Investigative Reporters and Editors is a nonprofit organization providing training, resources and a community of support to journalists around the world.
Join IRE for our annual investigative journalism conference June 20-23.
The classes will teach you about election coverage, public records, storytelling strategies, beat reporting, data journalism and so much more.
We hope to see you in Anaheim!
#IRE24
With heavy hearts, we stand with the
#CapitalGazette
in
#Annapolis
. Each and every day,
#journos
make sacrifices to serve the public, to protect our democracy and fulfill our Constitutional duties.
The Tortured Journalists Department:
-Election Night
-My Editor Only Cuts His Favorite Lines
-Who’s Afraid of My Little Old FOIA request?
-I Can Do It With a Broken Dataset
-I Can Make This Deadline (No Really I Can)
-I Hate It Here
-I Look in Public Records
-The Google Doc
2024 goals:
-use more em dashes
-submit more FOIA requests
-make a new friend at an IRE event
-publish a story so good they’ll say, “wow she really investigATE”
As a public service, IRE is making key resources available for free to all journalists interested in investigating police use of force, misconduct and corruption. Please share widely!
We're proud to announce
@fvaraorta
as IRE's first director of diversity and inclusion! This role will provide IRE with essential, informed guidance as we continue to move toward becoming a more diverse and welcoming organization.
Turkish journalist
@pelinunker
will received the Don Bolles Medal at
#IRE19
. She was sentenced to prison for her truthful reporting on offshore investments by the country’s former prime minister. An appeals court later dismissed the prison term.
Join us in welcoming
@ddfonline
as IRE’s next executive director! She’ll lead the 6,000-member organization starting at the end of April. Read more about Fuentes and her initiatives for the organization:
IRE has launched a new fund honoring slain investigative journalist Jeff German with help from
@reviewjournal
. This fund will advance the kind of game-changing investigations German devoted his life to producing.
Our first Journal on LGBTQ+ issues is in mailboxes and available to download for free for members and non-members! Learn how to better cover LGBTQ+ communities and how to be more inclusive in your newsroom. Cover art by
@nicole_rifkin
They're putting out a daily paper and they need our help. Consider volunteering as a
@capgaznews
reporter or editor for 2-5 consecutive days out of the Baltimore Sun newsroom.
Details are here:
Sign up by July 24.
IRE learned today that a
#NICAR20
attendee tested positive with COVID-19 today. To ensure the safety of our attendees and community, IRE is notifying conference attendees now so that individuals can make their own decisions on how best to proceed. (1/5)
A dash of data please… we’ve got our winning
#NICAR24
T-shirt design! Congratulations
@EvanWyloge
!
You can buy NICAR seasoning shirts at the conference in Baltimore and online (coming soon).
#ACCESSFest23
w/
@IRE_NICAR
is all about bringing equity to investigative journalism — whether it’s in how we cover marginalized communities or how we increase access to investigative training. To celebrate this, the IRE Board launched a new site:
🎉 Thanks for a great
#IRE19
! 🎉 Here are some tips for taking it all home:
- Download tipsheets:
- Host a brown bag training for your newsroom to share the knowledge
- Find a project (big or small) and put some of your new skills to use right away
It's been more than 50 years since the Kerner Commission criticized newsrooms for a lack of diversity. We've barely moved the needle. Read
@nixonron
's piece on newsroom diversity for the IRE Journal.
“You cannot write your way around bad reporting,”
@andreeball
says. Beautiful writing requires rigorous reporting! “You either know the words to the song or you don’t.”
We're grateful for the overwhelming response to our call for
@capgaznews
volunteers. We received 370+ responses in less than 24 hrs. Our friends at the
@baltimoresun
now have "more offers than we could possibly use." Thank you to all who supported this effort.
They're putting out a daily paper and they need our help. Consider volunteering as a
@capgaznews
reporter or editor for 2-5 consecutive days out of the Baltimore Sun newsroom.
Details are here:
Sign up by July 24.
