How to film an interview

The following is a list of tips adapted from a training module shared with this site by journalist and media trainer, Don Ray, on how to enhance the quality of filmed interviews.

It covers the use of lighting, how an interviewee should be positioned, how to avoid distractions, how to calm nerves, and, most importantly, how to make the interviewee feel good.

1: The right conditions

Allow lighting, composition and external noise control to be the most important factors when you select the specific interview location.

2: Get the positioning right

Don’t feel the need or obligation to place the person behind his or her desk. By removing it as a protective barrier and a symbol of power you’ll see the difference in his or her demeanor and attitude.

3: Check the background

As much as possible, avoid shooting situations where there’s a wall or other flat surface within two meters behind the person you’re interviewing. It gives the viewers less of a feeling of confinement – they want to know where the interviewee is.

4: Sitting or standing

There’s no rule that says every person you’re interviewing needs to be sitting in a chair. Ask them to lean or sit partially on a desk or other piece of furniture. It will put them in a more relaxed and casual state of mind.

5: Keep contrast in mind

Take advantage of background colors, shades and light levels to enhance the contrast of the picture. For example, someone with dark skin, hair or clothing may look better if the background is also darker. Too much contrast makes the camera very unhappy.

6: Limit movement

If you have to have the people you’re interviewing sitting in a chair, never allow them to sit in one with wheels that can swivel or that can rock. The person’s nervousness will materialize in telltale movement of the chair.

7: Prevent fiddling

Remove any items from within reach of the person – items that he or she could pick up and fiddle with during an interview. Again, it suggest to the viewer that the person is nervous.

8: Hands free

Don’t allow them to be holding anything in their hands during the interview, such as a pen, their glasses, coffee, or a cigarette (except when there is an overriding reason for it – as in a demonstration or a story about coffee, cigarettes, smoking, etc.).

9 Keep documents out of reach

If they want to have notes, books, files or documents in front of them to which they can refer for information, politely ask them to put them somewhere out of reach and assure them that if they absolutely, positively, no-way-around-it need to refer to the materials, you’ll stop the interview so they can refresh their memories. However, it’s best if you tell them to speak only about what they know.

10: Make best use of available light

If you don’t have portable light, use the main light from a window to light the subject’s face. If you have a portable light, use it to act as a backlight or hair light.

11: Rearrange background items

Don’t be afraid to open or close curtains or blinds, move furniture or remove items from the walls or from flat surfaces to enhance the composition and lighting of the picture.

12: Avoid reflections

If the person is comfortable doing the interview without wearing glasses, consider doing that. It will prevent reflection and glare problems during the interview. No matter how well you plan the picture, the subject of the interview will always shift positions so that the light reflects off the glasses and into the camera lens.

13: Limit distractions

Listen for and try to prevent unwanted noise making its way into the interview. Ask the interviewee to turn off mobile phones, unplug or turn off regular phones, turn off any clocks, fountains, radios, aquarium filter pumps, air conditioners, heaters, or refrigerators. Be aware of pets, birds, activities in adjoining rooms or activities that might take place outside the windows. If there are workers outside with lawn mowers, power tools or other tools that make noise, ask them to take a break during the interview. If children are playing outside, find a way to encourage them to play somewhere else.

14: Place warnings

If you can, put a note on any doors that lead to your interview location. “Shhh. We’re taping an interview. Can you come back later? Thanks!”

15: More than three is a crowd

The optimum number of people for an interview is two: the person you’re interviewing and you. Do not allow anyone else to be in the room or near the outdoor interview.  If any other people must be there, don’t allow them to be in a position where they can make eye contact with your interviewee. You want the viewer to understand that the person on camera is speaking to just one person. If the person you’re interviewing sees other eyes, he or she will politely talk to them also, as if they’re in an auditorium. That’s confusing to the viewer.

16: Create a natural environment

Avoid coaching the person before the interview. The only thing you need to say is that they should not look at the camera – they should be talking to you. Any other coaching or directing will almost always put them in the role of ‘actor’ or ‘performer’ and they’ll feel – and display – even more fear and anxiety. Hone your interviewing skills so that you can elicit complete sentences and complete thoughts.

17: Basic housekeeping

When you have finished your interview, put everything back the way it was and leave the location clean and tidy. Close or open curtains or blinds to return them to their original positions, wipe down any surfaces you might have soiled, pick up any tape wrappers or other debris and return the location to exactly as it was before you invaded with your intrusive equipment.

18: Say thanks

No matter how unhappy you were with the interview – even if you’ve done two or three takes in which your interviewee repeatedly performs poorly – tell the person that he or she did a great job and thank them from your heart. You are thanking them for their time and trouble, not for their performance.

Related training module

Preparing for and carrying out an interview

The post Interviewing for video journalists first appeared on Media Helping Media.

