Caroline Stetler's blog

The Investigative Reporting Workshop launched it lastest investigative project today: the increasing rate of thyroid cancer, which is baffling researchers. Please share with your friends: Although thyroid cancer is one of the more rare cancers, new data shows it's the fastest increasing cancer among women and men. Radiation is the only known cause of thyroid cancer, but experts are now examining the effects of chemicals in the environment, increased use of CT-scans, diet and obesity.

If ever there was a special place on earth, Augusta National is it.
 

Exquisite cherry blossoms weren’t the only attractions in the District this weekend.

Print journalism faces a long, cold winter, leaving some to question whether the thought-provoking nature of the medium will be lost.

Are media making us dumber? That's the question experts from various news media will answer during the American Forum on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Observer staff will be live blogging from the event held at American University's Ward Center.

The other day I spotted my first celebrity in the District. You may be wondering why I haven't reported it sooner, but I've been mulling the moment over. There I was waiting for the bus, totally lost in deep thought, when a familiar voice made me turn my head. All it took was a "This way guys," and in an instant, I recognized him.
 

On Tuesday, the Investigative Reporting Workshop launched its inaugural project, BankTracker, examining the financial state of more than 8,000 U.S. banks. (In full disclosure, I'm a graduate assistant at the Workshop.) Visitors to the Web site, or partner msnbc.com, can search for their hometown bank and learn about its total assets, total deposits, net income along with loan and foreclosure information.

We Media named Twitter a 2009 "Game Changer" at its annual conference in Miami Feb. 24-26. Not surprisingly, the We Media hashtag (#wemedia) was the No. 2 most popular hashtag worldwide during the conference.
 

President Barack Obama just began speaking with southwest Florida residents about his new economic stimulus plan. More than 1,500 residents will get the opportunity to ask the president questions at a town hall meeting held at the Fort Myers Harborside Convention Center.

Obama's visit is a welcome reprieve for a community hit hard by the economic recession. I grew up just 30-minutes from where Obama will speak and I've seen the real estate bubble burst, the mortgage foreclosure woes and the stunted construction industry.

Despite the upheaval in the news media industry, not everyone is throwing in the towel. In fact, some organizations like We Media promote contests to spur new ideas and business models. Eighteen finalists have been selected for this year’s competition and will present their ideas to a panel at the We Media Changers Conference in Miami on Feb. 24-26. One lucky winner will receive $25,000 to launch his or her project.