confirm that Damra had lied the story has the potential to be a community during his interview with the I-Team. Damra not powder keg. Broadcasting an investigation link- only knew several of the original World Trade ing an unindicted, non-arrested, non-convicted Center bombing defendants, they These unique seminars give journalists had discussed their falling out with a jumpstart in computer-assisted “Brother Fawaz” on an FBI wiretap. reporting techniques. Participants Without the help of The Investigative are trained in how to acquire Project, our exploration into Fawaz electronic information, use spreadsheets Damra’s controversial past would have barely scratched the surface and databases to analyze the of the truth. information and to translate that information into high-impact stories. Final puzzle piece The National Institute of Computer- In the late 1980’s and early Assisted Reporting provides follow-up 1990’s, a focal point of American help when participants return to their Islamic militancy was an organi- zation called the Alkifah Refugee news organizations. Center. It was housed in Brooklyn individual to terrorist organizations raises the in the basement of the Al Farooq Mosque. In stakes even higher. court records, the Justice Department described Station management remained committed, the Alkifah Refugee Center as bin Laden’s first news management asked tough questions, • May 18-23 – Columbia, Mo. base of operations in the United States. and our lawyers pressed hard for privileged • Aug. 3-8 – Columbia, Mo. According to the filings, Bin Laden and his documentation of our claims. In the end, the partner Abdullah Azzam had set up Alkifah to records and tapes we obtained through retired funnel guns, money and volunteers to their law enforcement agents, The Investigative training camps in Pakistan. We knew Damra had Project and a simple FOIA request enabled us ���������������������� served as the imam of the mosque, but was he to air the investigation without compromise or ������������������������ actually involved with the Alkifah operations? equivocation. ����������������� A microfilmed copy of the organization’s origi- ��������������������� nal incorporation papers from the New York Tom Merriman is an investigative reporter with Secretary of State’s Office held the answer. the WJW-FOX 8 I-Team in Cleveland. When “The workshop and the conference Fawaz Damra was actually a founding corporate he researched “The Imam Investigation,” he have convinced me that the officer of the Alkifah Refugee Center. was prohibited by a non-compete clause from investigative reporting approach and Any investigation of a respected religious appearing on air. His I-Team colleague Bill techniques can be easily applied to leader is certain to trigger extraordinary scru- Sheil reported the story. beat reporting and daily journalism.” – Afi-Odelia Scruggs, Professor of Journalism at Ohio Wesleyan University INTERNET RESOURCES

“Overall this is a wonderful seminar. • National Association of Secretaries of State – election information and links to each This is a great start for working with state (www.nass.org/electioninfo/electioninfo.html) CAR for someone who came with no experience.” • American Factfinder at the U.S. Census – population, housing, economic data – Anonymous (from seminar evaluation) (http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet) “Well worth the money!” • Microsoft Network’s House & Home – city comparisons on costs, education, etc. – Anonymous (from seminar evaluation) (http://houseandhome.msn.com/pickaplace/comparecities.aspx)

• Also: Web sites for city governments, school systems, civic groups, newspapers, busi- �������������������������������� nesses, religious institutions and historical associations. ��������������������

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lar results in its review of the religious census. Getting the data Counting the faithful The Herald News of West Paterson, N.J., used with church roll data the data to look at religious groups that claimed the The religious membership data can be survey underestimated their membership. Mike obtained from the Glenmary Research Insti- Corn of the Hays (Kan.) Daily News found that BY RON NIXON tute in Nashville (www.glenmary.org/grc/ several of the reported figures in the survey con- default.htm). The data comes on a single CD HE OURNAL T IRE J flicted with numbers provided by local religious in Microsoft Access and costs $100. Older groups. For example, the census showed that datasets can be obtained from the American ow many Baptists live in your community? church membership for several congregations in Religion Data Archive at Penn State Univer- H What about Catholics or Lutherans? How one county had declined. Corn traced the decline, many Jews or Muslims are there? not to membership losses, but to counting prob- sity at www.thearda.com/ From 1850 to 1936, you could find answers lems in the study. The churches had been included Other sources to questions like these in U.S. Census results. But in the population counts of another county. While the Religious Congregations & the U.S. government dropped a question about Membership in the United States: 2000 is religious affiliation in 1946, partly because the Limits in data considered the best collection of religious Christian Scientists denomination had concerns The current census is a survey of about 150 about invasions of privacy. religious organizations. The study is the only data available, it is by no means the only That left little demographic information about census to provide a county-by-county breakdown one. There are dozens of places to find data religious organizations. When the Census Bureau of religious participation. The study provides the about religion, including: tried to revive the question for the 1960 Census, total population for a county, number of religious • www.thearda.com – Located at Penn opposition from religious groups caused the bodies and number of members and adherents. State University, the American Religious agency to scuttle the plan. The study is limited in many ways because the Data Archive holds dozens of datasets Fortunately, journalists can find answers numbers are reported by the religious organiza- by analyzing the “Religious Congregations & tions and not all groups participate. In the 2000 related to religions, some down to the Membership in the United States: 2000” survey census, 14 religious groups declined to participate, local level. (formerly Churches and Church Membership in including some predominantly black congrega- • www.adherents.com – This is a collection of the United States) conducted every 10 years by a tions. Several groups, however, participated for more than 41,000 adherent statistics and group of religious organizations. the first time, making comparisons between religious geography citations. Journalists Led by the Association of Statisticians of census years difficult. can find adherent numbers by group and American Religious Bodies, the group started to Also, many Muslim groups have taken issue place. conduct its own census of religious group mem- with the religious study, saying that it underes- • http://hirr.hartsem.edu/sociology/ bership in the early 1950s. The survey provides timates the total number of their members. An sociology_research_datasets.html – The the best available information on the membership additional problem with the data is the way Hartford Institute for Religion Research of religious bodies in the United States. membership is defined by the religious groups More than three-dozen news organizations that report. While many include only those who at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut recently used the 2000 data to examine religious attend services on a regular basis, other groups specializes in studying religion in public beliefs and attendance in their communities. include anyone with an affiliation to the religious life and includes several datasets on its body, including children. Web site. Tracking membership To standardize the data, the ASARB uses • www.gallup.com – Opinion research firm The Palm Beach Post examined church adherents rather than members to examine The Gallup Organization has several polls membership in South Florida and found that growth of religious organizations. Adherents are with religion-based information. Palm Beach County was the second-most reli- adult members and their children. Membership • www.nazareneresearch.org – Church of the gious county, based on the percentage of people totals include only those who are full regular Nazarene Research Office. Good site with who claim some type of religious affiliation. members of a religious group. religion data plus interactive maps that The paper included color maps and graphics to Another problem with the data is that in a enhance its stories. few counties, the number of adherents actually can be queried on the Web site. The Charleston Daily Mail did a story show- exceeds the total population. The ASARD says Religion reporters ing West Virginia ranked second among the states this could be because many people live in one The Religion Newswriters Association in the number of congregations per capita. county, but attend church in another. (www.religionwriters.com) is a nonprofit In contrast, the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune Despite these limits, the data is the best avail- membership association founded in 1949 found that Washington ranks next to last among able information for journalists reporting on the 50 states in church attendance and member- religious group numbers. to advance the professional standards of ship, dropping from 47th in 1990. One-third of religion reporting in the secular press and Washington residents attend or belong to a church, Ron Nixon is the training director for IRE and create a support network for religion report- synagogue or mosque, compared with one-half the National Institute for Computer-Assisted ers. This site is hosted on IRE’s reporter.org nationally. The (Portland) Oregonian found simi- Reporting. Web servers.

