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Ashley Graham

Portrait of Ashley Graham
Statement

My name is Ashley Graham and I’m the Chief Investigative Reporter and Evening Anchor with KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana. I’ve worked in local news for nearly a decade, starting as a general assignment reporter in Michigan’s capital city and then in Fort Myers, Florida, where I moved into a special projects reporting role at the NBC affiliate.

My career is a direct reflection of the work IRE has done over the years to uplift and include young journalists and journalists of color in the investigative field. I’ve been fortunate to grow as an investigative reporter since 2019 through membership, mentorship and access to resources and guidance. Current and former IRE members saw the spark of curiosity I had about investigative reporting as a college student. They supported and affirmed me, guided me and helped me believe that with hard work, there was a place for me in IRE and in the investigative world as a whole.

That support was crucial for me, and I’ve made providing that support to other journalists a priority throughout my career. I’ve had the honor of volunteering with IRE throughout my membership. Through my work on the Member Services committee I’ve advocated for changes to IRE’s mentorship program to better serve all parties and help foster lasting relationships between mentors and mentees. I’ve also pushed to make sure IRE maintains a diverse group of mentors and that we, as an organization, work to reach journalists of all backgrounds and levels of experience through the program. I hope to continue this work and encourage the growth and expansion of IRE’s student chapters, ensuring that students and early-career journalists have the tools they need to break into investigative reporting if they, too, have that spark and curiosity.

We know this is a critical time to be an investigative journalist. Political pressure and direct attacks on the free press continue to assault the news industry and those who do the tireless work to inform and uncover important truths. IRE is steadfast in its support of press freedom and that is something I would be committed to upholding as a member of the board. I would also work diligently to ensure IRE remains in a good financial position to support its membership and mission.

We are also on the precipice of a shift in how we reach our audiences and how we ensure that the work we do as investigators makes it in front of as many eyes and ears as possible. Journalists are increasingly working independently, doing the same tireless work on independent platforms and finding innovative ways to get the job done without traditional, legacy support systems and frameworks. As a board member, one of my priorities would be to explore how IRE can best support investigators carving their own paths in nontraditional paths.

IRE has given me so much, and I would be honored to give back and serve on your behalf as a board member.

  • Current position: Chief Investigative Reporter/Anchor, KSLA News 12 (2024-present)
  • Prior positions:
    • Investigative reporter, Gulf Coast News (2020-2024)
    • General Assignment reporter, WLNS-TV (2018-2020)
  • IRE member since 2018
  • Member Services committee (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
  • Governance committee (2025)
  • Conference committee (2025)
  • Conferences attended: IRE (2025, 2023, 2022, 2019), NICAR (2023)
  • Key issues to address as a board member:
    • Expanding and creating new student IRE chapters
    • Finding new and innovative funding sources to keep IRE in a strong position
    • Continue IRE's efforts to foster diversity in identity and background in its membership
    • Work to create and source resources for small newsrooms and independent journalists doing investigative work
  • Links

Nominated by Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group

I am proud to nominate Ashley Graham for IRE’s Board of Directors. I first met Ashley when she was an energetic student whose university had eliminated its journalism program. Instead of being discouraged, Ashley channeled her drive and passion into seeking out investigative training. She attended her first IRE conference in 2019, in her first job, and I vividly remember her speaking during the membership meeting, offering feedback to improve IRE from the very beginning. Since then, she's served on the Member Services Committee, helping with mentoring and retention programs. On the Governance Committee, she learned how IRE operates. She's helped plan the video track for several conferences. Ashley has done the work to understand the ins and outs of IRE and the challenges we face as both an organization and an industry. She is absolutely worthy of your vote to help lead IRE at this critical time.

 

Second nomination by Kelly Wiley, KXAN

The first time I met Ashley, I was attending an IRE Data Bootcamp session that taught reporters how to investigate in a breaking news situation. That day, I looked up to see a young Black woman helping to lead the course. Throughout my career, I have been in many rooms where I was the only Black person, so seeing Ashley not only exist but also lead in that space endeared me to IRE’s mission even more. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Ashley and watching her grow into an even stronger journalist. Every year I’ve known her, she’s been consistent in her commitment to IRE — sharing what she knows with other journalists on panels, reaching out to get and give advice, and making sure journalists of color are well-represented, front and center. She would be an incredible asset to the board.

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