Automatic FOIA letter generator (from the Student Press Law Center)
PowerReporting.com: A great jumping-off point
Newspaper databases from NIU Libraries: Includes free access to Lexis-Nexis (Academic Universe) if you're logging in from a campus network.
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.: Home page for the top organization for investigative journalists.
NIU resources
NIU Data Book
Directory of Illinois public colleges and universities (IBHE)
Inspiration
Pulitzer Prizes: Read award winning works back to 1995, plus the full lists of winners back to 1917