There may be many reasons why someone will agree to open up to a reporter, and some will be beyond their control. It’s worth taking time to try to figure out the motives of the person you want to interview before you start talking to them. It may help you get a better interview.

Why would someone want to talk to a journalist and what might be their motives for doing so? The following tips are offered to try to help investigative journalists understand those they are interviewing.

• She doesn’t really want to, but it’s her job – she has to.
• He believes strongly in his cause.
• She wants to get the facts right – to set the record straight.
• He’s outraged at something or someone.
• She wants to defend someone else.
• His ego is so big he can’t resist the exposure.
• She feels guilty and wants to confess.
• He wants to defend himself against what others are saying or doing.
• She wants to give the impression she’s not guilty.
• He’s deluded – doesn’t have a clue how foolish he’ll look.
• She’s a sociopath and thinks she can con the journalist.
• He has a hidden agenda.
• She’s obedient and believes that journalists have some kind of authority.
• He thinks it’s just the right thing to do.
• She’s getting paid by someone to talk.
• He’s trying to divert the journalist’s attention from something.
• She’s punishing another journalist or news outlet.
• He hopes the exposure will further his career or help his reputation.

What would motivate a person to talk to a journalist?

• He believes that the journalist really cares.
• She believes that the journalist really understands the story.
• He believes that the journalist is likely to agree with his point of view.
• She believes that the journalist will somehow pay her for the interview.
• He’s rewarding the journalist who is more persistent.
• She’s rewarding the journalist who hasn’t pestered her.
• He wants to talk to a journalist of a particular race, sex, religion, alma mater, etc.
• She co-operates with a journalist who isn’t of a particular race, religion, etc.
• He is impressed with the journalist’s patience.
• She believes that the journalist will be more accurate than the others.
• He believes that the journalist is somehow more sympathetic or empathic.
• He believes that the journalist is more experienced.
• She believes that the journalist is more trustworthy.
• The journalist came highly recommended.
• She’s read/seen/heard the journalist’s work and likes his/her work.
• He believes the journalist is naïve and can somehow be hoodwinked.
• She believes the journalist’s publication/program will reach more people.
• He believes that the journalist is just plain nice.
• She likes the anchors on the journalist’s newscast.
• He believes that he might be able to score with the journalist.
• She believes that the journalist might help her get a job as a reporter.
• He believes that the reporter might have information that could be helpful.
• She supports the perceived editorial position of the publication/station/network.

The investigative journalist should look for the telltale signs of certain feelings, emotions or conditions that may play a part in someone’s decision to co-operate – such as gratitude, trust, responsibility, fear, guilt, greed, curiosity, sport, lunacy, sex, ego and/or pleasure.

The post Why would anyone want to talk to a journalist? first appeared on Media Helping Media.

The investigative journalist never takes things at face value. They probe and question in order to get to the truth. Some journalists accept official documents without question; not so the investigative journalist. If you are to uncover the story you need to keep asking questions.

1: Who’s your daddy?

Find out who created the document and why. Somebody had to have a reason to create a form or document. Figure out which person or agency went to the trouble of making a form.

2: When were you born?

Find out the issue date and ask about updates. In most bureaucracies, the form will change to adapt to conditions the makers never anticipated. There are times when earlier versions of the same form asked for different information.

3: What language do you speak?

Make sure you understand the terms. Agencies and departments and ministries love jargon, acronyms and codes. If you don’t understand what everything means, you’re missing out.

4: Where do you live?

You might need to make another visit. If you didn’t get the document from its regular source, it’s important to know where it resides. Sometimes you can meet its family.

5: Who else is in your family?

Find out what other documents may be on file. Government agencies are never content with just one form. When you learn everything about the function of the form, you’ll find others with even more information.

6: Are you married?

Is there another document that is wed to this one? Purchase orders always lead to bills of lading and receipts. When you know to look for the related documents, you will always discover more details and new leads.

7: Why are you here?

Figure out the need for the document at the time of issuing. Usually it came about because of some need – maybe a crisis. Sometimes it’s a law or regulation that required it. Get to the bottom of why someone conceived it.

8: Just what is your job anyway?

Understand its purpose today. As crazy as bureaucrats are, they still wouldn’t make a form or document that has no purpose. When you understand what it’s supposed to accomplish, you will figure out the system – and that’s the key to knowing what’s really going on.

9: What information do you have?

Ask about every piece of information. Make sure you understand what every speck of ink on the document means. This applies to what was on the blank form as well as the information someone filled in.

10: Who told you this stuff?

It had to learn the information from someone. Did someone actually weigh the person getting the driver’s license or did they rely on what the applicant told them? If you don’t know how they came up with the information in a form or document, you leave yourself open to making errors.

11: Who else are you allowed to talk to?

