Join us for a live chat with ICIJ reporters

At 11 a.m. EDT on May 14, reporters from The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists will gather in a live Google Hangout hosted by IRE to discuss their investigation into offshore secrecy, which tapped into a cache of 2.5 million files and "cracked open the secrets of more than 120,000 offshore companies and trusts, exposing hidden dealings of politicians, con men and the mega-rich the world over."

Absentee voting begins for 2013 IRE Board election

Six seats on the 13-member IRE Board of Directors are up for election. The election will be held June 22 at the IRE annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.  Ten members have declared their candidacy in time to be put on the Absentee Ballots. You may view the candidate statements here.

Online absentee voting is available ONLY to current members (membership expiration date must be 7/1/13 or later) who are NOT attending the IRE conference in San Antonio.  Registration for the conference will void your absentee ballot.

Reminder – Voting is restricted to members at the Professional, Academic and Retiree levels.

To request an Absentee Ballot click here  → ballotrequest@ire.org  beginning May 8.  You must put your name on either the subject line or in the body of the email.  This is for verification purposes only, and will NOT be tied to your actual ballot in any way.

Your ballot must be received by 5p.m. Central Time Wednesday, June 19, 2013.

David Dietz Fellowship for 2013 IRE Conference

In 2012 IRE added a new fellowship in remembrance of longtime IRE member and supporter David Dietz. The fellowship honors his memory and legacy by helping a journalist who has demonstrated an interest in financial investigative journalism and who has fewer than 10 years professional experience. This fellowship covers IRE conference registration fees, provides $750 in reimbursed travel and lodging expenses and a one-year IRE membership. The winner of this fellowship will also be enrolled in IRE's mentorship program and will be paired with a top investigative journalist in the field of financial journalism, for a year-long mentorship, which will begin at the IRE Conference.

Deadline is May 24. Click here to access the application.

Other fellowships are also available for this event.  Please check the fellowship offerings page on our web site at https://www.ire.org/events-and-training/fellowships-and-scholarships/

Questions: John Green jgreen@ire.org  or direct: 573-882-2772

IRE Membership Drive winners

A big thank you to those who participated in IRE's membership drive. Three members won prizes from the IRE membership drive. Throughout April, IRE members shared news of IRE and encouraged journalists to join or renew. Those who joined or renewed by April 30 were eligible for prizes. 

1st Place: Kate Perry The Florida Times-Union
Three hotel nights and registration for the 2013 IRE Conference in San Antonio OR to the 2014 CAR Conference in Baltimore.

2nd Place: Abby Rapoport, KNXV-Phoenix
Two years of free IRE Membership 

3rd Place: Lori Jane Gliha, Prospect Magazine
$50 toward books at the IRE Bookstore

IRE seeks nominations for inaugural government secrecy award

Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc. is launching 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.

"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 their salaries."

IRE is now accepting nominations for the inaugural Golden Padlock. Nominations should be emailed to goldenpadlock@ire.org by May 24. Submissions should include the name of the agency or individual along with reasons and/or media coverage detailing the intransigence.

Governments at all levels -- from local to federal -- are eligible for the award. A list of finalists will be announced in early June and the award will be handed out annually at IRE's national conference.

The winning public agency or individual will be invited to attend the award ceremony to be "honored". This year's conference is June 20 - 23 in San Antonio, Texas.

For further information, contact IRE Executive Director Mark Horvit, at 573-882-1984 or mhorvit@ire.org.

Investigating the Cleveland missing and rescued women case

On Monday, three young Cleveland women who had been missing for nearly a decade were found alive and, according to authorities, appeared unharmed. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight were kidnapped and held for years as prisoners inside a house in Cleveland. Police arrested the house owner, Ariel Castro, 52, and his two brothers, Pedro Castro, 54 and Onil Castro, 50.

Journalists are already starting to uncover details about the case and the brothers. In the search for further context, property records, background searches, court records and smart sourcing will be crucial. IRE is pulling resources, including tipsheets and archived stories, out from behind our member wall to help reporters on deadline investigate this case. We're also keeping a record of what reporters have found and what enterprise has been done around the case.

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