President Barack Obama has wasted no time in taking a strong stand in favor of openness and transparency in the federal government. “All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA and to usher in a new era of open government,” President Obama wrote in an official memorandum issued Wednesday. The memo, and another calling for greater transparency in government, represents a significant shift away from the previous administration’s emphasis upon secrecy and a return to viewing access to government information as a presumptive legal right ... Read more ...

Three major investigative reports that used social science research methods as key parts of their probes were named today as winners of the 2008 Philip Meyer Journalism Award.

Scripps Howard News Service took top honors for “Saving Babies: Exposing Sudden Infant Death.” Reporters Thomas Hargrove, Lee Bowman and Lisa Hoffman found administrative inconsistencies in the state and local review boards that examine infant deaths.

Mike Casey and Rick Montgomery of The Kansas City Star took second place with its investigation into safety issues linked to airbag failures finding that nearly 300 people die in the U.S. each year when ...

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Join colleagues for a night out at Indianapolis’ famous Jazz Kitchen at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20. It’s a great opportunity to hear jazz music and network with some of the best reporters in the nation. The Jazz Kitchen has become a hot spot in Indy and offers a mix of local and national talent. They also have a great menu ranging from steaks and seafood to vegetarian and pasta creations. View the menu at www.thejazzkitchen.com. Check out this link to a review of the venue, courtesy of The Indianapolis Star. A ticket gets ... Read more ...

A US Airways jet went down in the Hudson River this afternoon.  There are no reports of fatalities as ferries rush to the scene to help rescue the passengers and crew. IRE and NICAR have compiled information to help in covering such aviation disasters. Please contact the IRE Resource Center (573-882-3364) or Database Library (573-884-7711) for additional assistance.

The deadline for submitting entries for the IRE Awards is this Friday, January 15.  All entries must be postmarked midnight on Friday. As you review work from 2009, don’t forget that we have added a new category to the contest that honors breaking news investigations. It is open to all journalists, regardless of media platform. And as always, individual categories will honor work done in print, broadcast and online, with a special category honoring student work. For more details on this category, and all the information you need about the contest, go to http://www.ire.org/resourcecenter/contest/.

We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that tomorrow, January 7, is the postmark deadline for the 2008 IRE Awards.  Don't miss this opportunity to have your hard work recognized! All entries become a permanent part of the IRE Resource Center's investigative story collection, creating an invaluable resource for journalists. Entry forms are available to download online. For more information, please see the contest website or call the IRE Resource Center at 573-882-6668.