Learn to Break Investigative Stories with a Master

In the early mornings before he set to work on freelance investigations that would bring down cabinet ministers and reveal countless examples of government misbehaviour, Sean Holman, the formidable muckraker and founder of the B.C. online investigative news site Public Eye, was sure to check some key websites in his search for a great story. But we'll get to that in a minute.

Public Eye was in business for eight years, and in that time Holman figures he published 6,000 stories; in-depth coverage backed by meticulous research that many government officials, policy-makers and fellow reporters in B.C. viewed as required reading. But without the financial stability all independent reporting outfits struggle with, the website was suspended last November.

What's B.C.'s loss is Mount Royal University's gain. Holman moved to Calgary this year for a gig as an associate professor of journalism, imparting to budding reporters the tools and technique to dig up and break stories of real political consequence.

Now, Holman's morning routine online is a bit different. As a busy professor, "I don't have time to haunt my usual haunts," he says.

But he says, the time is ripe for strong political reporting in B.C.

"A lot of what is happening right now is the equivalent of covering a twitching corpse, if the polls continue on the way they are," he says. "If indeed the Liberals are going to be kicked out of office and the NDP are going to form the next government, there is, I think, minimal value in paying attention to what the Liberal party is doing right now."

"What I think is of more interest is paying attention to what the NDP are going to do if they actually form government. Will that be any different from what the Liberals did? How will it be different? And who are the winners and losers going to be if and when the NDP do form government? Those are the questions I think that are much more interesting to ask right now."

Want to know more? With his award-winning, politician-toppling record, The Tyee could not imagine a better teacher for our upcoming Master Class: "Finding Stories in Public Documents: Introduction to Investigative Journalism."

In the full-day workshop, Holman will discuss how to find the stories hidden in the records released by public institutions -- from news releases and budget documents to lobbyist registration files and service plans. Participants will also examine the deficiencies in those documents and what can be done to improve the low level of public disclosure in Canada.

It's happening in our newsroom this Saturday, Nov. 10 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. At $195, it includes class materials, lunch, snacks and wine, and the edge you need to start holding power to account.

This is the second time Holman will teach the course; his first Master Class quickly sold out last May. Here's what a few students in that workshop had to say:

"Sean Holman is hilarious and witty and amazingly candid, smart as hell and super inspirational. The list of resources he provided is like a treasure chest -- it is exactly what I wanted from his class."

"I liked the inclusion of ideas from others taking the class. It really inspired me to brainstorm ideas with others who, while looking at the same information, are able to see what you don't... it showed us to think outside the usual stuff taught at other journalism classes I've taken."

"He was so knowledgeable and so well prepared and he had such a good command of the material -- and was so pleasant to all of the students. I also loved the food."

Fewer than 10 seats remain for this Saturday's class, so get yours soon.

Oh, yeah. Those websites Holman checked every morning for scoops? Here they are. When you break a big story, just remember to give Teach Holman a nod.

1) BC Bid: Want to know about the decisions the provincial government is making before they are actually announced? Well, those decisions are sometimes revealed on BC Bid, where the government advertises all of the contract work it has available. That's because the descriptions of that work -- from polling to computer consulting -- often detail why it needs to be done.

2) Lobbyist Registry: Want to know what private interests want from the public sector? You can get an insight into their arm-twisting by checking out the underused lobbyists registry, where government relations professionals are forced to disclose who they are meeting with and why.

3) Board Resourcing and Development Office: Want to know whether the government's friends and insiders are getting patronage appointments? You can find a list of those appointments on the Board Resourcing and Development Office's website. But remember, the bios of those appointees usually exclude mention of their partisan connections.