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Black Belt Every kind of data The reporting was hard, emotional and time CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Our sources for the story were a mix of left- consuming. Sometimes, the people in the shab- stands, why it seems stuck, and why it matters. brain and right-brain reporting. biest little shacks, the people whose lives best It would be both satisfying and painful. On one hand, we created databases to paint the illustrated the miseries we knew existed, were Our team started a series of brainstorm- region in numbers. We built a database of all land nearly impossible to interview. They were so ing meetings and an e-mail list to discuss records for 10 Alabama counties. We used every disabled, or mentally ill, or sickly, you couldn’t approaches. We wrote and revised outline after kind of data we could find: school test scores; get a clear story out of them. Once a few details outline. Disagreement and discussion helped a century of Census records; years of birth and began to spill out, they became entangled with us plan, and we ultimately decided to write death records; property tax data from three states; issues related to Social Security, Veterans Affairs, six packages that would introduce the region state, national and international health data and the landlord and the boss man. and deal with social disintegration, politics and all kinds of court and archival records. We even The best sources were the church leaders and power, education, health, and solutions. used obscure data like “deer density” records and the matriarchs in the tiny, tight-knit communities. We settled on a consistent three-pronged a Southern lynching database. The talkative woman who runs the only store approach to each package: On the other side of the brain, reporters and in Gee’s Bend knew everybody, their children, • A fact-filled, statistically based main story a photographer traveled more than 20,000 miles their histories. She wrote down names and gave that provided startling information. through the region, meeting the residents who directions on how to navigate the unmarked • Accompanying stories of people, narratives provided the best, most compelling stories. We country roads. about the Black Belt’s crushing problems. talked to hundreds of people, from ordinary folk Once contacted, the families often proved • Strong graphics and photos, including maps in places like Snoddy, Trickem and Gee’s Bend unreliable. They didn’t make or keep appoint- and a historical timeline. to educators, lawmakers, business owners, politi- ments. Sometimes reporters had to wait hours cians and others. for a family member to return. And they were Bernard Troncale The Birmingham News Birmingham The Troncale Bernard

In Perry county, cotton and vegetable farmer Alfred Lewis, 71, tends to his farm equipment, which is in constant need of repair. After making a few passes planting okra seed, a wheel comes off his planter and causes a three-hour delay. Despite this, he has managed to send eight children to college.

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so despondent, it was often excruciating to interview them. Our major obstacles in the story came within our own team. There was disagreement on how to tell the story. There were arguments on how to split space between the narrative and analysis, the graphics, the photos. There was irritation at trimming, and conflicts over tone. Were we being too harsh? Were we showing enough hope? We largely overcame these obstacles by delegating responsibility for trimming and News Birmingham The Troncale Bernard tone to one ruthless writer. This, despite some bruising, worked. In the end, most everyone was satisfied. The stories shamed the longtime families in the Black Belt, especially whites who saw their existence as quaint. So many people were blind to the problems closest to them. They saw nothing wrong with black women in their 70s never having had any job opportunity but as a maid. Perhaps we underestimated people’s complacency. In Wilcox County, Leola Pettway worships at Ye Shall Know the Truth Baptist Church which holds services in an By the end of the series, many of these old school building. people had come to understand what we were trying to do. New U.S. Rep. Artur Davis also called the to childbirth. It was painful, and involved a long series a blueprint for change. He said last month labor. Shifting gears he will seek unprecedented federal resources for Remarkably, the baby was born. Now we’re We knew the series was effective when read- Black Belt counties in 14 states. Groups used watching it grow. ers began to call and curse us, or call and say they the series in successful grant applications and cried as they read it. We knew it was successful church groups shifted gears, sending mission John Archibald is database editor for The Birming- when the newly elected Republican governor groups to south-central Alabama instead of to ham News; general assignment reporter Carla – who only visited one of the Democratic Black North Carolina. Two colleges said they wish to Crowder has previously worked for The Rocky Belt counties as he campaigned – appointed a build a curriculum out of the work. Mountain News, The Albuquerque Journal, The Black Belt commission to find solutions for the The series was an interesting combination Mongomery Advertiser and The Alabama Jour- area’s problems as one of his first acts in office. “It of investigative reporting, narrative storytelling nal; and senior reporter Jeff Hansen is a former has been described as a Third World country,” he and computer-assisted reporting. It was massive microbiologist. “The Black Belt” was a medium said. ‘‘We can no longer allow that to exist.” in scope and, like all projects, similar in nature newspaper finalist in this year’s IRE Awards.

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in Iraq. Their concerns were real: As punish- ment for their son defecting during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the parents of weightlifter TORTURE Raed Ahmed spent two weeks in prison. Quoting these athletes anonymously might Iraqi athletes report have offered some protection. But it could

David Kawashima ESPN.com Kawashima David regime’s cruelties have impaired the reader’s ability to trust the Issam Thamer al-Diwan holds the medals accounts. So, all the athletes we used were iden- he has won. tified without restrictions, with the lone excep- BY TOM FARREY tion of Ahmed, who, to minimize any risk to his ESPN.COM immediate family, asked that we not disclose the U.S. city where he is now living. ost of the letters responding to others would embrace them because they would Their willingness to be identified provided ESPN.com’s package on the seem to help justify an attack. accountability: Why make up these stories when torture of Iraqi athletes thanked So the question before us was: How do we your family back home could be harmed? It also us for bringing to light a horrific cut through that noise to compile a report on allowed readers, and viewers, to get to know M– and ongoing – chapter in sports history that human rights abuses that will be viewed as a these people. In the companion “Outside the largely had gone overlooked by the world, and credible and important piece of journalism? It’s Lines” television report, they also saw the particularly U.S., media. But the most interest- not as though Uday Hussein honors Freedom of sincerity in the faces of athletes like former ing note was the one with “Nice Propaganda” in Information requests. Iraqis wouldn’t even grant national team volleyball player Issam Thamer the subject line, generated by someone looking our request to take a street photo of the Olympic al-Diwan, whose pleading eyes filled with tears to discount our reporting. headquarters, which allegedly included a prison when recalling how Uday would urinate on the “Honestly,” the reader wrote in the message, on the first floor. bowed, shaven heads of imprisoned athletes. “Uday Hussein just sounds like a Middle East In January – a month after our report and the • Use the libraries of human rights organiza- version of Bobby Knight.” filing of a complaint by a London-based human tions. After we started our investigation, we Perhaps many sports fans care more about rights group – the International Olympic Com- learned that a human rights group that pur- Bob Knight’s abuses than Uday Hussein’s, but mittee launched a formal investigation into the sues war crimes against the Hussein regime such a comparison trivializes the profound, INOC. Since then, other former national team was preparing a formal complaint to the IOC. sustained torture that Saddam Hussein’s son athletes, as well as a former soccer referee and The group, Indict, had acquired, among other visited on Iraq’s athletes. As president of the Iraqi Olympic executive, have come forward documents, an affidavit from a Kurdish table Iraqi National Olympic Committee (INOC) with additional accounts of torture at the INOC. tennis player who said he had been tortured since 1984, he had imprisoned and brutalized Amnesty International found ESPN.com’s report last summer. Combined with our independently them for nothing more than losing games. “consistent with the accounts” of nonathletes. acquired accounts from Thamer and soccer We knew our “Blood on the Rings” package We published the accounts of five former player Sharar Haydar, who were not part of would be viewed within a political context – that athletes because we found them plausible. But the Indict complaint, the affidavit gave us some readers would dismiss the stories based on our gut was fortified by our background work three athletes who claimed they had personally nothing more than their antiwar sentiment, while and the terms under which we profiled these endured torture on orders of Olympic officials. athletes. Other athletes said they were not harmed but Some of the knew of teammates who were. Indict also had methods that we taken photos of the player’s backs and knees, found helpful, and which showed scars from the ordeal. may be of use to Indict, though based in London, gets some other journalists funding from the United States. The group did preparing reports on not start with American money and says its filing human rights abuses of an IOC complaint was not sparked by any David Kawashima ESPN.com Kawashima David in foreign countries: request from the U.S. government. Still, given • No anonymous the potential bias of Indict, we wanted to be sources or silhou- careful to evaluate its evidence. Our comfort ettes. The potential level grew when much of its information was consequences to the consistent with what we had acquired in our athletes of detailing reporting. the crimes of Uday We also used the libraries of Amnesty Inter- Hussein were obvi- national (www.amnesty.org/ailib/index.html) ous. Most feared and the Human Rights Internet (www.hri.ca/ retaliation against fortherecord2002/index.htm), which catalogues Former national team volleyball player Issam Thamer al-Diwan with his family. family members still U.N. reports on Iraq and other countries. They

