A people finder for reporters

Just in this week, announcement of a new online database service geared to journalists, Reporter's Edge.

It's not often I mention a particular product. But this is news, folks, a chance for smaller newspapers that can't afford the big-ticket databases to track down the information they need, or for reporters to get quick access to addresses and phone numbers without going through hoops.

Created by Judd Slivka, a former newspaper reporter (Arizona Republic, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) who confesses to being a former 'AutoTrak addict', it's the first tracking database designed by, and aimed toward, other reporters and news researchers.

News went out on the newslib listserv yesterday, and I expect journalist groups are already getting the word.

I got a chance to try the service and was impressed. First off, it's not a profiling service like Accurint or Autotrack, but is designed for cheap and quick people finding, using address/phone services, credit headers and the like. The results on a name search are similar to, and occasionally more complete, than those on the other services. From a results screen you can get a 'trace detail' that aggregates results on the person you've identified.

There are several phone searches available, too, including reverse searches, if the name search doesn't find a good one. You can also search properties and UCC filings while there, and combine all the searches into one report.

For customers who are willing to undergo a 'site inspection' you can also add a fairly comprehensive selection of criminal records checks, from Rapsheets, corrections databases, etc.

There's no signup fee, no monthly or annual subscription fee, and you pay per search, with people search costs from $1.50 up (phone searches start at $.35) You don't pay for no-hits.

Besides the online databases, there's also a court search and document retrieval service and more searches can be requested through the parent private investigations company, Olympia Conceptual. For more information: '877-616-4388 or e-mail us at reportersedge (at) olympiaconceptual.com' or judd (at) reportersedge.com.

I'll be checking this out a bit more, will post any additional thoughts.....