Customer Reviews

The Investigative Reporter's Handbook: A Guide to Documents, Databases, and Techniques

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This text covers a grab bag of techniques that investigative reporters can use in putting together an investigative piece. It offers practical advice (e.g. don't get absorbed in documents, don't get absorbed with sources, but carefully manage your interviews with sources and use them to guide your documents enquiry) as well as specific advice (e.g. problem banks, insurance companies, politicians, etc).

This book is written for an American market, so when it refers to sources of information, like government offices of a particular stripe, it will be a uniquely American information source. You'll have to work out what equivalent sources you have in your own country.

I purchased this book for a course in investigative journalism at the University of Phoenix brother college Axia for associates degree-seeking students. I am taking a rather advanced class in Communications, which deals with research, and investigations probing social issues like poverty, medical patient abuse, and corruption. This book is essentially a guide to the various tools that are out there to assist in researching, and investigating a wide variety of issues, in fact about all you can think of in the realm of journalistic investigation. This book will teach a student to professionally construct, as well as investigate a variety of issues, and would be a great tool for professional journalists as well as anyone in a career that requires investigation. It is written for journalists, but it appeals to students, and professional journalists specifically. I would say this book has the highest real-life value of any text I have every had in my college career, as humble as it has been of 18 months, yet this is by far the most impressive text I have ran into as reader. I've also been big into non-fiction reading, and I've never encountered such an easy-to-use manual of resources to investigate business, not-for-profit, and industry-specific dealings, along with explanations of the concepts alongside. I would have to rate this as 10/10 on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best.

This publication belongs in the collection of anyone who needs to do background research on people or institutions. It is well layed out and extensive in its coverage. It is a very useful book.

i love this book so much that i am actually going to buy a copy. everyone should own a copy because everyone needs to investigate things. citizen journalism is getting bigger and easier with the internet, blogging, and some mainstream acceptance. with investigative journalism's future up in the air, this book should be made free - as well as all of the IRE resources on their website. some philanthropist or govt agency needs to subsidize this book - it's that important.

The book itself was in excellent shape - new. The book was the recommended text for an online communications class. It is a classic book on investigative reporting and has been around for several editions. This fifth edition includes extensive information on internet Web sites. I particularly liked the end of chapter resource lists. It is, of course, well written; understandable for anyone interested in the subject; and contains information all concerned citizens should find relevant.

My daughter needed this book for her graduate investigative reporting class. She is fortunate enough to have the author as her professor! It is indeed a well written and excellent book. When she is finished, I am going to look forward to reading it. It is a must have book!

I received the book in great condition, and in a timely manner. Very satisfied with this seller.