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describe locations and techniques of torture used FOI REPORT on other Iraqi citizens that were in line with those described by athletes with whom we had spoken. One report even details Uday’s amputation of the Paper intervenes in case hand of one Olympic Committee employee. When pursuing Iraqi abuses, another Web site worth checking is the Center for Research and to argue for public database Studies on Kuwait (www.crsk.org/iraqi.htm), which has archived documents collected from the Iraqi invasion in 1990. One of the items in its possession is a letter from Uday to an Iraqi n announcement that the city of Tulsa Coalition, were granted ZIVA BRANSTETTER general requesting permission to loot a printing and a group of black officers had agreed class-action status. press from a Kuwaiti science club “as a service to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit In December, the Afollowing eight years of litigation was welcome city and the plaintiffs announced a proposed to the sports movement.” Another group, the Harvard-based news in Tulsa. settlement, with both sides hailing it as a new Iraqi Research and Documentation Project But the devil, as it turns out, was in the beginning for the divided police force. The (www.fas.harvard.edu/~irdp/), collects docu- details of a protective order proposed as part of agreement, which still must be approved by ments smuggled out of Iraq detailing crimes the settlement. While the settlement would cost U.S. District Judge Sven Erik Holmes, calls against dissidents. None of its materials speak to the city an estimated $6 million to implement, a for the city to undertake a number of training the torture of athletes, but the group was helpful massive database to track police contacts with and hiring initiatives. in putting us in touch with former Iraqi athletes the public and most other information gener- It also requires the city to establish a now living outside the country. ated by the settlement would not be available database that will track arrests and other • Translate well and often. There’s no underes- to the public under the protective order. police stops, internal affairs investigations, timating the potential for inaccurate accounts Seeking to protect the public’s right to complaints, civil suits, use of force and other when crossing cultures and languages. So know, the Tulsa World requested to intervene issues by race of officer and citizen involved. for our on-site interviews with athletes who in the federal case and its efforts are appar- An auditor would be hired at city expense to preferred to speak in Arabic, we hired an ently paying off. The federal judge oversee- oversee compliance while a dispute resolu- independent translator who was fluent in the ing the case ordered the city to take part in a tion committee would encourage settlement experiences and dialects of Iraqis. Then we settlement conference with the newspaper. As of disagreements between the city and the hired a separate, professional house in New projects editor for the newspaper, I took part plaintiffs. York to translate the tapes. in settlement talks last month with attorneys Under the city’s proposed protective order, Three of the accounts were then edited and for the city and most of the disputes regarding the database would not be public and neither worked into a series of first-person, as-told-to public access were resolved. One remaining the auditor nor the dispute resolution committee stories on ESPN.com. The approach gave us issue is before the judge. would be subject to the state’s open records and another opportunity to make sure we under- Joe Worley, executive editor of the Tulsa open meetings acts. That order seemed to con- stood every aspect of their accounts. Before World, said the case is an example of how tradict itself by stating that it was not intended publication, their stories were read back to the newspapers can make a difference before it’s to restrict records already open under the state’s athletes in Arabic, providing them a chance too late. In some federal cases, such protective Open Records Act. Many of the records in the to correct any errors and add any necessary orders are signed and approved before the press database were already open under the state’s details. has a chance to object. act, which includes computerized records in its Some readers might not have liked the timing “We believe the city has a duty to make definition of a public record. of our report. But it was hard to deny the power these records open so that the public can Because much of my job involves obtaining of the athletes’ accounts. have some way to gauge whether its elected and analyzing databases of public records, I “After reading your article on Uday, I feel officials are carrying out their promises. This realized how the protective order would ham- there is nothing else for me to do but join the is an important public interest case involving string our ability to follow progress of the military,” one person wrote. “I believe this man the expenditure of millions of tax dollars,’’ settlement. My editors asked me to study the should go down. I’m enlisting ASAP.” Worley said. order and help our attorney write an alternative proposal, which was filed with the court in a Can’t say that’s the response we sought. But Tracking compliance we’re glad he was moved. request for a hearing. A group of black police officers filed the suit During a hearing before Holmes in Febru- Tom Farrey is a senior writer for ESPN.com and in 1994 claiming discrimination in hiring and ary, Attorney J. Schaad Titus, representing the a regular contributor to ESPN’s “Outside the promotions by the Tulsa Police Department. Tulsa World, argued that the city’s proposal CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 × Lines.” The story on tortured Iraqi athletes was The officers, known as the Black Officers honored as a finalist for the 2003 Scripps Howard Ziva Branstetter is the projects editor of the Tulsa World, where she writes and edits investigative Foundation National Journalism Awards, for and computer-assisted projects and stories. She has been an editor and reporter at The Philadelphia cable/large-market television. Daily News and The Tulsa Tribune.

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cally had been used in training, air shows and an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie —but never on the battlefield. We showed how the Marine Corps, despite the Harrier’s track record, used its considerable political clout to advance plans to build its own fleet of distinctive aircraft combining the traits of helicopters and planes. The Harrier was its Don Bartletti Los Angeles Times Angeles Los Bartletti Don first. This provided a connection to the Marines’ second such aircraft, the V-22 Osprey troop transporter, which has killed 30 in four crashes during testing. It afforded us a forward-looking slant as well: the Pentagon is developing the Marines’ own vertical version of the Joint Strike Fighter, the next-generation combat jet. Editor John Carroll drew on this theme for the series’ alliterative title: ‘‘The Vertical Vision.’’

