IRE members can now access the tipsheets and audio recordings from the 2008 IRE Conference. Keep all of the great sources and discussions you heard in Miami, or catch up on what you missed.
The tipsheet collection is available on CD for $15, plus shipping. Members can also search and download tipsheets free from the Resource Center. Enter the search term "Miami 2008."
The audio CD is available to IRE members for $20 plus shipping. Conference attendees can click here to download them from the site in MP3 format, and they can order one CD of the audio collection for $5 to cover shipping.
Click here for ordering information.
If you would like to help secure the future of IRE, please remember that the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will send IRE $1 for every $2 given or pledged to the IRE Endowment Fund. This program ends on Sept. 30, so please act now to maximize your philanthropic dollars.
All three-year pledges will be matched as well, so you may spread your support over time to take it easy on your pocketbook. For instance, pledge $300 now ($100 per year for three years ) and Knight will send IRE $150. To qualify for the match, all pledges must be paid-in-full by December 2010.
For more information on IRE's endowment fund and the Knight Foundation matching program, please visit www.ire.org/endowment.
Click here to donate or pledge online.
Contact: IRE development officer Jennifer Erickson at jennifer@ire.org or (573) 884-2222.
Assistant or associate professor in journalism
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Broadcast journalism faculty
Columbia College, Chicago
Publications Coordinator
IRE and NICAR
Training Director David Donald has accepted a new position at The Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. He shared some thoughts as he prepares for his last summer of globe trotting on behalf of IRE and NICAR.
"Many of you reading this know that after four and a half years as training director, I will be leaving IRE this summer. I offer a few parting observations.
"First, IRE is in good hands as Executive Director Mark Horvit has firmly taken the tiller. Expect to see some new training opportunities, including more training resources on the Web site.
"That leads me to my second point. With the daily stress on journalism's business model, only innovation will see the profession through the tough times. New training, such as the upcoming "Django for Djournalists" and other programming boot camps, will give you new skills that have potential to help your news organization innovate.
"Finally, the incredible respect IRE has earned through the years remains. As I've traveled to countless newsrooms in this country and abroad, I am always amazed how IRE's reputation preceded me. I want to say thanks to all — directors, staff and members — who have helped keep IRE strong and vital through the years. Without those who volunteer their time and energy, IRE could not accomplish all it does for journalism. Again, for all of you who gave help to our training gigs the past four years, you made me look good, and I will always be in your debt.
"I'm moving to Washington, D.C., to join the Center for Public Integrity as data editor. Some of you know that means I'll be leaving my beloved Savannah. But it's a great opportunity to apply all those things I've been teaching on IRE and NICAR's behalf. And you'll still see me at IRE and CAR conferences or other IRE training events. After all, as anyone who has worked for IRE knows, we describe it as an Eagles "Hotel California" experience: 'You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.'"
Donald's departure also means that IRE is looking for its next training director. The position provides a great opportunity to work with journalists throughout the U.S. and abroad both in a classroom setting and one-on-one. The director will also help develop new curriculum and programs, incorporating new technology and expanding the scope of our world-renowned training.
"The job is demanding but rewarding," Horvit said. "Because David worked with hundreds of journalists a year, the impact of his work has really been profound. The tools he's helped reporters develop have meant that more government officials are held accountable, more ills in society exposed, more secrets guarded by the powerful uncovered.
"That's a great legacy for anyone, and a tremendous opportunity for whoever follows David in the job."
Potential candidates can contact the executive director at mark@nicar.org for more information. Application details will be posted on the Web site when the official job description from the University of Missouri is available.
Three incumbents and four new members were elected June 7 to the IRE Board of Directors during the 2008 IRE Conference in Miami.
Manny Garcia of The Miami Herald, Stephen C. Miller, recently retired from The New York Times, and Duff Wilson, The New York Times won re-election. The new members are Jason Grotto,Chicago Tribune; Mc Nelly Torres, South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Lawan Williams, KSHB-Kansas City, Mo., and Phil Williams, WTVF-Nashville.
Grotto declared his candidacy at the conference, and two candidates who were originally on the absentee ballot, Rhonda Schwartz of ABC and Dianna Hunt of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, withdrew their candidacy prior to the election.
The board elected its new officers during the conference. Cheryl Philips of The Seattle Times is president. Alison Young of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is vice president. Lea Thompson is treasurer, and Wilson is secretary. Garcia is the new at-large member of the executive committee. View all 13 current board members
Members at the conference also voted to amend the IRE Articles of Incorporation to open associate membership in the organization to those who are engaged in reporting or editing on a part-time basis. Associate members are non-voting members of the organization. They may participate fully in the educational activities and services of IRE, including conferences and the Resource Center but do not vote for directors or upon other IRE matters.
Following the board elections, a separate election was held for two IRE Awards contest judges. They are David Cay Johnston, author and former New York Times reporter, and Mark Greenblatt of KHOU-Houston.
July 18-20 — London, England
The Centre for Investigative Reporting Summer School
Aug. 7-9 — Columbia, Mo.
Django for Djournalists
Registration is open for an advanced programming seminar, based on the Web Frameworks curriculum first offered at the 2008 IRE and NICAR conferences. This is the first to be held at IRE and NICAR headquarters, launching a new series of three and six-day sessions focused on building custom online data applications.
Aug. 10-15 — Columbia, Mo.
Computer-Assisted Reporting Boot Camp
If you haven't visited www.ire.org lately, take a look at our redesigned home page, featuring a new blog by IRE staff and a new navigation menu.
The redesign lets you read the latest investigative headlines in Extra!Extra! from the home page, or subscribe to an e-mail alert to get midday delivery of the latest posts. To subscribe, send an e-mail to eealerts-request@ire.org with "subscribe" in the subject line. The blog also offers RSS feeds for the entire blog or by topic.
And there's more to come. We wanted to share the new design while continuing to work on site features that will make it easier to share news and resources online, manage your IRE membership, make purchases or register for events. More interactive and community features are part of the long-term plans, too. Read Database Library Jeremy Milarsky's take on the process.