Deck 2: Finding the Story

Question 1

Ideas for investigative stories are all around us and are easy to spot.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Investigative reporter Morton Mintz broke the thalidomide scandal after reading the fine print on a bottle of medication.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Government officials and corporations sometimes try to bury important information by making it sound dull.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

You can get ideas for good investigative stories by reading long, boring reports.

Question 5

You have to look for investigative stories because you don't want to do one that has already been done.

Question 6

Which of the following is a reason a problem is worth investigating

A) It is timely.
B) It angers people.
C) It affects you personally.
D) It is controversial.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of how you can find an investigative idea simply by being observant?

A) You receive a stack of documents in the mail, and when you read through them you realize that a government official is taking bribes.
B) You get a press release that tells you about a government inquiry into how your college spends money.
C) A friend who works for a local politician tells you about someone who is on the take.
D) You notice that professors who have tenure seem to cancel classes more often than the newer professors.

Question 8

Why are news briefs great places to find investigative ideas?

A) They quickly tell you just about everything you need to know about an issue.
B) They tend to be about topics relevant to your readers.
C) They raise more questions than they answer.
D) They often touch on controversial subjects.

Question 9

When can a daily story suggest a widespread problem?

A) If it gets widespread coverage on television and radio
B) If you realize what is being reported might not be a one-time occurrence
C) If multiple government agencies respond to the problem
D) If you realize that the problem is widely known.

Question 10

You can be confident that you have hit on a good idea for an investigative project if __________.

A) People are hurt by the problem
B) No one else but you knows about the problem
C) A problem is complicated
D) People don't want to talk about the problem

Question 11

How can unrelated events form the basis for an investigative project?

Question 12

Annie Lang theorized that we process, analyze and keep only information that meets our personal goals or that is new and different. How can that apply to investigative reporting?

Question 13

How is a tip different from gossip? And how can either be useful for investigative reporting?

Question 14

What kind of investigation might you do in a university cafeteria?

Question 15

You don't just stumble onto investigative stories. So how might you find a story as you go about your daily routine?

Question 16

What might you find when you read the fine print in documents and reports?

Question 17

Why can replicating an investigation someone else has done be a valid investigative project?

Question 18

Name an example of an investigation that can be done in just about any college campus.

Question 19

Why might a problem be worth investigating even if it no longer causes any harm?

Question 20

What does it mean when a reporter reads a story that makes her raise her eyebrows?