Find out if it’s a public record. The more personal or sensitive a document is, the more restrictions there may be on who is allowed to possess it, read it or process it. Always find out who’s allowed to see it and, even more important, who’s not allowed to see it and why.

12: Did you verify the information?

People can write whatever they want on a form. Forms are, in essence, questionnaires. Find out what systems are in place to ensure that the information is incorrect. If the agency or department is lazy in this situation, it could be an invitation for corruption and misuse.

13: How do I know you’re telling me the truth?

Yes, documents can also lie to you. Think about your own resume. Do you really know how to use those machines and systems you claim you’re efficient at operating? Just because it’s in print doesn’t mean that it’s true. Be suspicious. Verify the information independently.

14: What other secrets are you keeping?

Look for codes and fine print. Too many investigative people look only at what’s filled in on a document, and not what the document is specifically asking for. Some journalists request blank copies of every document or form an agencies uses. Then, they ask for the documents or regulations that explain the encoded information.

15: Who else have you been talking to?

Maybe there’s a log of who’s seen the file. Some documents are so important or sensitive that anyone who looks at it, copies it or checks it out must sign a register of some sort. Get that register.

16: If you don’t know the answer, who might?

See if it leads you somewhere else. So the document provides someone’s date of birth but not the place of birth. Figure out which related document (documents are often members of families) might have the missing information. Maybe even an earlier version of the same one.

17: Are you legal?

Make sure you don’t have a fake or altered document. Never trust someone who introduces you to a document. Interrogate the document and be alert to answers that just don’t sound (or look) right. Sure, you want to believe that someone gave you an official document, but don’t get lazy. Find its twin and look for things that don’t match.

18: How did you get here?

Find out how a document gets from A to B. If you ask the officially recorded death certificate how it got to that file cabinet, you might learn that it spent a month or so being processed somewhere else. Next time, you can look for newer documents while they’re in transit.

19: Are you retired?

Some documents have become obsolete. Bureaucrats love to redo documents. Always check to ensure that the information in one document hasn’t been superseded by a newer version. Sometimes the issue date of the document is at the bottom of the form.

20: What’s your life expectancy?

Check records-retention policy. It’ll happen to you for sure, unless you’re careful. You look at documents in some public office and later decide you want copies. But when you get there, you discover that someone decided to put it in the bin or the shredder. Know how long they’re allowed to exist.

21: Who have you been intimate with?

Find out who has processed or handled it. Signatures, check boxes, initials, rubber stamps and even metadata will give you clues as to who had reason to have contact with the document. Be suspicious of the signatures of top-level officials. They hardly ever sign documents themselves. Find out who really signed or initialed it.

22: Are you really a blonde?

Make sure someone hasn’t altered the document. Many a journalist has lost his or her credibility because they didn’t verify every piece of information in a document. Sometimes the changes are obvious to the eye if you examine it closely enough. Don’t trust them.

23: Do you have any twin brothers or sisters?

There may be copies in other offices. Before computers, people made a fortune selling carbon paper to government agencies. It seems that they want everyone to have a copy of just about every document. If the distribution list isn’t printed on the form, look to the laws, policies or directives to find out where all those copies go.

24: Would you be willing to testify in court?

A certified copy will save court time. When you can get a government official to certify that the copy is true and correct, you’ll prevent a lot of potential problems. If it turns out that something is not correct, the burden falls on the official who certified it.

25: You’re not planning on leaving town, are you?

Put your copies in a safe place. There’s nothing more devastating than to lose the actual evidence you had that proved the corruption. Always scan your documents and keep digital copies in various safe places. There are forces out there who don’t want you to be able to share the evidence you’ve found.

The post How to investigate official documents first appeared on Media Helping Media.

The investigative journalism dossier checklist

Discipline, order and a well thought out plan are essential for successful investigative journalism. It starts with the compilation of a solid dossier, built with meticulous precision and executed with an attention to detail that ensures all key facts are thoroughly tested.

Compiling a good dossier is like constructing a good building – you need well thought out plans, the right tools and supplies, and a strong foundation. All your work must be solidly build with precision. And when you’re done it must be leak-proof.

Consider these 10 simple steps for preparing a thorough piece of investigative journalism:

1: Identify the person

Ensure that you have the correct spelling of the first, middle and last name. Find a date of birth, or at least an age. Use online credit-header services, maintain indices of voter records, drivers’ licenses, employment checks, friends, lovers, relatives, or just ask him or her.

2: Locate the person

Once you nail down the most permanent domicile for the person, you’ll be laying the foundation for later steps. Use telephone directories, city directories, voter records, property records, online credit-header services, interview friends, former neighbours, visit the morgue.

3: See what’s already been written

There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Check your own story archives first. Search online for articles about the person. Then hit every local newspaper site, any Who’s Who that match his or her profession, region or specialty.

