business journalists as investigators | raquel rutledge
DESCRIPTION
Raquel Rutledge, an investigative reporter from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, welcomed the 2014 Reynolds Week fellows with a discussion on finding and working great investigative stories. Rutledge won the silver award in 2011's Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Journalism. “A Case of Shattered Trust” by Raquel Rutledge and Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel received the silver award of $2,000. The series revealed how a firm with a decade of serious regulatory violations of sanitary conditions was allowed to operate while the Food and Drug Administration did nothing. As a result of the stories, the FDA revealed the name of the bacterium that it found in the manufacturer’s contaminated alcohol wipes. Following a permanent federal injunction against the firm, the product is no longer manufactured.TRANSCRIPT
Business Journalists as Investigators
Raquel Rutledge
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Reynolds Business Journalism Week
Jan. 2, 2014
Where to look?
• Tips from sources, beats, obscure pubs
Where to look?
• Tips from sources, beats, obscure pubs • Make it easy for readers and
whistleblowers to send in leads
Where to look?
• Tips from sources, beats, obscure pubs • Make it easy for readers and
whistleblowers to send in leads • Play off breaking news events
When to bite
• Assess scope of problem - How many might be affected?
When to bite
• Assess scope of problem - How many might be affected? • Is there a local angle? Broader potential?
When to bite
• Assess scope of problem - How many might be affected? • Is there a local angle? Broader potential? • What data are available?
When to bite
• Assess scope of problem - How many might be affected? • Is there a local angle? Broader potential? • What data are available? • Outrage factor. Do any of the facts make
your jaw drop? Is it surprising?
When to bite
• Assess scope of problem - How many might be affected? • Is there a local angle? Broader potential? • What data are available? • Outrage factor. Do any of the facts make
your jaw drop? Is it surprising? • Can you prove it with documents and
people on the record?
“Shattered Trust”
2011 Barlett & Steele Awards video
“Shattered Trust”
• Started with small story about lawsuit involving a company near Milwaukee
“Shattered Trust”
• Started with small story about lawsuit involving a company near Milwaukee
• Had many insiders telling of filthy conditions. Caution: employees sometimes carry baggage
“Shattered Trust”
• Started with small story about lawsuit involving a company near Milwaukee
• Had many insiders telling of filthy conditions. Caution: employees sometimes carry baggage
• Accountability angle with FDA. Got decade worth of inspection data. Used names
“Shattered Trust”
• Started with small story about lawsuit involving a company near Milwaukee
• Had many insiders telling of filthy conditions. Caution: employees sometimes carry baggage.
• Accountability angle with FDA. Got decade's worth of inspection data. Used names
• Married investigative with narrative
Cashing in on Kids: The story behind the story