CONTENTS 17 FOI REPORT THE IRE JOURNAL Federal commission changing access rules TABLE OF CONTENTS to avoid FOIA guidelines JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 By Charles Davis 4 Draconian security act means 18 PARENTS SURRENDER CHILDREN it’s time to dig harder, deeper TO GAIN MENTAL HEALTH AID By Brant Houston By Jeremy Olson Omaha World-Herald 5 NEWS BRIEFS AND MEMBER NEWS 20 – 31 WHAT AILS HOSPITALS 6 CAR CONFERENCE TO FEATURE BEGINNER TRACK BED-TO-BED INFECTIONS By Gina Bramucci Deadly germs spreading The IRE Journal through nation’s hospitals By Michael J. Berens 7 MAPPING PROJECT EXPLORES Chicago Tribune RACIAL DISPARITY IN JURIES By Mark Houser SURGERY, DEATH (Pittsburgh) Tribune-Review RATES Analysis of statistics 8 BOOKS OF 2002 provides local picture Book-length investigations By Charlotte Huff run from personalizing issues Fort Worth Star-Telegram to providing history lessons By Steve Weinberg CHOPPER WARS The IRE Journal Competition for patients becomes 13 BOOKS HELP ADD MATH dangerous game TO REPORTERS’ WRITING SKILLS By Kirk Swauger By Scott R. Maier The (Johnstown) University of Oregon Tribune-Democrat 14 INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS CARE THE INTERVIEWERS Records detail nation’s Dealing with treatment, oversight gaps Sensitive Issues By Joan Mazzolini By Lori Luechtefeld The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer The IRE Journal 32 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ABOUT THE COVER Probe prompts change in way cases prosecuted Heart surgeon Jeffrey Lin performs By Rick Brundrett a triple bypass operation at Plaza The State (Columbia, S.C.) Medical Center of Fort Worth. 34 STATE SLUSH FUND Public money used to fund legislators’ private interests Cover story, pages 20-31 By Michele McNeil Solida The Indianapolis Star Cover photo by Rodger Mallison, Fort Worth Star- 36 DATABASE REPORTING REVEALS Telegram FOOD-HANDLING GONE WRONG Work also shows inspections sometimes not taking place By Fred Vallance-Jones The Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator 2 THE IRE JOURNAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 3 THE IRE JOURNAL FROM THE IRE OFFICES VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & EDITOR Len Bruzzese Draconian security act means MANAGING EDITOR Anita Bruzzese it’s time to dig harder, deeper ART DIRECTOR Wendy Gray y now, you are probably aware of the Homeland Security Act that BRANT HOUSTON SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR threatens to make secret – and keep secret – serious flaws in the Steve Weinberg critical infrastructure of the United States. CONTRIBUTING LEGAL EDITOR BBut it’s well worth reading the act to get the depressing details. Under the act, any agency David Smallman or employee can be prosecuted if they disclose information “related to the security of criti- cal infrastructure or protected systems” that a private company has voluntarily submitted to EDITORIAL INTERNS Gina Bramucci, Lori Luechtefeld the federal government. If convicted, the federal employee can be imprisoned up to a year and fined up to $5,000. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called the provision the “most severe weakening of the Freedom of Information Act in its 36-year history.” Leahy said the provision hurts national IRE security and frustrates enforcement of the laws that protect the public’s health and safety. IRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The provision supersedes any state or local open records laws and exempts the new Depart- Brant Houston ment of Homeland Security from the Federal Advisory Committee Act. That law requires agencies to meet standards of openness and accountability. There is more, but you can check BOARD OF DIRECTORS the entire act at the Library of Congress online site, http://thomas.loc.gov/. (For comments CHAIRMAN on the effect of the act, go to OMBWatch, a private nonprofit at www.ombwatch.org, and to David Dietz, Bloomberg News The Reporter’s Committee on Freedom of the Press at www.rcfp.org.) PRESIDENT Shawn McIntosh, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Lessening accountability This latest law represents a continuing effort by elected officials – both federal and local VICE PRESIDENT – to use concern over “security” to seal off government and business information from the David Boardman, The Seattle Times public and to lessen accountability at a time it’s needed most. TREASURER Long-time journalists Seymour Hersh and Bob Simon recently told a gathering of media Duane Pohlman, WEWS-Cleveland lawyers that they have never been as worried as they are now about officials’ efforts to with- SECRETARY hold and/or control information. Edward DeLaney, Barnes and Thornburg But this only means that we the journalists must dig harder and deeper than ever. A quick perusal of the archives of the IRE Resource Center reveals dozens of recent and Paul Adrian, KDFW-Dallas/Fort Worth important stories on this country’s faulty infrastructure, corporate negligence, and the threats Stephen K. Doig, Arizona State University to public safety. Many