The human toll The project originated in 2001 with a tip Harrier jets in various states of disassembly sit in a maintenance hanger at the Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. about the Harrier’s abysmal safety record. We began by collecting Marine Corps documents, congressional testimony, inspector general and General Accounting Office reports and news MILITARY AVIATION accounts of individual crashes. We started tracking down pilots who had survived crashes Harrier jet bedeviled and family members of those who had not. with mechanical ills Next, we submitted scores of Freedom of Information Act requests for the Judge Advo- cate General investigative reports. Doing so early was critical. Some reports were heavily redacted. Others, the Navy informed us, could BY ALAN C. MILLER not be located. But during an 18-month period, AND KEVIN SACK we obtained 87 accident investigation reports, LOS ANGELES TIMES and their detailed findings about individual acci- dents formed the spine of our reporting. Each envelope we opened seemed to contain n February 2001, Marines Corps Com- Marines had known for years that they were ever more disturbing revelations. Pilots had died mandant James L. Jones proclaimed that flying a plane bedeviled by mechanical failures, because the Marines took nearly a decade to fix the Harrier attack jet, which can take off maintenance mistakes and inadequate funding. a known problem with the Harrier’s wing flaps. and land vertically like a helicopter, was Its frequent groundings deprived pilots of the A colonel lost his life after bailing out because a I‘‘flying unbelievably well.’’ hours needed to master a highly demanding wrongly installed washer had caused an engine By then, the Los Angeles Times already was cockpit. We showed how the Marines moved fire. Another pilot ejected over an Ohio interstate uncovering a different reality: the aircraft had haltingly to fix known deficiencies that took highway after a loose ball bearing shredded his crashed at alarming rates for three decades, aviators’ lives. plane’s engine; it got there after being fired with making it the most dangerous plane flown by Marine generals justified the losses to us as a slingshot by Marine maintenance workers the U.S. military. the price of developing a pioneering aircraft that trying to shoo pigeons from their hangar. By July, when three more Harriers had could give their troops rapid close air support. The investigative file on the 1992 accident gone down, we were digging deep to detail a They said the plane had proven itself in combat. that killed Capt. Jeffrey J. Smith included a staggering array of problems that had caused But we took an independent look at the Harrier’s police report that mentioned Smith’s parents 143 major accidents and the loss of one-third war record and documented that it had rarely had been at the scene of the crash. A phone of the fleet. Forty-five Marines, including performed missions that safer, conventional jets call to his mother in Iowa revealed that she had some of the nation’s finest pilots, had died in couldn’t undertake. been videotaping her son’s fatal takeoff, and the noncombat crashes. Indeed, we found that in 31 years of service story of his life and death became a primary Documents and interviews revealed that the the Harrier’s vaunted ability to take off verti- narrative device for illustrating the Harrier’s

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human toll. the Harrier, Osprey and Marine strike fighter fly. site that includes more than four million grave We also requested transcripts of pilots’ He mined numerous Harrier-related Web sites records; various online databases, including cockpit radio transmissions and, in the case for technical, historical and personal details the Social Security Death Master File, and of the Marine we used to lead the series, we through targeted Google searches. A personal people-finder records on Accurint, AutoTrak received a chilling audio recording of his last Web site of a British turbojet hobbyist helped and Nexis. words as well. elucidate how a loose circlip, or fastener, led to Once the pilots were identified, we sought Through a growing array of well-informed the fatal crash of the series’ lead case. out survivors for interviews and photographs. sources, we discovered that the accidents were Washington investigative editor Deborah We used geographic locations of military bases only part of the Harrier story. It is also the most Nelson, who saw the story’s potential trajectory and flight training centers to find past addresses; vulnerable plane to enemy fire – imperiling early on, marshaled resources on both coasts analyzed Social Security numbers to determine its pilots in war as well as in peacetime. It to launch the project and assure its flight path. hometowns; asked widows for names of sur- is severely hamstrung by the demands of its She engaged the paper’s most senior editors and vivors of other pilots; contacted small-town unique vertical capability. We began to col- assembled top graphics, photo and research col- public libraries for pilot obituaries and next-of- lect data – reports from the Persian Gulf War, leagues into a dynamic team. Her weekly confer- kin, and submitted FOI requests to the National comparative war-fighting abilities of the Har- ence calls kept everyone on track. Archives/Military Personnel Records Center to rier and other tactical planes, a history of the Nelson and Miller traveled to Los Angeles verify hometowns. The Google search engine Harrier’s combat record – to fill out this piece in early 2002 for a of the portrait. brainstorming ses- The publicity conscious Marines were sion with managing often more accommodating than we expected. editor Dean Baquet We went to them early and often to seek data on and photo, graph- everything from the Harrier’s cost per flight hour ics, design, Web to how many times the fleet had been grounded. site and research They granted us access to Harrier bases in Yuma, representatives. Ariz., and Cherry Point, N.C. They provided Out of that meet- Tyrone Turner Los Angeles Times Angeles Los Turner Tyrone us with videos and photos. We, in turn, assured ing came the idea them that, no matter what we ultimately wrote, for a ‘‘memorial their perspective would be included and we wall’’ recounting would be fair and accurate. the stories of the 45 We also tapped the massive Naval Safety Marines lost in non- Center aviation database, which helped identify combat accidents accident causes. Another reporter had initially and the two pilots obtained it for a different set of stories (not killed in war. John O’Brien walks with daughter, Lauren, 4, at their Westchester, Pa., home. O’Brien lost involving the Harrier). We supplemented that This proved parts of his left arm and leg because of a Harrier accident at Camp LeJeune, N.C., in 1993. database with a subsequent FOI request to add particularly chal- updated data. Richard O’Reilly, the Times’ lenging. The Marines did not provide the names pointed to national cemeteries and a memorial editorial director of computer analysis, did of deceased pilots. With the help of a team led page on a high school alumni Web site. extensive analysis of the data. by investigative researcher Janet Lundblad, we With the assistance of Houston-based The information was contained in 96 sepa- compiled the identities through months of pains- researcher Lianne Hart, we ultimately spoke to rate tables with limited sets of key data fields. taking searches of historical records, electronic at least one relative of each of the 47 deceased No single key was common across all tables. databases, news stories and interviews with pilots and obtained photographs as well. The O’Reilly found it was usually necessary to Harrier pilots. memorial wall ran for three open pages on Day carry out a half-dozen or so separate joins to Among the sources Lundblad tapped to Three and was a powerful feature of our Web get all of the desired fields into a single table. complete this elaborate mosaic were a partial site presentation. Once done, the result nearly always included list of accidents from the appendix of a history By the time we completed our reporting, repetitions of a particular incident because one of the Harrier; a reunion list of surviving Harrier we had interviewed scores of Harrier pilots, or more individual factors differed. Therefore pilots; the Naval Safety Center aviation data- mechanics and commanders as well as dozens it was not possible to do a simple count to find base, which included pilots’ initials and birth and of current and former Marine Corps generals, out how often a particular problem appeared. accident dates from 1980 to 1998; the ejection Pentagon officials and military analysts. We Instead, we identified specific problems and seat manufacturer’s Web site; a photo of a plaque traveled to a dozen different states as well as O’Reilly then re-coded and combined data to from a Marine squadron providing full pilot England, where the Harrier was invented and reach an accurate tally. names; searches of military occupational codes is still flown by the British. We developed a O’Reilly, himself a civilian pilot, also pro- through the M-Find in Nexis; military casualty trusted and invaluable cadre of sources, some vided technical assistance for a series of graph- reports; a search of www.militarybrats.com, of whom remained on background, to school ics, including visual depictions of the complex a Web site frequented by children of military two non-Pentagon reporters in the often-arcane process of changing a Harrier engine and of how personnel, and www.findagrave.com, a Web technology, tactics and terminology of military

