You have probably encountered the problem of the PDF; the data and information are there, but locked in the PDF leaving you unable to filter, sort and work with the data in other ways. This file format can frustrate the savviest of journalists, but there are services available to help. IRE has partnered with Cometdocs.com, an online file conversion and storage tool to better help journalists with PDF files.

IRE and Esri have partnered to offer 10 fellowships to attend mapping training at the 2013 Esri International Users Conference from July 6-10 in San Diego and 3 fellowships to the IRE Mapping Boot Camp from August 9-11 at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Mo.

The users conference fellowships cover airfare and four nights lodging, and the boot camp fellowships cover airfare and three nights lodging. The users conference schedule includes attendance at the following events: Esri Business Summit (July 7) to learn about how international businesses are using advance mapping technology, Conference Plenary Session (July 8); and Media Workshops and ...

The IRE Conference offers an opportunity for in-depth, one-on-one coaching on investigative reporting. These private sessions allow attendees to seek advice on challenging stories or follow-up ideas. The deadline for the mentoring program has been extended. You must have registered for the conference and have signed up for a mentor by June 5.  

IRE pairs those who signed up with a mentor, and contact information is provided to both mentors and those who want to be mentored. Mentors and mentees can then agree on a time and place to meet at the conference.  

These sessions are not for job seekers ...

Moore, Okla. and the surrounding area are still reeling after the impact of a 2 mile-wide tornado yesterday. As damage is assessed and the death and injury tolls remain uncertain, journalists are working to obtain and verify information for the public. Many of IRE's members have been there before and have passed on their knowledge. To aid reporters on the story who are unfamiliar with covering natural disasters and newsrooms looking for help in their coverage of the disaster, IRE has compiled several of its resources and external links that can help guide reporting in the aftermath of such ...

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will offer a free workshop from 2-5 p.m. on June 19 at the IRE Conference in San Antonio: Breaking Local Stories with Economic Data. Government data offer unparalleled opportunities to distinguish your reporting with trend stories about what’s happening in your local economy.

Especially this year, with the release of the every-five-year Economic Census, journalists will have a unique opportunity to track changes in their local community from 2007 — before the recession — to 2012. Instructors Paul Overberg of USA Today and Jeannine Aversa, late of The AP, now with ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers itself to be one of the nation’s foremost scientific institutions, dedicated to transparency and evidence-driven policies.  It is fair, therefore, to ask this question: What happens when the CDC brazenly ignores the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), taking more than five years to fulfill a journalist’s information request, which by law should take “approximately a month”?

Speaking from experience — absolutely nothing.

In July 2007, I submitted a simple request for emails and resumes from three CDC employees. This information was needed for background research associated with the Lyme disease documentary ...

Investigative Reporters & Editors has launched a new award -- dubbed the Golden Padlock -- recognizing the most secretive publicly-funded agency or person in the United States. It is calling on journalists and the public for worthy nominees, and sumbissions are due by the end of the week.

"This honor acknowledges the dedication of government officials working tirelessly to keep vital information hidden from the public," said David Cay Johnston, president of IRE . "Their abiding commitment to secrecy and impressive skill in information suppression routinely keeps knowledge about everything from public health risks to government waste beyond the reach of citizens who pay ...