Today my 7 yo decided to head to school dressed as a news reporter for Dream Career Day. She grabbed Dad’s
@HBCUGameday
mic, my
@IRE_NICAR
badge, a
@wsbtv
reporter’s notebook and grilled her sister on who put a crayon in the washing machine....
Turkish journalist
@pelinunker
is awarded the Don Bolles Medal at
#IRE19
. She was sentenced to prison for her truthful reporting on offshore investments by the country’s former prime minister. Details:
We have lost one of the greats. Rest in peace, Phil Meyer, father of precision journalism, educator, journalist, truly a gentleman with a wonderful sense of humor. He will be sorely missed.
Investigative editor
@nixonron
will deliver our
#IRE21
keynote address. Hear Nixon and other acclaimed journalists at the
#IRE21
virtual conference June 14-18.
Congratulations to the team at
@highcountrynews
for their piece examining land grant universities through maps, interactives and analysis of archival materials that were almost lost to time.
#IREAwards
Congratulations to
@DeniseMalan
, IRE's new Deputy Executive Director! “I’m excited to take on this new role as the IRE team and programs continue to grow,” Malan said.
IRE stands in solidarity with Evan Gershkovich and journalism organizations calling on Russia to release the
@WSJ
reporter. "Arresting a journalist for doing his job is an intimidation tactic of the worst kind," said IRE President
@bymarkwalker
.
#FreeEvan
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo of
@Reuters
have been imprisoned since December 2017. They are the recipients of the 2018 Don Bolles Medal recognizing investigative journalists who have exhibited extraordinary courage.
#IRE18
Details:
IRE mourns the Sept. 3 killing of Jeff German, an award-winning journalist & member. “He was doing what all of us as journalists aspire to do: hold those in power accountable and give voice to the voiceless,” said IRE executive director
@ddfonline
The IRE Executive Committee has resigned and plans to hold a new election of Board officers during a public meeting. For the first time in recent history, any contested positions will be determined by a public roll call vote.
🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Philip Meyer Journalism Awards! The judges focused on exemplary efforts that could serve as models for other projects.
The 2017 Gannett Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism goes to
@ICIJorg
,
@SZ
,
@nytimes
,
@guardian
and more than 90 media partners for "Paradise Papers: Secrets of the Global Elite."
An investigation by
@cpipr
,
@qz
and
@AP
that found hundreds of unaccounted for deaths from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico is the first-place winner of the 2018 Philip Meyer Journalism Awards.
President Trump repeatedly calls the press "the enemy of the American people," so
@BostonGlobe
decided to ask newspapers across the country to show readers the importance of a
#FreePress
. Hundreds responded.
IRE is accepting applications for our Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship. This year-long program will help you report and publish an investigation that benefits your community. Here’s what our previous fellows have worked on 🧵
IRE’s Don Bolles Medal for 2023 has been awarded posthumously to
@reviewjournal
investigative reporter Jeff German, who was killed in September 2022 in apparent retaliation for his reporting on a local public official.
Congratulations to our 2024 Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellows!
@TorshetaJ
,
@ClavelRangel
and
@MorganYoungTV
will work on investigative projects while receiving IRE support and mentorship in this yearlong program.
Learn more about the 2024…
This story from
@HowardCenterUMD
is the winner of the Student (Large) category and an IRE Medal. This collaborative project showed the complicity of newspapers in race-based violence by creating a permanent archive of the very hate-filled pages.
#IREAwards
Thanks for a great
#IRE18
! Here are some tips for taking it all home:
- Download tipsheets and (later) panel audio
- Host a brown bag training for your newsroom to share the knowledge
- Find a project (big or small) and put some of your new skills to use right away
Acclaimed journalist
@RonanFarrow
will deliver our
#IRE20
keynote address. The conference, featuring nearly 400 speakers and 200 sessions, will take place June 18-21 in the Washington, D.C., area.
The winner of the 2018 Golden Padlock Award is
@Cityofatlanta
! Learn why the city earned our annual award for most secretive government agency.
#IRE18
The IRE Board of Directors unanimously voted
@cherylwt
as president and
@mjrochester
as vice president during a livestreamed video meeting. The Board also elected journalists to the other executive committee positions.
