Uncovering hidden reports and untold stories
A practical guide to comparing local complaint databases: where records live, how to standardize them, and how to surface repeat problems, delayed responses, and quiet trends without overclaiming.
A tip is not a story. Here is the practical path from an anonymous message to a documented investigation: timelines, verification, source care and...
Summer's slower agency rhythms make records requests faster to process and cheaper to scope — the right window to build the investigations you'll...
A practical beginner's guide to protecting sensitive sources: assessing risk, choosing channels, setting boundaries, and staying calm when something goes wrong.
A field guide to reading nonprofit tax filings: where governance answers hide, how to trace related-party money, and which oddities deserve a...
A practical records-request checklist for local elections: campaign finance filings, ballot paperwork, vendor contracts, and spending records to...
Corporate records rarely lie outright — they simply leave things out. Seven recurring mistakes, from registry blind spots to premature conclusions, that quietly undermine otherwise solid investigations.
Public records requests and court filings reach different material at different speeds. Here is how to choose the right route, and when to run...
A beginner's guide to verifying viral video: preserve the original, read visual clues, geolocate the scene, timestamp the footage, and corroborate...
A practical 20-question checklist for journalists to run through before promising a whistleblower confidentiality — covering safety, motive, evidence, and informed consent.