4: Check local public records

Whether or not the person is from your local area, do a thorough search at your town or city hall, county clerk’s office and local branches of state and federal offices. Look specifically for business permits, animal licenses, building permits, recorded deeds, trust deeds, conveyances, notices of sale, powers of attorney, liens, local, state and federal tax, bonds, agreements and other documents, property tax records, unsecured property tax records, local vehicle tax records, renters’ tax records, fictitious business (assumed name) filings, birth, marriage and death certificates, consumer affairs licenses, UCC filings, state driving records.

5: Search the courts for lawsuits

Use the online services to search the party indices, but eventually you must try to look at the actual case files at the courthouse. Don’t miss any level of court – small claims, justice, municipal, metropolitan, district, superior, divorce, state, appeals, U.S. District Court, U.S. Tax Court, naturalisation court and most importantly, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

6: Check for criminal activity

Depending upon your own state’s open records laws, you might be able to check with local police and sheriffs, state police, courts, from justice court all the way up to U.S. District Court. Then check with local, county, state and federal jails and prisons – including the probation department and the parole department. This is a good time to plug in any aliases.

7: Look for employment information

Make direct calls to his or her current and past employers. Many times they won’t ask who you are if you simply ask for the personnel department and then matter-of-factly say, “employment verification please.” If they ask who you are, of course tell the truth. Try to get a copy of the company, corporate or government phone directory for his or her work establishment. Ask current or former employers for a copy of his or her resume. Ask your subject for it. Check state corporation and federal SEC records for involvement in corporations. Look for the legal owner of his or her car. Is it his employer’s credit union? The Postal Credit Union, etc.?

8: Verify professional licenses, credentials, degrees and awards

If the person is a physician, dentist or any other type of licensed healthcare worker, you must verify the license. If you’ve asked him or her for their resume, check out every claim. If there’s a Who’s Who listing for the person, check out every claim. Many such directories don’t check. Check high schools and universities for graduation verification. Get copies of theses and dissertations from the Library of Congress. And don’t forget to check out any claims of military service, actual combat, injuries and awards for valor.

9: Check campaign contributions, filings and conflict of interests

Not just for the current office they are holding or the most recent election. Check them out as far back as you can. And don’t forget to see if they or any other potential interviewees contributed to others’ campaigns.

10: Look for family members, friends, victims and enemies

Along the way, don’t forget to talk to people who would know him or her. Don’t overlook current or former neighbours, ex-spouses, former lovers, business associates, school mates, teachers, supervisors, even babysitters.

The post Compiling an investigative journalism dossier first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Seven investigative strategies

The investigative mindset is responsible for solving more information mysteries than probably any other factor. If you haven’t already started writing down your best strategies, now might be a good time to start. I’ve been able to whittle my list down to seven basic concepts which I use whenever I need to solve an information problem.

Think of what has worked well for you in the past and the lessons you picked up from your last investigation. If you didn’t learn a new lesson or a new tool or a new danger signal, you’re not growing.

You should certainly compile your own list. But while you’re doing it, I’m happy to share mine with you.

Feel free to use or reject any of them. If you can improve them, or if you can come up with something that has worked for you and that might work for me, please add a comment using the comment form at the end of this module.

1: Just Doesn’t Look Right (J.D.L.R.)

How often have you looked at something and felt deep inside that it just didn’t look right? You can’t put your finger on it, but let it resonate within your brain for a few seconds. Just doesn’t look right. J.D.L.R.

It seems every investigative reporter has a different name for the phenomena – “What’s wrong with this picture?” “Something fishy is going on here.” “I smell a rat.” Whatever you call it, the important thing is that you first recognize it and, even more importantly, you act on it.

If you’re a good investigator, you won’t sleep until you can figure out what’s out of place. You’ll shake you head each time you look at it.

It’s a lot like the official at the border crossing between two friendly states who, every day, lets the same man on a bicycle pass to the other side.

The man says he has nothing to declare, but the official “feels it in his bones” that the man is up to something. But every time he searches the man, he comes up empty. No drugs, no jewellery, no large sums of money – nothing.

But he could still swear the guy was up to no good. Finally, he described the man to his evening replacement.

“Yeah, I know which guy you’re talking about,” the other official said. “But when he comes back into the country, he’s always on foot.” It was only then that the first official figured it out – the man was smuggling bicycles.

J.D.L.R.s are great for coming up with new story ideas. Why do we never see our mayor on Mondays or Fridays? Could he be taking long weekends at taxpayers’ expense?

Why does every person charged with being a drug dealer get a light sentence in one particular judge’s court? Could the judge be on the take?

Why is there an arson-set fire in every city the prominent arson investigator is visiting while he’s visiting there? Could he be actually setting the fires?

These may seem hard to prove or outrageous in nature, but they would never come to light had some investigator not scratched his or her head and said, “Hmmm. That just doesn’t look right.”

