Investigating Government Contractors was originally held April 22, 2014. Contractors have literally become a fourth branch of government. Name a government function, and it’s a good bet that it’s being carried out by a contractor, including national security, as we’ve seen with NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Some contractors, such as Lockheed Martin, get more federal dollars than several government agencies combined. In this one-hour webinar, learn how to track local and national government spending on contractors in public databases and see examples of stories that have or could be done. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to find or FOIA public databases on spending on contractors at the federal and state levels. What to look for in identifying stories on contractors. How debarment of contractors works — or not. YOUR INSTRUCTOR Ron Nixon is a domestic correspondent in the Washington Bureau of The New York Times, where he has worked since 2005. He is the former computer-assisted reporting editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and a former training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors.