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Glad you asked! That box on the lower left border side of the page is a new way to keep up with FIRE. Type in your e-mail, hit subscribe, and we'll do the rest! You'll get occasional updates from us about new workshops and other services. We won't barrage you with e-mails or distribute your e-mail address. Please sign up today so we can help you stay informed.

Link of the Week: Dec. 10 - 16
Campaign Finance Reform
Last week, we fielded some questions on this subject, and realized that there are a few sites on this topic which are very worthy of being "Link of the Week." There's Common Cause, "a nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen's lobbying organization promoting open, honest and accountable government." They post studies on campaign finance reform and have helpful citizen resources. OpenSecrets.org is the website of The Center for Responsive Politics and features "money in politics data." The Campaign Finance Information Center, operated by Investigative Reporting and Editing, Inc., helps reporters 'follow the money' by comparing campaign contibutions with federal contracts awarded by politicians.

Apply for IRE Reporting Awards: The contest "recognizes the best investigative reporting in print, broadcast and online media, and helps identify techniques and resources used by entrants." This is the annual contest of the Investigative Reporting and Editing, Inc. (IRE). For entry forms and additional information, visit the contest page at IRE's site.

2003 CAR Conference in NC: IRE has also announced that the Annual Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference will be held on March 14-16, 2003 in Charlotte, N.C. The event features panels by the best in the business on every beat and topic including Census, crime, education, local and state government, freedom of information and transportation. Hands-on classes will be offered featuring spreadsheets, database managers, mapping, statistics and the latest in cutting-edge technology. IRE sponsors the event along with the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR). This year's event is hosted by The Charlotte Observer and NBC News. See IRE's site for more details and registration information.

Help Put a Local Paper on the Web!: If you have some spare time to give to a good cause, we could use your help! Please visit our new volunteer opportunities page.

Tell Us What You Think
Are you enjoying our "link of the week" and "article spotlight" features? Please let us know.

"Nonprofits Online"
Information is posted regarding this free workshop. At least one more workshop will be scheduled, so please contact us to get on our mailing list (regular and/or e-mail) or waiting list. You can also take a tour of our workshop page.

Welcome to FIRE, a non-profit organization which provides community media resources to the Appalachian region. You can use the search box on this page to search our online archive of media outlets throughout the area. If you are a local journalist (or want to be), visit the "Resources for Journalists" section. You'll find resources that will improve your community reporting skills and will enable area residents to easily locate your published articles online.

FIRE's purpose is to promote citizen participation and community-based media. Please contact us if you would like to participate in our programs or if you have any feedback that will improve this Web site.