36 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 37 FEATURES FEATURES aviation and warfare. The committee’s new Republican chairman, Your series exposes everything. Lives could be The stories benefited enormously from the Duncan Hunter, said he would seek funding for saved as a result of your work.’’ intensely focused and highly skilled editing fixes and additional flight hours and announced And Bettye Yount, the mother of pilot Peter of Nelson in Washington and Carroll, Baquet ‘‘a robust set of hearings’’ on military aviation E. Yount, whose death was described in the lead and senior projects editor Roger Smith in Los safety, focusing on the Harrier. of the series, wrote, ‘‘You have researched and Angeles. Two weeks later, Rep. Jerry Lewis, who reported factually. My son would have appre- In the end, given the complexity of the sub- heads the House appropriations subcommittee ciated your article on behalf of all his fellow ject matter, the nature of the findings and the on defense, said he had begun an inquiry into pilots. stakes, we decided to vet the entire series with whether the Harrier, which is scheduled to remain ‘‘He would have wanted to know his death the Marines prior to publication. After reading in service another 13 to 17 years, should be flying meant at the very least that life-saving improve- key sections to Marine officials, we gave them at all. He called the plane’s record ‘‘nothing short ments would be made to the Harrier. He knew the opportunity to object to anything they felt of a disaster.’’ they could be.’’ was inaccurate or unfair, and we incorporated a Rep. John Murtha, the ranking Democrat on handful of changes as a result. We also provided the House defense appropriations subcommittee Alan C. Miller has been a reporter with the Los them with the graphics to fact-check. This pro- and a former Marine, said he was investigat- Angeles Times for 16 years, and a member of cess helped us avoid potential post-publication ing whether the fleet should be retired early or its Washington investigative team since 1994. headaches. whether additional funds were needed. He received the IRE Medal and other national We were especially gratified by the tremen- awards for his work on the 1996 campaign finance Exposed flaws dous response from Harrier pilots and family scandal. Kevin Sack, who lives in Atlanta, joined The impact of the four-part series was almost members of those who died in the aircraft. the Times’ Washington-based investigative team immediate. Two weeks later, on the day the 108th ‘‘Your report was excellent. A flawed aircraft, in April. He previously worked for The New York Congress was sworn in, the House Armed Ser- maintained with a lot of heart by Marines, flown Times, where he wrote the lead story for that vices Committee summoned Marine officials to against great odds by the best men I’ve ever paper’s series “How Race Is Lived in America,” Capitol Hill to respond to the stories. The head known,’’ wrote one Harrier pilot. which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for national of Marine aviation told the committee he would ‘‘You guys got it 100 percent right,’’ wrote reporting. “The Vertical Vision” won a certificate substantially increase flying time for pilots. another. ‘‘Don’t let anyone tell you differently. in this year’s IRE Awards.

Military accidents emergencies and nationwide crashes. Story No. 16121 by Jay Kolls, Tim Jones, Jon Menell and Gary Hill, KSTP-Minneapolis/St. Paul. Military crashes and mechanical problems with public service aircraft • An investigation into the nation’s aerial firefighting program found have been the subject of other investigations by journalists, includ- that many of the program’s aging planes should never have been ing these stories available from the IRE Resource Center www.ire.org/ flying in the first place. The investigation revealed the question- resourcecenter: able safety record of a contractor who had the wings snap off two • A six-part series investigated the causes of crashes among military airtankers in mid-flight. The story revealed that no single registry or aircraft. Thousands of pages of accident agency keeps track of accidents involving reports were reviewed and even more so-called public-service aircraft. Story No. computer records were examined. The 19873 by Scott Sonner, Don Thompson, investigation cited numerous concerns Robert Gehrlee and Ray Locker, The Asso- involving the safety of military person- ciated Press. nel and the release of aviation safety • An investigation into Boeing, the world’s data. Story No. 15844 by Russell Carollo, biggest plane maker, found that the cor-

Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio). The Times Angeles Los Boster Mark poration was accused of hiding flawed IRE Journal carried Carollo’s account of parts on U.S. military choppers, which the how he got the story in the November- government says led to at least one fatal December 2000 issue. crash. Story No. 18493 by Rick Anderson, Camp Pendleton Marines stand quietly in a pouring rain while • A four-month investigation found the families and friends mourn the loss of the 19 Marines killed when Seattle Weekly. engines in many of the Minnesota their MV-22 Osprey crashed while attempting to land at Marana • A investigation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ National Guard helicopters crippled by Airport in Arizona. MV-22 “Osprey” aircraft revealed serious faulty or defective parts. The investigation revealed the U.S. Army mechanical problems that contributed to crashes and the deliber- knew about the problems for years but chose to cut corners on ate falsifying of maintenance records by senior officers. Story No. maintenance and compromise the safety of the engines, putting 18732 by Mike Wallace, Paul Gallagher, Charles Fitzgerald and Robert pilots at risk nationwide. This policy resulted in hundreds of in-flight Zimet, CBS News 60 Minutes.

38 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 39 FEATURES FEATURES

We spent the first month or so just trying to understand the basics. Before we could really dig into the legal end, we had to answer two questions ASBESTOS that were at the root of the entire issue: 1. What is Series tells story behind asbestos? 2. Why is it dangerous? Hardie tackled those issues through interviews product liability problems with local doctors and federal safety officials. We also purchased a reference book on the history of BY PATTI BOND asbestos use. THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION In retrospect, most of the information was available via the Internet, but I think it helped in eorgia-Pacific chief Pete Correll was of covering Georgia-Pacific. the early stages to hear it from our own sources. hopping mad, and that was my first In the weeks leading up to Georgia-Pacific’s The only danger was that we already had begun clue that I was onto something. fourth-quarter earnings release, Wall Street had to stockpile details outside the focus of Georgia- I was gearing up for another quar- developed a sudden fixation on asbestos liability Pacific. Gterly conference call in which Georgia-Pacific – something of which the company had no short- For example, we had assumed that asbestos officials speak with analysts about the company’s age. Georgia-Pacific used asbestos from 1965 to was banned completely. Many of the news articles financial results. Georgia-Pacific, for the record, 1977 to make a compound for hanging wallboard we found initially, including recent stories, had is the world’s biggest tissue maker and a large and finish ceilings, and as a result, it was pulled erroneously said so. We learned, however, that producer of plywood and lumber. into the biggest product liability disaster ever. the EPA tried to phase out asbestos in 1989, but The earnings calls are usually filled with hard- For years, executives had been telling inves- a federal judge overturned the ban on technicali- core commodity talk and the usual ups and downs tors not to worry about asbestos liability because ties. Asbestos is still being used in pipeline wraps, of the building supply business. the company had plenty of insurance. But inves- brake linings and small appliances, for example. But on this particular Thursday in late January tors started to get restless near the end of 2001, We were surprised, and our editors were sur- 2002, there was a drastically different tone. As after a string of asbestos-related bankruptcies and prised, which naturally led to – “Hey, why don’t it turned out, what I heard that morning laid the eye-popping trial verdicts emerged against other we do a story on that?” We reminded ourselves foundation for my first investigative project. defendants. Suddenly Georgia-Pacific, with its that everything had to relate to Georgia-Pacific. Correll, chairman and chief executive of the 63,000 pending asbestos injury claims, was in (We handled the it’s-not-banned facts in an “asbes- Atlanta-based lumber giant, frequently complains the spotlight. tos backgrounder” that ran as a sidebar.) about his bad luck, but this time Correll was more Investors slashed a third off the company’s Once we learned about asbestos-related dis- frazzled than I’d ever heard him in my three years stock price – and there were rumors that Georgia- eases, we answered a key legal question: Why are Pacific might have to join other asbestos defen- lawsuits still flooding the courts? dants fleeing to bankruptcy protection. Asbestos illnesses typically don’t begin to sur- Correll had to do something quickly, so he face until 10 to 50 years after exposure to the toxic tried a tirade. Raising his voice and sprinkling a bit substance, so there has been a continuous wave of of profanity throughout the hour-long conference lawsuits since the use of asbestos hit its heyday in call, Correll lashed out at analysts for “irrational” the construction industry during the 1970s. speculation. The asbestos panic was “absolutely Once we understood the health aspects of absurd,” and furthermore, “grossly overblown.” asbestos, we began to grasp the legal end, which Correll, I remember thinking, doth protest by most accounts is a convoluted mess. In all, too much. more than a half-million injury claims have been filed over asbestos since the 1970s, and experts Jeremy Bales Atlanta Journal Constitution Journal Atlanta Bales Jeremy Convoluted mess say that claims could keep rolling in for the next With the sheer volume of lawsuits, we real- 40 years. ized that I couldn’t tackle the project alone, so Asbestos plaintiffs generally fall into one of veteran project reporter Ann Hardie was brought three camps, depending on the alleged injuries: in to help wade through the litigation and piece those who are dying from mesothelioma, a together what had happened during the 1960s and gruesome cancer that is considered the signature 1970s at Georgia-Pacific. asbestos disease; those who have asbestosis, a From the start, Hardie and I were intrigued progressive scarring of the lungs; and those who with the age-old notion that the decisions from have a pleural thickening, which is when the long ago can sometimes come back to haunt you, membrane covering the lungs thickens due to so we focused on Georgia-Pacific’s past, present asbestos exposure. A residential asbestos containment company worker and future as the overall theme for the project. The Our original plan was to find people from each seals a room for asbestos removal in an Atlanta timeline theme emerged as a natural element for group to illustrate the range of injuries. But find- apartment complex. The plastic keeps asbestos particles from settling on the carpet. organizing and writing the project. ing people who were still alive and willing to talk