Read more:
Still figuring out what to do for Valentine’s Day? Here are some fun date ideas!
-File a FOIA request together
-Coding and chill
-Share your favorite
@AP
Style rules
-Background each other for red flags
-Write a
@nytimes
wedding announcement
-Plan a romantic getaway to…
🎉 Thanks for a great
#IRE20
! 🎉 Be sure to:
- Download tipsheets (found in “files” tab in each Pathable session)
- Continue to learn for the next year by watching and re-watching conference sessions
- Find a project and put some of your new skills to use right away!
IRE members now get free access to
@PacerMonitor
! Browse and search a database of over 3 million PACER documents, set up alerts and more.
Learn more -->
.
@propublica
&
@TexasTribune
tie for Investigations Triggered by Breaking News. ProPublica took on data collection that uniquely captured the Jan. 6 insurrection. The Texas Tribune’s coverage of a large winter storm was public service at its best.
#IREAwards
Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the IRE Awards! Their work represents the best watchdog journalism of 2023. We look forward to celebrating at the IRE Awards luncheon in Anaheim this June.
.
@USATODAY
documented how a university worked to protect its prized football program at the expense of sexual assault victims. Dogged reporting revealed that this was not the story of one bad apple, but a concerted effort by officials to shield multiple athletes.
#IREAwards
The U.S. government spends billions of dollars a year on research projects — but few journalists monitor and report on research fraud and errors.
We’re hosting a webinar with
@JournoResource
to help you get started.
🗓️ April 25
The Award for Investigations Triggered by Breaking News goes to
@ExpressNews
and
@HoustonChron
for "Massacre in Uvalde." Judges say the reporting stood out for its emerging timeline of the shooting, raising early questions about law enforcement’s response.
#IREAwards
.
@ProPublica
's work getting a secret recording from inside a detention center and documenting facilities holding immigrant children was an incredible undertaking.
#IREAwards
Award-winning TV journalist
@PattiDiVincenzo
and investigative data journalist
@fvaraorta
will join IRE as trainers. We're thrilled to welcome them to the IRE family!
Investigative reporter
@rcallimachi
of
@nytimes
has illuminated the inner workings of Al Qaeda, ISIS and the Russian bounties. Ask her anything during an AMA live session at
#IRE20
! See more featured speakers:
The Print/Online Division I Award goes to
@propublica
for "Friends of the Court," which unearthed the most significant ethics scandal to hit the modern-day Supreme Court.
The Book Award goes to
@WaltBogdanich
and
@PekingMike
for "When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm," exposing the many tentacles of consulting conglomerate McKinsey & Company.
#IREAwards
The IRE Award for Investigations Triggered by Breaking News goes to
@KSHB41
. "Trail of Incompetence: The Unjustified Raid on a Kansas Newsroom” followed the raid of the Marion County Record, even after the national spotlight faded from the story.
.
@reveal
and
@prx
win the Audio (Large) category and an IRE Medal. Judges said the story pulled all the parts of a very complicated investigation together for listeners in a way that was ideally suited for the medium.
#IREAwards
The latest edition of the IRE Journal focuses on journalist safety:
Our writers offer guidance on getting help in emergencies, protecting yourself online and coping with trauma. We also explore journalism trends and techniques behind major investigations.
You'd be surprised how many potential leads and stories are hidden in public records!
Mark your calendars for our upcoming webinar “25 records to request now” hosted w/
@SunshineWeek
. It’s free and open to all — no IRE membership required.
🗓️ March 14
Congratulations to journalist
@mariaressa
for being awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for 'efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.' We've made her session at the
#IRE20
virtual conference available to the public. Watch here:
We were honored to celebrate the best investigative journalists at
#IRE23
. Congratulations to the 2022 IRE award winners and finalists!
Some photos from the ceremony 📸:
The 2017 Tom Renner Award goes to
@BuzzFeedNews
for "From Russia With Blood." The Renner Award recognizes investigative reporting on organized crime or other criminal acts.