Investigations: Army Neglect Blamed for Soldier Suicides

The suicide rate in the U.S. Army has skyrocketed, thanks in part to official neglect, says a Salon.com investigation. Four years after Salon uncovered medical neglect at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center - sparking a national scandal - Salon finds army health care still failing soldiers. Many of the suicides were preventable, it says.

TAGS: investigations, military

In the Courts: Appeal in Confidential Informant Case

Case law about the protection of confidential sources continues to evolve in Canada. One of the latest cases went to appeal last month. It involves a Hamilton Spectator reporter, Ken Peters, who was fined $31,600 for refusing to reveal the identity of a source, says this item from the Canadian Association of Journalists, which is intervening in the case.

TAGS: legal

The Biz: Can Investigative Reporting Save the Media?

What hope is there for investigative journalism amid the news of media layoffs and cuts to editorial budgets? Actually, lots, says Phil Williams, board member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. In this piece on the IRE blog, Williams, chief investigative reporter at the CBS affiliate in Nashville, Tenn., says some smart media managers are actually beefing up investigative reporting during the tough times because it's a proven way to get more viewers and readers. The item also talks about how reporters can deliver this message to their higher-ups.

These issues will get a good airing at the IRE annual conference in Baltimore June 11 to 14, which Williams plugs. And a plug from me: the Canadian Centre for Investigative Reporting (of which yours truly is v-p) is working on a panel discussion/fundraisier on this very issue in Toronto in the coming months. Stay tuned.

TAGS: future of journalism, Canadian Centre for Investigative Reporting, the biz