38 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 39 FEATURES FEATURES was much harder than I had imagined. I assumed It didn’t take long to realize why the U.S. publicize the settlements when they can. that with the thousands of lawsuits out there, I’d Supreme Court has referred to the backlog of Within that group, we looked for people who have a hard time whittling down the prospects. I cases as an “elephantine mass.” would illustrate the variety of ways you could be was wrong. Hardly any of the suits go to trial because exposed to asbestos. Most claims against Georgia- First, there’s no national database of asbestos defendants don’t want to take chances with Pacific, its attorneys say, come from construction claimants. Most lawsuits are filed in state courts, juries. Asbestos litigation has turned into a busi- workers who breathed dust from asbestos-contain- and there’s no routine, centralized procedure for ness transaction for the most part, with each side ing compounds. Some are the wives of workers asbestos filings in state courts. Some courts have negotiating for the best deal. Almost all of the who brought asbestos home on dusty work special asbestos dockets and some have installed cases settle for confidential amounts. clothes. And some are consumers who claim they electronic filing systems to cut down on the For example, in the nearly 30 years that were sickened by breathing asbestos in products paperwork. But even when we began research- Georgia-Pacific has been dealing with asbestos they used in home remodeling projects. ing the cases electronically through CourtLink, it lawsuits, the company has taken only a dozen The three people we highlighted included a was nearly as cumbersome as thumbing through cases to trial. contractor, the wife of a plasterer and a young the paperwork. Rather than spin our wheels on finding woman who was exposed to asbestos as a child Lawyers typically group more than 100 people with each type of injury, we decided to during a renovation in her home. plaintiffs against dozens of defendants in a single find a few of the most damaging cases against lawsuit. By the time all the motions, discovery and Georgia-Pacific, and those were the people with Childhood exposure other legal documents are piled on, one lawsuit mesothelioma. They’re virtually guaranteed Lisa Pransky, who was exposed to asbestos as could easily fill two shopping carts. multimillion-dollar awards, and lawyers like to a little girl, turned out to be the glue that held the Plan of action making asbestos-laden products? By Patti Bond • What is GP’s liability in relation to other defendants? • Get a breakdown on the 300,000 claims filed to date against GP. Is After that first conference call with Georgia-Pacific’s boss, asbestos there any way to tell how many are worker-related vs. consumers who began nagging at me. Suddenly the standard disclosure about the were exposed? Can I talk to any of them or their families? tens of thousands of pending injury claims in the company’s annual • Find out how asbestos litigation works. How do lawyers round up reports stood out like a red flag: plaintiffs? Why is Georgia-Pacific still getting sued today? Why was Georgia-Pacific still mired in the problems of a product it Once we had all the information we needed, we began putting abandoned 25 years ago? the story together. From the start, our editors envisioned a three-day And why were people are still filing asbestos lawsuits today if the series with the past-present-future theme. We had all the pieces to tell stuff was taken off the market in the late 1970s? a detailed narrative of Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos years. It was fairly clear I imagined the questions gnawing at me would be the same ques- that the past – both for Lisa Pransky and for Georgia-Pacific – could tions that readers would have, too. stand on its own as a separate, strong story. Around the same time, the AJC’s business editor, Mark Braykovich, Georgia-Pacific’s past was a story that had not been told, except in had asked reporters to turn in enterprise ideas for 2002. I proposed the court, and we knew that it was really the anchor of the project – and asbestos story as a big Sunday package for the business section, but the most logical story to kick off the series. (Pransky’s appeal win came Braykovich, a former investigative reporter, immediately spotted the just a couple of months before publication, so that gave us a news peg idea as a good candidate for a full-blown project. and a reason to tell readers why the events of 25 years ago were still Once I realized that I’d need the approval from higher-ups to forgo haunting the company today.) my normal daily beat to work on a “project,” I made sure the proposal With the past nailed down, we moved to the present, which was was as focused as possible. This actually worked to my benefit in a clearly rooted in the courthouse. This was the hardest area to rein in couple of ways. For my editors, I clearly had a plan for attacking an – so much had been written about asbestos litigation that we had a enormous topic like asbestos, and for myself, I had something I could hard time finding our own angle. Project editor Donna Lorenz kept keep going back to, months later, to remind me why I was burying telling us to stick to the business of suing and to tell the story of how myself in stacks of lawsuits and documents. trial lawyers have turned asbestos litigation into an industry of its own. This proposal would be the skeleton that we would put the meat Ann Hardie kept reminding me that every lawyer, every judge, every on – and as it turned out, the initial game plan was pretty close to the court clerk, every lawsuit had to relate back to Georgia-Pacific. finished project we turned in nine months later. Here are a few key The third-day story took a hard look at the uncertain outlook for items from that proposal: investors. We focused on how Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos problems • Find out what Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos problems are. GP bought have handcuffed its leadership and their strategy for growth, how the a company in 1965 that made asbestos products. What exactly did company’s liability has killed business deals to sell its building products they make, and what happened to the plants and workers involved in unit, and how it has significantly scarred the company on Wall Street.

