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Subscribe to RSSThe news reporters at msnbc.com and NBC News want to hear your story ideas, and today brings a good example of how we try to follow up on the best of those.
Bob Sullivan, ace consumer reporter, has a report today on U.S. taxpayers who are having to wait for their income tax refunds because of a snafu at the IRS. Promise after promise by the IRS has turned out not to be trustworthy. You can read Bob's story here on his Red Tape Chronicles blog at msnbc.com.
That idea came in from a reader who filled out our brief story-suggestion form — and gave us enough information to pursue the story.
Often that's the key: detail and documentation.
A news story idea isn't a rant: The bankers are evil. Well, what exactly are we supposed to do with that? At msnbc.com, the new website, we're in the reporting business, not the commentary business.
A story idea is an intersection of newsworthiness and opportunity: This particular banker who sits on the Federal Reserve board is doing X, Y and Z, and here are the documents to prove it.
Newsworthiness can be in the eye of the beholder, but a story needs to have a mix of significance and interest to rise to the top of our to-do list.
Opportunity means there is enough specific information to allow us a chance to actually go get the story.
Many other good ideas have come in from readers. Some have hit our webpages already (the whiistleblowing witch grounded by the TSA) and others are in the works.
We can never get to them all. But we're working on the best of them, and the very best come with details, phone numbers and documents.
What sort of ideas do we want? We're about investigative reporting on topics that matter: corruption or conflicts of interest, broken systems and lax enforcement, abuses by institutions and individuals with power. Holding accountable those who possess power in the world, whether that's national government, state or local government, nonprofits, or the press itself.
Here's how to reach us:
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i would love to see dateline and the hansen files do a hidden camera thing pertaining to the widespread reverse discrimination in employment towards men primarily over the age of 35 years old in jackson county michigan,by temporary employment agencies and others such as manpower,employment plus,addecco ,how they manipulate and control who gets hired-the lies,and deceat--i have been investigating this myself for over two years--would love some help to bring it to light or state labor agencies etc--thank you
I would greatly appreciate if you put a story on a about Vermont getting its new Healthcare law status. The U.S. deserves to know who else is getting a new healthcare law besides Massachussetts and whether its a better deal than the Healthcare law inacted by the Obama administration. The proof was on Foxnews and I believe CNN also showed this article.
I am a Viet Nam Veteran who has just lost his job at the Veterans Hospital in San Francisco because I stood up for the rights of myself and my fellow employees. My ex-fellow employees work within an environment of fear and intimidation and are forced to stand by and watch as other emplyees get singled out, publicly humiliated, plotted against by multiple department chiefs for removal from federal service and discriminated against. My personal ordeal lasted for two years and just now culminated in my removal from federal service. The event in question left little doubt in many peoples minds that what took place was targeted, planned, rehearsed and carried out in a precise set of events that maximized the final outcome. The same incident that caused me to get fired involved workplace violence and two people were sent to the ER for cuts, bruises, and contusions. The person who enacted the violence was back to work the next day and even though he has done it again just two months ago, he continues to work there with nothing more than a letter of reprimand. This is a disgrace and a slap in the face to every veteran and it cannot go unchallenged. Unfortunately, I cannot afford a lawyer because of the time I have remained away from my job due to the fact that I remain in fear of the perpetrator of the violence and the management who not only endorce it, but use it to keep their ranks the way they want them. I need help getting this story out because we have a new wave of Veterans coming home and believe me, we don't want them going through this... do we? They deserve better... Hell, I deserve better. Think of my poor new wife who came over here just two weeks after this whole thing started!!! I'm pissed!!
I was shocked to learn that Mexican borders were used by Asians and Middle Easterners as an entrance into America. We definitely need to know what the trail is that leads to 3100 miles of easily traversed border, how many Eurasians have already been caught and expelled as well as some indication of how many have made it in. If Mexico is the gateway for terrorists, then America should know about it. I am shocked that this has not been looked into before. I have grave doubts that the Xrayed truck in the article last week was the first instance of Eastern illegals.
I have letters stating my son can not go to some of his classes and he can only use the nurse's restroom in him former Delaware elementary public school. This was the result of us telling the school district for two years that he and other white students were being threatened daily and assaulted. I also have letters from politicians and the attorney general's office stating "Sorry, there is nothing I can do". Is this the equal education MLK wanted and is this what happens when you report bullying? I believe if we were african american even the white house would be all over this. I believe only when white kids kill themselves or others does the press want to get involved and then the politicians can't wait to get in front of the cameras.