stories are based on information and databases removed from the James V. Grimaldi, The Washington Post Web or closed to scrutiny in a panicked, ill-advised reaction to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Andy Hall, Wisconsin State Journal Among those stories are investigations into flawed airport security, unsafe dams, public Chris Heinbaugh, WFAA-Dallas/Fort Worth health threats and exploding gas pipelines. Dianna Hunt, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Nonetheless, we need to continue to pursue stories on safety and security. The latest Stephen C. Miller, The New York Times closing down of information should encourage us to do more reporting – and better report- Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times ing – in the public interest. Mark J. Rochester, The Denver Post Stuart Watson, WCNC-Charlotte Court of last resort With the threat of prosecution always nearby, public employees probably will be less forth- The IRE Journal (ISSN0164-7016) is coming and err on the side of denials of our requests for information. This means we will have published six times a year by Investiga- to cultivate more sources, do more research and cross-reference more documents and databases tive Reporters and Editors, Inc. 138 Neff to develop relevant and important stories. One of the reasons IRE has been co-sponsoring the Annex, Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO 65211, 573-882-2042. Better Watchdog Workshops has been to increase local open records training. E-mail: [email protected]. Subscriptions are Journalists are often called a “court of last resort” when it comes to government or busi- $60 in the U.S., $70 for institutions and those ness accountability. With the newest lockdowns on information, it looks like the court will outside the U.S. Periodical postage paid at Columbia, MO. Postmaster: Please send ad- have to be open longer hours. dress changes to IRE. USPS #4516708 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 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 5 I R E N E W S 2003 Global Conference IRE members win big MEMBER NEWS planned for Copenhagen in annual SEJ awards onny Albarado moves to business The second Global Investigative Journalism IRE members made an impressive showing editor of The Commercial Appeal in Mem- Conference organized by IRE and several Euro- in the Society of Environmental Journalists’ S pean journalism organizations is set for May 1-4 2002 awards, winning five of nine first-place phis, after nearly 11 years as projects editor. in Copenhagen. prizes and several honorable mentions. The Walt Bogdanich has moved to assistant The conference will focus on outstanding winners: editor for The New York Times investigative stories done internationally, the latest jour- • Outstanding feature reporting, print: Scott unit. Bogdanich, who joined The Times as nalistic techniques and the effect of media Streater, Pensacola News Journal, for investigations editor for business stories, convergence on investigative journalism. One “Hidden Hazard: A look at our environment’s of its chief benefits: increasing the ability of has worked on investigations for CBS’s effect on our health.” Streater wrote about the reporters to cross borders in pursuit of the story. “60 Minutes,” ABC News and The Wall investigation in the July-August 2002 issue The event will include reporting panels, hands- of The IRE Journal. Street Journal. Ron Chepesiuk has been on training in computer-assisted reporting and awarded a 10-month Fulbright grant as a • Outstanding deadline reporting, print: Del informal discussion groups. visiting professor at Chittagong University The first conference, held in 2001, drew more Quentin Wilber and a team of reporters at than 300 journalists from 47 countries. The (Baltimore) Sun for coverage of a tunnel in Bangladesh. Chepesiuk, who takes up his Complete details and registration forms fire in downtown Baltimore in July 2001. new post in January, will teach courses in can be found at www.ire.org/training/ • Outstanding series, print: Ralph K.M. feature writing and investigative journalism. globalconference/ Haurwitz and Jeff Nesmith, The Austin Bob Greene, who played an instrumental American-Statesman, for “Pipelines: The Watchdog Workshops role in the founding of IRE, was awarded the invisible danger,” an investigation of a pipe- Society of Professional Journalists’ Lifetime adding sites for 2003 line regulatory system that put lives at danger Achievement Award. Greene, who just retired The Better Watchdog Workshop series, and spent little time enforcing the law. co-sponsored by IRE and the Society for Pro- from Hofstra University and IRE’s endowment • Outstanding program or series, broadcast: fessional Journalists, continues to add new committee, led a team of journalists in the Vince Patton and Terry Renteria, KGW- training sites. Arizona Project, a 1977 series investigating The sessions teach journalists how to do Portland, Ore., for “Oregon’s Changing investigative and enterprise reporting while on Coast,” an in-depth look at causes behind corruption in Arizona.