40 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 41 FEATURES FEATURES

first day of the series together. ban the products; them, too. I had first found Pransky back in 1999 when • experimented with, but abandoned, asbestos Most of the feedback I received on the series I saw a story in a legal newspaper out of Mary- replacements because they didn’t work; came from people who wanted to know more land. A jury had awarded her $9 million after • frequently violated federal safety regulations about asbestos. Most either had an asbestos- she convinced them that her cancer was caused inside manufacturing plants. related illness, or knew someone who did. by Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos-containing com- Georgia-Pacific’s chairman ran an op-ed piece pound. She believed she had breathed asbestos Pressure mounts the Sunday after the series ran, saying that we had as an 8-year-old when her father remodeled the By the end of it, Hardie and I had sifted unfairly singled out his company when there were basement. through more than 2,500 documents, some dating so many others involved in asbestos litigation. The At the time, I wrote a routine daily story and back to the 1950s. At times, I worried that daily company also ran a two-page ad that touted its filed the clip away with some other lawsuits newspaper readers would wonder why we’d run place as a large Atlanta-based job provider. against the company, but she stuck in my mind. I front-page stories based on the events of the 1960s About a month after the series ran, Georgia- remember imagining a little girl watching her dad and ‘70s, but I just kept remembering Correll’s Pacific made an announcement that confirmed work. I thought about how her father must have angry conference call. some of our original suspicions: asbestos litigation felt when he found out his remodeling project At the time the series ran in September, was costing the company more than expected. – a recreation room for his daughters – could be more than 314,000 claims had been filed against The company said that settlements and related responsible for Lisa’s cancer. Georgia-Pacific. Company attorneys had resolved costs were running 63 percent more than the Pransky was one of the first people I checked about 250,000 claims, although, as we found out, company had planned to pay in 2002. Insurance on at the start of the project. I called her attorney they could settle claims around the clock and still would cover more than half of the costs, but the in the middle of March to find out what the status not keep up with the lawsuits filed each week. disclosure affirmed investor fears that asbestos of her case was. She had died in 2000, but the case Asbestos liability has bankrupted 60 defen- was taking a higher profile at Georgia-Pacific was still on appeal on behalf of her husband. The dants that once made or used the toxic substance, than in years past. appeals hearing, as luck would have it, was just including at least a dozen since 2000. Every time Company executives blamed the higher costs three weeks away. a company dies off as a viable defendant, the partly on the judgment in the Pransky case. Her award was the largest ever against Geor- pressure mounts on Georgia-Pacific to pick up a gia-Pacific, and it was the only case the company bigger share of the burden. Patti Bond has been covering Georgia-Pacific and has lost on trial. The more I learned about Lisa, Clearly, the current generation of leaders – and Home Depot for five years as a business reporter the more she shaped up to be a perfect thread for investors – was now paying for decisions made for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She recently the project. long ago. And with another several decades of became the paper’s national business reporter, a Her exposure occurred in 1973, the year that litigation in the works, the problems would outlast new beat for the AJC. Georgia-Pacific was grappling with warning labels about asbestos and three years after the company had first recognized that asbestos was becoming a health problem. Luck stepped in again while I was develop- EXTRA! EXTRA! ing her story. The appeals court upheld her award Get inspired by IRE's online guide to investigative during the summer. At that point, we knew we and computer-assisted reporting stories! would build the first-day story of Georgia-Pacif- ic’s past around Pransky’s childhood – it would be the story behind the largest asbestos award Extra! Extra! features summaries of recent in- against the company. Through the trial transcript vestigative pieces and and interviews with Pransky’s husband (an unwill- links to the stories. ing source that I had to work on for two months), I pieced together what happened in the basement of The feature is updated her childhood home, and how her life would later regularly with the latest turn on a five-pound pail of joint compound. work from newspa- pers, broadcast out- Meanwhile, Hardie had the incredibly tedious lets, magazines and job of putting together a 12-year timeline of online newsrooms. Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos use. With the help of discovery documents such as internal memoranda, Search stories by interrogatories and OSHA citations, the story of topic, from health and homeland security and Georgia-Pacific’s struggle with asbestos began to politics to nonprofits. unfold quite dramatically. We found that the company: • told consumers its asbestos products were safe Visit Extra! Extra! at www.ire.org/extraextra even as the federal government was moving to

40 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 41 FEATURES

Books Member News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 won the Walter Cronkite Award for Political huge congregation owned tenement houses in producer at KXTV-Sacramento and manag- Journalism for investigating the activities of deplorable condition. ing editor of The Times in Miami, an experi- the Ohio Speaker of the House and his intimi- Russell heard about Trinity Church long mental news magazine, to KTVK-Phoenix, dation of a candidate running for office. She before he started researching the expose. Rus- where he is the Three-on-Your-Side reporter. also won a regional Murrow Award for con- sell’s father had told him that when the family  Jim Lewers has moved from business editor tinuing coverage for reporting on Cincinnati’s first arrived in the United States, they lived briefly in a ramshackle Trinity tenement. All those years of The Wichita Eagle to managing editor of the Vine Street. In 2001, she produced the hour later, Russell decided to see if anything had Iowa City Press-Citizen.  Doug Most, senior long documentary “Visions of Vine Street.” In changed. Making his way through Manhattan, editor at Boston Magazine, will have his story 2002, she did more than 40 additional stories Russell knocked on doors of properties owned “Dirty Little Secret” published in the second on the issues raised and followed up on the 10 by the church. He found “horrible” living anthology of “Best American Crime Writing,” solutions the original documentary proposed. conditions, especially for the elderly and for chil- which is due out in August.  Lise Olsen, a  Deborah Sherman, investigative reporter dren. He used documents, including a New York Senate investigation of the church’s finances, but veteran investigative reporter with the Seattle with WTVJ-Miami, and Scott Zamost, inves- relied most heavily on first-person observation Post-Intelligencer and founding director of IRE- tigative producer with the station, won the for the three magazine pieces that appeared Mexico, will be joining the investigative team regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature during 1908. He guided readers up the broken of The Houston Chronicle. Olsen, who taught reporting for their report “Judge Julian’s Story.” stairs of a unit on Hudson Street, writing “The investigative and computer-assisted reporting The two also shared the national Clarion award halls are narrow, dark, dirty and smell abomina- bly ... a prolific breeding place for the germs of extensively throughout Latin America and for investigative reporting with Dave Savini tuberculosis.” South America while with IRE, continues to and Michele Youngerman of WMAQ-Chicago help IRE with its international efforts on a vol- for “Selling Innocence,” a joint investigation of Prevalent issues unteer basis.  Steve Patterson, a reporter the child erotica industry.  Mike Sherman is Russell did not stop with using his words at the Post-Tribune in Gary, Ind., won three leaving The (Nashville) Tennessean for a sports to expose rapacious corporations and unsaintly churches. He focused on prison conditions news writing awards in the annual Hoosier editor position at The Daily Oklahoman in Okla- that led to hardened criminals instead of reha- State Press Association Awards. In the largest homa City.  Paula Lavigne Sullivan has left bilitated sinners. His passion for reform never newspaper-circulation category, Patterson The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., to take a ceased. But in his declining years, Russell turned won first place in Non-deadline and Ongoing regional and computer-assisted reporting job away from the daily pressures of newspapering news and also picked up a second place in at The Dallas Morning News. Sullivan will report and magazine writing to become a book author, Ongoing news. The first-place awards were on growth and development issues. Sullivan a form allowing a bit of breathing room. A polymath, Russell wrote about numerous for a year-plus investigation into the Gary had been at the Tacoma paper for four years topics. One of the books, a decidedly non- City Clerk’s office.  Jan Pottker’s book, where she was the CAR coordinator and cov- investigative biography of Theodore Thomas “Janet and Jackie: The Story of A Mother and ered Census and various beats including local and his role in developing the American sym- Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,” government, crime and general assignment. phony orchestra, won Russell the Pulitzer Prize is now available in trade paper. Pottker is a  Cathy Tatom, reporter for The Oklahoma in 1927. Miraldi feels enriched having tackled Rus- freelance writer. This is her seventh book. News Report and reporter-anchor for the sell’s life through biography. “To trace Russell’s  Northwestern University’s Medill Innocence Tulsa Times News Magazine, picked up five life is to brush up against all the great reform Project, founded and directed by journalism SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter Awards for Tele- causes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries professor David Protess, has received the vision Reporting. Her awards included two – Populism, Progressivism, racial integration second Herbert Block Freedom Award. The first-place awards in enterprise and general and Socialism. In the process, it becomes clear that many of the issues that engaged Russell prize is awarded to those who exemplify reporting and three second-place awards are prevalent today ... inflated stock prices, devotion to free speech, compassion for in investigative reporting, government/ corporate profiteering and political influence- the weak and disadvantaged and distrust of political coverage and team coverage.  peddling” among them. unbridled power. Protess and his students Matt Wickenheiser, formerly the news use basic reporting skills to uncover evidence editor of Solid State Technology, a New Steve Weinberg is senior contributing editor exonerating death-row inmates in Illinois. Hampshire-based trade magazine, is now a to The IRE Journal and a former executive director of IRE.  Laure Quinlivan with WCPO-Cincinnati business writer with the Portland Press Herald.

