Watchdog Journalism

Here are stories that grab attention

Dayton Daily News Assistant Managing Editor John Erickson presented a session to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff that focused on watchdog journalism and how to write stories that get readers’ attention.

Erickson distributed a list of watchdog stories that can be done in any community, big or small. Here is a sampler of those story ideas.

• Non-profits.
  Non-profits aren’t supposed to be about money, but some of their executives are paid like corporate CEOs. Compile a list of the top wage-earners among non-profit corporations and rank them.
• School superintendent salaries.
  How much do superintendents make? Who gets a car allowance? What other perks do they get?
• City credit cards.
  We found a city manager who was using a city credit card to charge meals, drinks and who knows what else at an area strip club. To top it off, he claimed he was dining with a host of prominent local officials. Find out who uses the city credit cards and ask for their expense forms.
• State fair finances.
  Many state fairs are economic losers, but Georgia isn’t one of them, according to a recent story in the New York Times. Do a “fair by the numbers” and count more than the number of food items on a stick.
• DNA.
  Every state has a DNA database that compares known offender profiles with the available forensic evidence. It’s been used to both convict and free suspects. Examine how it’s been used in your state and who’s gotten off.
• Unpaid parking fines.
  With cities everywhere strapped for cash you’d think this would be a ready source of revenue. But the Dallas Morning News last year found the city hadn’t collected something like $40 million in unpaid parking fines. Find out who isn’t paying the fines and what the city is doing about it. In Dallas’ case, two businesses owed more than $100,000.
• Campus crime.
  Another one of those can’t-miss ones. Crime rates are dropping almost everywhere. What about on college campuses in your area?
• Executive pay.
  Type in www.sec.gov. Each March companies have to file their 10Ks from the previous
  year. Be sure to include all stock options, deferred compensation and bonuses. For example, the president of Key Bank in our town received a salary of $950,000, but a total compensation package of nearly $5 million.