Stories on Neil Armstrong's death remind us to check out our own heart care...
The recent news that Armstrong’s death in 2012 may have been due to complications from a medical procedure was big news for history buffs, space fans, and investigative reporters. Here's why.
View ArticleCould widespread screening for childhood adversity do more damage than good?
When stories make bold claims about life expectancies chopped by decades or rates of chronic diseases skyrocketing for those with higher scores, they can create heightened anxiety without a real...
View ArticleHow to start tracing the superbugs in our food back to the farms they come from
The latest outbreak of a drug-resistant bacteria in beef and cheese reminds journalists that the development of antibiotic resistance in animals and humans is now a true health hazard. Here's how to...
View ArticleShould you ever share a draft of your story with a source?
It’s exciting to talk about going to jail to protect a source. But it’s much more practical to talk about how you can keep yourself out of court entirely.
View ArticleAre schools putting the brakes on making meals healthier for kids?...
Journalists should find out whether schools near them are making even a meaningful effort to encourage better eating among their students. Here are some ideas to get started.
View ArticleWhat’s being done to clean up the toxic environmental mess festering in your...
There's most likely a Superfund site near you. Here's why all that nasty toxic waste is ripe for sustained investigative reporting, as contributor Bill Heisel explains.
View ArticleWhat do you do when you find a black mark in your source’s past?
Your job when using someone as a source is to make sure you're letting your audience know everything about that source that is relevant to that story.
View ArticleIgnore the conspiracy theories and report on the real causes of jail suicides
I first became interested in jail suicides when I was reporting on the state prison in Montana, where I found that murders were quite uncommon inside the prison — but suicides were not.
View ArticleCan smart reporting reduce the number of kidneys currently going to waste?
Nearly one out of every five kidneys donated in the United States ends up in the trash. At the same time, approximately 5,000 people die every year while waiting for a kidney.
View ArticleReporters have forgotten one of the greatest civil rights advances in the...
Why you should investigate the unequal implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which turns 30 next year.
View ArticleHow to start investigating health and safety problems at meat producers near you
As a reporter, you can do your part by both exposing the problems discovered by regulatory bodies and exposing the big gaps in the regulatory safety net.
View ArticleHow to use your email to challenge and invigorate your own reporting
What stories are you ignoring? What stories might be consuming too much of your bandwidth? Are you spending too much time with one particular source? It's worth scrutinizing your inbox periodically.
View ArticleWhat’s the e-cigarette ingredient to really fear? Nicotine
There’s a rush to ban a dangerous ingredient in e-cigarettes. But people are missing the truly deadly ingredient in these electronic drug-delivery devices.
View ArticleHow to start looking into poor workplace conditions at hospitals near you
When our health care workers suffer poor health because of their jobs, the system is weaker for all of us.
View ArticleLet my wallpaper ordeal be a lesson: Specialize to find those deep stories
We had some wallpaper drama at our house recently. It got me thinking about the value of building a specialized skill set as a health journalist.
View ArticleKeep an open mind when reporting on policies to curb sugary drinks
We are firmly in the season of overeating. That means there is no time like the present to talk about one of the big contributors to our dietary dilemma.
View ArticleNevada is not the only state with dental oversight problems
Ready for a fresh project to kick off the new year? Take a page from a recent investigation by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and start looking into who regulates dentists in your state.
View ArticleWhy people with disabilities deserve better than the ‘checkbox’ approach
“The reality is that, if we’ve hit the standards, we’ve just begun to consider access and inclusion for disabled people in space,” one accessiblity advocate told me.
View ArticleIs the rural hospital system near you succeeding or failing? Check this database
An easily searchable database allows you to see quick visualizations of your hospital system’s most recent financial trends.
View ArticleTime for Hollywood to make disabilities more than just Oscar material
Why do so many able-bodied actors take on roles portraying a person with disabilities?
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