42 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 43 FEATURES IRE SERVICES FOI report INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AND EDITORS, INC. is a grassroots nonprofit organization CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting within the field of journal- would violate the First Amendment. As a wit- ism. IRE was formed in 1975 with the intent of creating a networking tool and a forum in ness for the newspaper, I told the judge that the which journalists from across the country could raise questions and exchange ideas. IRE protective order, as written, would leave the provides educational services to reporters, editors and others interested in investigative public with no way to track compliance with reporting and works to maintain high professional standards. the terms of the proposed settlement. I cited other public interest cases in Oklahoma where Programs and Services: court monitors provided public reports. IRE RESOURCE CENTER – A rich reserve of print and broadcast stories, tipsheets and guides to help you start and complete the best work of your career. This unique library is the starting point of any Valuable tools piece you’re working on. You can search through abstracts of more than 19,000 investigative reporting A proposed protective order submitted by stories through our Web site. the newspaper makes most of the database Contact: Carolyn Edds, [email protected], 573-882-3364 public and requires the city to design it to DATABASE LIBRARY – Administered by IRE and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting. facilitate access to open records. The state’s The library has copies of many government databases, and makes them available to news organizations Open Records Act does not require agencies at or below actual cost. Analysis services are available on these databases, as is help in deciphering to create new records, a loophole some agen- records you obtain yourself. cies have used to deny requests for redacted Contact: Jeff Porter, [email protected], 573-882-1982 versions of computer databases. Reports of the CAMPAIGN FINANCE INFORMATION CENTER – Administered by IRE and the National Institute for auditor and agendas of the dispute resolution Computer-Assisted Reporting. It’s dedicated to helping journalists uncover the campaign money committee also would be public under the trail. State campaign finance data is collected from across the nation, cleaned and made available to newspaper’s proposal. journalists. A search engine allows reporters to track political cash flow across several states in federal Clearly private information, such as and state races. officers’ Social Security numbers and most Contact: Brant Houston, [email protected], 573-882-2042 personnel records, would remain private under the newspaper’s proposal. ON-THE-ROAD TRAINING – As a top promoter of journalism education, IRE offers loads of train- Titus said the World’s proposed protective ing opportunities throughout the year. Possibilities range from national conferences and regional order “will allow us an ample opportunity to workshops to weeklong boot camps and on-site newsroom training. Costs are on a sliding scale and inform the public about what is happening fellowships are available to many of the events. during the course of this consent decree.’’ Contact: Ron Nixon, [email protected], 573-882-2042 “A blanket protective order was in place during the entire term of discovery of the case. Publications Because nearly every document in the case THE IRE JOURNAL – Published six times a year. Contains journalist profiles, how-to stories, reviews, was designated as confidential, we were never investigative ideas and backgrounding tips. The Journal also provides members with the latest news able to track the case.’’ on upcoming events and training opportunities from IRE and NICAR. An attorney for the city protested to the Contact: Len Bruzzese, [email protected], 573-882-2042 judge that designing the database to facilitate UPLINK – Newsletter by IRE and NICAR on computer-assisted reporting. Published six times a year. public access may not be the most cost-effi- Often, Uplink stories are written after reporters have had particular success using data to investigate cient approach for the city. Holmes replied stories. The columns include valuable information on advanced database techniques as well as success that he could save the city a lot of money if it stories written by newly trained CAR reporters. didn’t have to comply with the First Amend- Contact: Jeff Porter, [email protected], 573-884-7711 ment or the Oklahoma Open Records Act. REPORTER.ORG – A collection of Web-based resources for journalists, journalism educators and others. Holmes is expected to rule on the proposed Discounted Web hosting and services such as mailing list management and site development are protective order and the settlement in coming provided to other nonprofit journalism organizations. weeks. The city’s police union has objected Contact: Ted Peterson, [email protected], 573-884-7321 to the settlement and is almost certain to appeal. For information on: If the settlement is approved, the press and ADVERTISING – Pia Christensen, [email protected], 573-884-2175 the public will have valuable tools to track the MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS – John Green, [email protected], 573-882-2772 city’s compliance with it. In the end, greater CONFERENCES AND BOOT CAMPS – Ev Ruch-Graham, [email protected], 573-882-8969 openness by the city, now matter how grudg- LISTSERVS – Ted Peterson, [email protected], 573-884-7321 ingly it was granted, will give the public more confidence in its government. Mailing Address: IRE, 138 Neff Annex, Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO 65211

42 THE IRE JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 43 �������������������������������������

Washington, D.C. Don’t miss: National Press Club, 529 14th St., 13th Floor Panels, Roundtables, JW Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Hands-On CAR Classes, Medill School of Journalism, 1325 G St. NW, Suite 730 Demo Room, Mentoring, Networking, TV Show & Tell, Host Hotel: JW Marriott Membership Meeting, 800-228-9290 or 202-393-2000 Awards Luncheon

Local Hosts: National Press Club The Washington Post U.S. News & World Report

Sponsors: The Gannett Foundation The Poynter Institute International Center for Journalists Medill School of Journalism Missouri School of Journalism USA Today American University Philip L. Graham Fund

REGISTRATION FORM. To register, please complete this form. Visit our Web site regularly at www.ire.org or call 573-882-2042 for the latest details. Please write carefully! This information will be used to make your nametag.

Name: ______To attend this conference, you must be an IRE or National Press Club member through July 1, 2003. IRE memberships are nonrefundable. Employer/Affiliation/School: ______MEMBERSHIP ____ I am a member of IRE or NPC through July 1. Address:______$50 I need to join/renew my U.S. or international Professional Academic Associate or Retiree membership (IRE only). ______$25 I need to join/renew my student membership (IRE only).

City, State:______Zip:______–______REGISTRATION ____ $150 I would like to register for the main conference days as a Professional Academic E-mail (required):______Associate or Retiree member. ____ $100 I would like to register for the main Home Phone: ______Office Phone (required):______conference days as a student. ____ $75 I would like to register for the main To register, mail this form and a check to IRE, 138 Neff Annex, Missouri School of Journalism, conference days as a National Press Club member. Columbia, MO, 65211. To register by credit card, you must have a VISA or MasterCard. We NPC member ID ______cannot accept American Express. You may fax your credit card registration to 573-882-5431 or ____ $25 Late fee for registrations postmarked or faxed after May 3. register online at www.ire.org/training/dc03. CAR DAY (optional) Thursday, June 5 – requires additional fee Cancellations need to be sent via e-mail to [email protected]. There is a $50 processing fee for ____ $50 Professional/Academic/Associate members all cancellations until June 4, 2003. Refunds will not be given for cancellations after June 4. ____ $35 Student members

BLUES BASH Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. Card Number:______Expiration Date:______$15 Advance tickets (specify how many tickets) Tickets at the conference will be $20.

Card Holder Name:______RECEPTION National Press Club – Friday evening (June 6) ____ $10

Card Holder Signature:______TOTAL $______