If you’re a good investigator, you won’t sleep until you can figure out what’s out of place.

2: Who would know?

It seems like such a simple concept. Before you go off in search of something, why not consider that someone else might already know the answer?

Personally, I think it’s a genetic thing. I think that after millions of years of evolution, any hunter who couldn’t find a way around the forest ended up starving to death and, as a result, dropping out of the evolutionary process.

It makes sense – if there was only one animal around at the time, the competition would be fierce. The gatherers, however, were probably more likely to share information about forests abundant with fruit trees.

Is it our job to know everything? No, it’s our job to learn stuff quickly and accurately.

So to fight the genes in me that make me want to pretend I already know the answer or that it will come to me through divine telepathy, I always remind myself to ask myself who would know.

Don’t ignore the unexpected source of information

A great example was when I was working as a producer/reporter for an investigative news magazine for a Public Broadcasting Station housed on the campus of Arizona State University.

The advantage of being there was that we could use journalism students as interns and assistance. It was great for them, because they could learn from us.

One evening I sat with an intern who was frustrated because he could find no trace of bird smugglers in Phoenix. I had given him the assignment knowing there was an active underground ring that was bringing parrots across the border from Mexico and avoiding both the customs fees as well as the required quarantine.

There was no one else in the building at the time except a student from Nigeria who was making a few extra bucks by sweeping floors. As my intern sat, discouraged, I listened to him bemoan that there was probably no smuggling going on.

“I asked every pet store owner in Phoenix if they knew about smuggled parrots, but they all said ‘no’ I give up. There’s no way to get to the truth.”

About that time the Nigerian student was sweeping past us. “Excuse me,” I asked politely, “but do you know anything about bird smuggling?”

“Do you mean the parrots they bring across the border in pickup trucks?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Yes, I know about them. My room mate smuggles them.”

It could be just about anyone. They don’t have to be government officials or university professors or anyone special – just people who know more about something than you know.

Keep in mind what you are looking for

It’s pretty simple. What’s the thing you’re searching for? Say it aloud and then ask yourself who would know.

Doing a story about a doctor who seems more like a butcher than a surgeon? You’ll need an expert in his field to put his performance in perspective and help you with the questions you should be asking or the red flags to which you should be alert.

How do you find that expert? Who would know about medicine? Doctors. Any doctors. Call any doctor and ask what the name is of the specialist about which you’re curious.

When you learn that, call one of those specialists in your area and ask where the best university is that teaches physicians that specialty.

Then call that university and ask who the very best, most famous, on-the-cutting-edge specialist is anywhere in the world.

Then call that top expert and ask him or her who in your area is the next best. The expert will surely name a colleague you can trust.

Then call that local expert and buy him or her lunch. Soon, they’ll be your mentor on that particular story. And chances are they’ll know the butcher all too well. People probably regularly call on them to correct the damage done by the butcher.

And don’t forget about friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, running partners and others who would know where someone might have gone.

Someone in hiding isn’t going to tell a lot of people where he is, but his mother probably knows.

The people in his industry probably know. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to help you.

Keep thinking of possible links

The FBI and I were both looking for the same former employee of a multi-national oil company that was suspected of price fixing. I looked for lawsuits against the company and contacted a former employee who was suing the company and only asked for one thing—their old copy of the company directory.

It didn’t take long to find the name of the guy I was looking for in the directory. I called his old number and asked some really innocent questions, such as: “Who might know where Mr. X. Employee is now?”

The person suggested I might look for the man’s brother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He works for the police department there, he told me. I quickly got the guy’s brother on the phone and learned that the man I wanted was in Miami, Florida. His brother even gave me his address.

After that, it wasn’t difficult to get a phone number and call him. He was shocked that I had found him, but happy the FBI wasn’t quite as efficient.

And you might consider deputizing people. You don’t have to be a policeman or sheriff to deputize someone. You simply tell them about the exciting story you’re working on and tell them they could play an important role. Tell them they might see their work on the front page of tomorrow’s paper or on the six o’clock news. You’ll be amazed at how they’ll help you.

A friend of mine was doing a story in the desert community of El Centro, California and was having difficulty getting certain information about a physician who was accused of molesting his female patients.

None of the victims wanted to admit to journalists or government investigators what they had allowed this man to do to them under the guise of authority. Few of the victims were willing to discuss with journalists or police what the man had done to them. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t talk to their friends. Who would know? Beauticians.

My friend went to several of the beauty shops in El Centro and “deputized” the people working there. Soon, they were calling my friend at home and reporting on the gossip they were hearing from customers. Of course, my friend could only use the information as information leads, but it worked nonetheless.

Keep asking yourself the most important question – who would know?

What’s the thing you’re searching for? Say it aloud and then ask yourself who would know.

3: Figure out the system

One of the biggest mistakes young or inexperienced investigators make is that they fail to look at the system in which they’re working. They fail to put the information they’re finding in the context of the system from which they obtained the information.

