Salt Lake reporter reveals tips on investigating
Investigative journalism is nothing to be intimidated by, and simply begins with curiosity, said Nate Carlisle, a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune.
Addressing potential journalists and others who attended his speech Monday, Carlisle gave advice on investigating and said it is possible for any journalist willing to attempt it.
“You don’t have to be some sort of standalone investigative journalist to pull out a fast investigation,” he said. “I didn’t wake up one day and say ‘I’m going to be an investigative reporter, but I woke up one day and said ‘I’m going to be a reporter.'”
Carlisle, whose interest in writing began at an early age, earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri before writing crime stories for the Tribune, which he has done since 2005. Investigative journalism seemed natural to him, he said, and it provided him with a way to help others by digging deeper.
“It’s where the system – any system – can get problems exposed and solved,” he said.
Carlisle encouraged audience members to ask questions by handing out pre-addressed letters and inviting them to send the letters to various campus organizations to see what they’ve been doing as of late.
“The first secret of investigative reporting,” he said, “is to be curious.”
He gave an example of one of his more recent investigative stories involving two individuals who were charged $5,671.42 in parking fees.
“Sometimes investigative journalism is simply finding the two dummies who racked up $6,000 in parking tickets,” he said.
Finding them, he added, was the most difficult part.
“I give this example to make you not feel so intimidated at investigative journalism. You might say, ‘It’s a lot of work, I’m never going to have time.’ That’s not true,” he said.
Investigative journalism is a daily routine, he said, and it’s best to save a specific time of day to work on a specific project; 20-15 minutes a day spent calling and researching is a good place to start.
At times, he said, he’d have information withheld from him.
“You do get record requests denied, you do get people who don’t want to talk to you, and it’s hard to get around that, but it can be done,” he said. The best way to get the information, he added, is to be persistent.
“Think, ‘Who else has this data? … think about what other reporters aren’t doing and go deeper than them.”
When the Logan canal broke in 2009, Carlisle looked into the history to learn how it could have happened. Within 20 hours, he said, they had their story. After searching USU’s library, he unearthed many dissertations on the canal, and there were warnings in some regarding poor maintenance and leaks. He then tracked down farmers who told him they had been worried about the canal for years. This sort of journalism, he said, allows us to not only know what happened, but why and how it will affect us.
Carlisle encouraged potential journalists to read and watch all the journalism they could and absorb it. He also added that journalists of the 21st century need to be knowledgeable in multi-media, including audio-visual, shooting videos, editing videos, html and websites.
One helpful resource, he said, is the Association for Investigative Reporters and Editors. For $25 a year, students can access training, tip sheets that provide information about certain story topics, angles to pursue and tips on how to pursue them.
There is also an opportunity for students to take advantage of scholarship and fellowship opportunities through the IRE’s site, which allow students to travel to receive free training on investigative journalism.
“Listing the IRE on a resume puts you ahead of 99 percent of other students competing for jobs,” he said. He also added that employers look for off-campus writing and editing experiences and that students should look for those opportunities.
Ted Pease, JCOM department head, said the goal of the department is to bring as many professionals as possible to campus. He explained that the university doesn’t provide enough tools that teach students how to dig deeper into stories and look for information not immediately obvious.
Of Carlisle, he said, “Here’s someone working in the business who uses a variety of investigative techniques. He’d be the first to tell you this is basic journalism.”
“So much of ‘investigative journalism’ is just asking the question,” Pease said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
– ariwrees@gmail.com