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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Brant Houston, Executive Director, 573-882-2042, brant@ire.org
Phoenix conference draws 950
June 14, 2007
Columbia, Mo. – Nearly 950 journalists from 26 countries came to the IRE Annual Conference in Phoenix to attend dozens of panels and workshops and to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Arizona Project.
The four-day event, held June 7 through June 10 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, included special tracks with sessions on covering U.S.-Mexico border issues, managing and editing investigations, doing broadcast investigative work, covering the criminal justice system, and using computer-assisted reporting.
Special recognition was given to the Arizona Project, which was a cooperative investigation by 38 IRE members in 1976 and 1977. The Project was launched by IRE members and led by Newsday editor Robert W. Greene after the killing of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles. The Project extended the work of Bolles by examining government corruption and organized crime in Phoenix.
The conference also featured a showcase panel of leaders in journalism talking about how to do investigative reporting in the new landscape of media. Dana Priest, an award-winning investigative reporter for The Washington Post delivered the keynote speech at the IRE awards luncheon. (Contest winners can be seen at www.ire.org/contest/06winners.html.)
The event's mentoring program had its highest participation ever with more than 60 young broadcast and print journalists paired with veterans in the field. They met one-on-one in Phoenix and are encouraged to stay in touch during the next year.
"The spirit of investigative journalism is alive and well,” said Brant Houston, executive director of IRE, after the conference. "In fact, it may be better than ever."
Houston noted the energy and enthusiasm by participants and said that investigative journalists tend to renew their efforts during downtimes in the professions and resolve to support each other more strongly. He also noted that attendance grew by 150 people, compared to the previous year.
Digital audio recordings of the conference sessions will be available on the IRE Web site in the next two weeks as will the numerous tip sheets offered by speakers. See www.ire.org/resourcecenter.