It’s very easy to make assumptions about how a system works. And it’s very easy to get egg on your face when you draw an incorrect conclusion from information you received from a system you didn’t understand.

Case in point. An investigative reporter was investigating rumors that people close to the President of the United States had played a hand in the death of a woman who had claimed she had incriminating evidence on videotape about one of the cabinet members.

When the reporter requested a copy of the death certificate of the murdered woman, he immediately went about verifying the information on the document. When he got the box that asked for the name of the “informant” he found the name of the dead woman’s best girlfriend. She put down her true address – about 100 miles from the scene of the murder.

Study the words

When he dug deeply into the story, he learned and accurately reported that the informant had not been anywhere near the area where her friend died for a month before the murder and not at all afterwards. Then how was she able to be the informant?

He was 100% accurate in his reporting, but he was wrong in his interpretation. He allowed the reader to conclude that, indeed, government officials had doctored the death certificate to cover up for their own sinister wrongdoing. On the surface, it sounds logical – unless you seek to figure out the system.

Just what does “informant” mean on the death certificate? At first glance it means “the name of the person who informed the authorities that someone had died.” If that were the case, it would, indeed, be quite difficult for the best friend to first discover the body when she was 100 miles away. It would sure appear that someone was lying. And it was the government officials who issued the death certificate.

Sounds like corruption, doesn’t it? But a phone call to the County Recorder or the Coroner would have led the reporter to information he hadn’t considered – that the “informant” is the person who informed authorities of all the personal information about the dead person that they needed to complete the form.

What was her full name? Where was she born? Who are her parents? What is her profession? Address? Date of birth? Get the picture? Imagine how embarrassing it would be to send your readers or viewers down such a path.

There are other reasons for figuring out the system. When you understand everything about the system you can often learn of other places to find more information.

If someone gets a speeding ticket, the state motor vehicle department will release the information they have regarding the citation. But how does that fit into a system?

The person with the citation had to go to a local court to either fight the ticket, pay the fine or both. That means there is probably something on file at the local court that could be helpful to you. Many times you’ll be able to view the actual citation the police officer issued.

Here’s a chance to see exactly where someone was at a precise time on a particular day. Could that be important? Would it help to know there were three other people in the car at the time? That is was raining? That the person was supposed to be wearing glasses?

It’s easy to draw an incorrect conclusion from information you receive

4: Ensure you understand

My rule of thumb is that I will not read beyond any line on a document until I understand it. I make it a point to read not only what’s filled in on a form, but what the form is requesting.

If the form asks for “supporting evidence” but “oral evidence” is typed in instead, does that mean that the applicant simply swore the information was true? Probably not. It had to be someone else giving oral evidence.

Otherwise, why would the form ask for “supporting evidence”? Why go to the trouble of printing up a form that asks for supporting evidence if it would also accept the person’s sworn statement?

It’s more likely that someone else provided the oral evidence on behalf of the applicant. Their word would be the same as a document or other supporting evidence. By figuring out the system, it gives you a clue that here may be someone else with whom you should talk.

But how would you know who it was that provided the oral evidence? There’s probably another document somewhere that would show that—there almost always is. That’s when you need to know the system.

Use logic to try to understand systems

It’s easy to ask someone what the system is, but a good investigator will try to quickly figure out the system by using logic. If you’re looking at the cross-referenced index to civil case files and you discover there’s an asterisk next to some of the alphabetized names in the left column and no asterisk next to any of the names in the right column marked “other party”, what’s going on?

What would make some of the people in the left column different? Could it be that those with the asterisk are the plaintiff while the ones without the asterisk are the defendant? Probably. That would mean that when you identify the role of the person on the left, the person on the right must be the opposite—or other party.

But which one is the plaintiff—the one with the asterisk or the one without? You could go ask the clerk or you could simply look up the name of a case you already know. Were you divorced? You’ll know the answer when you see your own listing. Since you know which of you was the plaintiff and who was the defendant, you’ll be able to tell which uses the asterisk.

Do not read beyond any line of a document unless you understand it.

5: Look for victims and enemies

Victims and enemies are usually more apt to want to talk to you and much less likely to report back to the person you’re investigating that you were poking around. They make great sources.

Granted, they’re angry and hateful and filled with vengeance, but they’re usually happy to spew out their hatred to anyone who will listen. And, of course, the information they offer will almost always be exaggerated – sometimes to the point of being a fairy tale – there will always be nuggets of gold you can take to the bank.

Victims and enemies are not hard to find. Look for former employees or employers, ex-spouses or ex-lovers, people who were on the other side of lawsuits, actual victims of crimes committed, former in-laws, business rivals, the list goes on and on.

