Resources for Tip Sheets

Investigating Guns with CIR's Shoshana Walter

July 7, 2015 by Shoshana Walter

Homicide & Mass Shooting

Know the laws. Don't take their word for it. Understand that the worst offenders can fall outside of existing regulations.

Investigating Guns with the Indianapolis Star's Tim Evans

July 7, 2015 by Tim Evans

Homicide & Mass Shooting

Make sure your facts and assertions are bulletproof. Look for subjects and issues that no one, not even the most ardent gun-rights activists, can dispute. Make your story about people.

Covering Trauma: Impact on Journalists

July 1, 2015 by River Smith, Elana Newman, Susan Drevo, Autumn Slaughter

An overview of current research on the occupational hazards for journalists covering traumatic events, the risk factors that aggravate those effects, and some suggestions for mitigating those factors. Originally published by River Smith and Elana Newman in January, 2009; Updated by Susan Drevo in May, 2016, and by Autumn Slaughter in March, 2019.

Interviewing People with Autism

September 10, 2014 by Nancy Crown

Clinical psychologist Nancy Crown offers background and practical tips for interviewing subjects with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Working with Traumatic Imagery

August 12, 2014

Photographs and video of horrifying, violent acts may provide essential documentation of human tragedy. But however compelling its news value, traumatic imagery needs to be handled with care, as it can place the wellbeing of those who work with it at risk. Click for Arabic, French and Spanish translations.

Reinvestigating Rape: Tips

August 7, 2014 by Rachel Dissell

Sexual Violence

In this tip sheet, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter and 2008 Dart Award Winner Rachel Dissell offers advice for reporters on understanding forensic testing, crime laws, and how sexual violence can impact survivors and their communities. For the full report, click here. And click here for the Plain Dealer's Reinvestigating Rape project, reported by Dissell and her her colleague Leila Atassi.