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Yesterday, I attended an awesome all day class, "Watchdog Journalism," at the Rocky Mountain PBS (Channel 6) in Denver, Colorado. It was sponsored by Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network and conducted by Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE), a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. The cost was $50 and included a one year IRE membership, but a New America Media (NAM) deal with IRE waved my class fee entirely. The lineup of speakers was quite impressive; interesting attendees, too.

Among the speakers was Steven Zansberg, a partner at Levine, Sullivan, Koch & Schulz, L.L.P., whose personal acquaintance I have been seeking since I first learned of him almost 2 years ago. Over the years, Steven has represented media in many high profile and precedent setting cases, including Oklahoma City bombing and Columbine High School shooting. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Zansberg produced documentaries in San Francisco, California.

This year's Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Raquel Rutledge, was another gem. Her reporting of widespread fraud in Wisconsin's child-care subsidy program was first-class. Multiple child households receiving aid through the program could live quite well and get paid to do nothing other than to watch their own kids. Raquel's reporting led to multiple raids and many closure of fraudulent day care operations, as well as changes in the law. However, some of the questionable schemes remain legal to this day!

Other speakers were no less experienced, informative and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and recommend it highly to any writer interested in improving their research and investigative writing skills.