If you do a complete enough public records search and a complete enough newspaper and magazine search, you’re likely to find situations where there may be victims and enemies. Talk to associates and ask them who would be a person’s enemy.

Sometimes you can even ask the person you’re investigating. There’s nothing wrong with asking a politician or government official or corporate head this simple question: “What do your critics have to say about this?” Often, they’ll name the critics for you and then tell you why you shouldn’t believe them at all.

Opponents are often willing to help

A great person to help you find victims and enemies of people holding elected office is the campaign manager of the greatest opponent. Many candidates hire “opposition research” specialists—private investigator who dig up every piece dirt imaginable on the opposing candidate. They almost always find information they won’t end up using.

For example, they may find that the opposing candidate had an affair or once used drugs or was once arrested. But if their own candidate also had an affair or once used drugs or was once arrested, the information will remain a secret. While the former opposition research person or the former campaign manager will probably never speak on the record, there’s a great chance they’ll point you to where you can find the information on your own.

Also keep in mind that some of the people closest to the person you’re investigating may, in their own ways, feel victimized.

I was once hired to look at the travel expense accounts of a judge who was so incompetent that defense attorneys would often request a different judge. A state law allowed a defendant to “paper” one judge one time during their trial.

Since this particular judge was the only judge for miles, the presiding judge would have to continually fly in another judge to sit on the trial. That means the incompetent judge would also have to be flown somewhere else to cover for some absentee judge—you can’t just let the bad judge not work. My job was to find out how much money the taxpayers were spending to send this goof-off judge to distant cities.

His clerk was nearly three times his age and had clearly run the courthouse for decades. When I asked her if I could see the judge’s expense accounts she looked at her watch and pointed to a file cabinet.

“Look, it’s almost noon and I’m going to lunch,” she said, matter-of-factly. “The expense accounts are in that file cabinet. The photocopier is over there. You can either come back in an hour or let me lock you in the office while I have lunch.”

Her rare invitation to browse through anything I wanted told me instantly that she was a victim or enemy. After I finished copying everything and she returned, I invited her to dinner so she could tell me all about how incompetent her judge was.

Don’t overlook them—victims and enemies. They can be the cat’s meow!

Some of those closest to the person you’re investigating might be prepared to assist

6: Follow the money

I’m certainly not the first journalist to recommend you follow the dollar, the euro or the pound. As trite as it sounds, you must always remember to follow the money trail.

There’s almost no investigation where their isn’t a distinct and separate money trail.

The murderer had to buy the gun from someone. The minister who ran off with the church funds had to buy a plane ticket from someone and will no doubt spend the money somewhere. The child molester had to have phone bills so he could call his victim. The profits from the drug sale had to be laundered somewhere.

This is where public records can often be helpful. It’s not difficult to find out how much the car he’s driving cost, how much the house he’s living in cost, what the taxes are on that plane he owns.

Maybe he filed for bankruptcy or was sued and his income tax records ended up in the case file as exhibits.

Look for pay offs

Keep in mind that money can come in the form of other things.

A nice piece of property, for example makes a great bribe. Want to pay off a politician for signing legislation favorable to your business? Just give him some land that will one day be valuable.

Of course, you need to put the title in the name of his brother-in-law or his cousin or his attorney—as long as his name isn’t on it. When he’s out of office and the statute of limitations is past, you can then transfer the title directly to him.

And don’t forget the family trust. The name of the trust doesn’t have to be the same as the family surname. John McMillan can call his family trust the Butterfly Family Trust.

It’s not the easiest thing to do, but try to imagine the flow of money and then imagine who might see it, touch it, process it, store it, manage it or spend it.

As trite as it sounds, you must always remember to follow the money trail.

7: Don’t embrace obstacles

Too many young journalists or investigators carry bad habits from school or from home into their new profession.

It was really easy to say “My dog ate my homework” if you didn’t do your work. The computer always seems to crash with all of your investigative notes irrecoverably inside.

There’s always a traffic jam on the freeway when you were supposed be somewhere you didn’t want to be.

Admit to it. You were happy your alarm clock didn’t go off and you had to miss that event you really didn’t want to attend.

We’ve all done it. What I want to alert you to is the time you did it because you were afraid you’d fail at whatever you were doing. If you complete the assignment and fail, they’ll find out you’re not as good as you told them you were.

But if some other independent obstacle appears and prevents you from completing the job, you can never fail. It wasn’t your fault.

This can be a deadly practice – deadly to your career anyway.

It’s up to you to ask yourself if you really want to risk failure. Are the excuses you’re telling yourself something you actually believe? When others do it you recognize it right away. It takes a lot of effort to do it yourself.

“I’d have ridden that bull for 20 seconds,” you might say, “if I hadn’t come down with the flew that morning. Too bad I wasn’t able to ride.” See how this statement can make people think you’re a rodeo king. But if you get on the bull and he immediately stomps you into the ground, the world will know you’re not that good.

There’s no reason you shouldn’t be good at gathering information.

I like to think of finding the answer to the mystery as being like a martial artist putting his hand through a stack of wood. I’m told he visualizes his hand on the other side of the boards and it goes there. If he visualizes the board—the obstacle—it will always hold strong and he’ll have broken knuckles.

Don’t say to yourself, “I wonder if I’ll get the information.” If you say that, you’ll surely not get the information. Rather, say to yourself, “I know I’ll find the information. I’m anxious to see how I do it.”

Happy hunting.

The post The mindset for investigative journalism first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Sources are one of the most valuable resources for a journalist. Without sourced information, the reports produced may end up being padded with rumour and personal opinion. The following is my tip sheet – “The Source Whisperer” – where I set out how I have interviewed suspects or criminals in the course of my investigative journalism in order to unearth valuable information.

20 source scenarios

Or, the importance of not giving up – but please stay safe.

• He gives you videotapes of the crime taking place, confesses on camera and names his accomplices.
• She confesses on camera, names her accomplices and takes you to the scene of the crime.
• He confesses on camera and names his accomplices.
• She confesses on camera and takes you to the scene of the crime.
• He confesses on camera with full face.
• She confesses on camera in silhouette or otherwise disguised.
• He confesses off camera and gives you permission to use the confession.
• She gives you important information about the case, but off camera.
• He goes on camera, full face, but doesn’t confess. He either lies or refuses to answer.
• She goes on camera in silhouette or otherwise disguised, but she lies or refuses to answer.
• He allows you to videotape him walking or working, but doesn’t sit down for an interview.
• She provides you with photographs or video of herself and gives you permission to use them.
• He confirms information unrelated to his actual involvement, i.e. information about others.
• She confirms that, indeed, there’s an investigation, but will not comment on it.
• He will not talk on the record, but draws you a map that leads you to important information.
• She will not talk on the record, but confirms that she is, indeed, the person you’re looking for.
• He will not talk on the record now, but leaves the door open to talk later.
• She will not talk on the record, but will allow you to call again.
• He will not even talk to you, but doesn’t threaten your life.
• She will not even talk to you, except to threaten your life.

The post 20 ways a suspect can help a journalist first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Plotting the geometry of bribery, determining the currency of influence, documenting the paper trail, dealing with threats and retaliation, and knowing the obstacles within are just some of the essential considerations when investigating corruption.

The following are some tips from my work as an investigative journalist. These tips, and others, are used in my media training worldwide.

1: Bottom-up approach

Essential for identifying the results of corruption and the fast-track pathway to the top levels – the evidence is always visible at the street level.

2: Plotting the geometry of bribery and influence

Corruption always involves more than one person or point or a simple line between two entities. Understanding the flow of bribery, influence and extortion requires mapping the triangles, trapezoids, pentagons, etc., of relationships between the parties.

3: Developing and protecting essential sources

They are out there wishing they could find someone to trust with their information. Journalists must learn that the seduction process involves creating maximum trust, a fertile environment of factual verification and an understanding of the intrinsic rewards that sources require.

4: Determining the currency of the influence

The more sophisticated the laws and enforcement, the more sophisticated are the vehicles of bribery. It’s rarely only money that changes hands. Journalists must learn to follow the trails of property, promotion, protection, privilege, payola and employment (of even distant family members).

5: Documenting the paper trail

Public records are essential, but alone they rarely map the complete picture. They’re an essential beginning. They can provide subtle, telltale indications of the other documents or the people who can fill in the blanks.

6: Obstacles from within

Journalists in every country will encounter a certain amount of resistance from within their own media outlet. Unfortunately, many owners and managers of newspapers and radio/television stations and networks are either on the fringes of organized crime and corruption or they are card-carrying players. These situations require great awareness and delicate planning.

7: Getting it on the record

More than any other area of reporting, corruption investigations require unending verification and cross-checking. Reporters are easy targets of officials and operatives who are bent on using, manipulating or discrediting reporters.

8: Teaming up with trusted allies

There are countless ways of tapping into existing investigations and teaming up with groups or individuals who have already gathered valuable information. The internet provides reporters with a worldwide network of experts and potential allies. Plus, there are local organizations who are already investigating the people and organizations you’ll encounter.

9: Dealing with threats and retaliation

This is not a line of work for everyone. Journalists must always be aware of how vulnerable they and their family members are. It’s essential to know how to respond quickly and directly to threats – without throwing in the towel or immediately going into deep hiding.

10: Making the story relevant to the readers and viewers

Reporters tend to want to write about the elite, for the elite. The stories must, of course, zero in on the players at the top, but they must address the victims and accomplices at every level. In the end, the stories must be about people and they must paint pictures of the visible results of this often invisible force.

The post 10 tips for investigating corruption first appeared on Media Helping Media.