Posts by adam@ire.org
IRE urges the release of Nashville reporter by federal immigration authorities
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) urges the release of Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter with Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, whose coverage has included immigration enforcement. She was taken into custody while in a marked news vehicle, according to Nashville Noticias. Rodríguez, who faced death threats in her home country of Colombia, applied for political…
Read MoreAnnouncing the 2026 Lightning Talks lineup!
by Adam Rhodes In about a week, hundreds of my favorite nerds are going to descend on Indianapolis to dive deep into panels and roundtables, spreadsheets classes and all the other things that make NICAR so unique. Disguised as a delightfully dorky meetup of data journalists, NICAR is an unmatched chance to expand your reporting…
Read MoreDon’t know what to attend at NICAR26? The IRE staff is here to help!
So you’ve landed in Indianapolis. You’re at the JW Marriott. You’re checking the schedule and….. whoa. It’s pretty overwhelming, right? With more than 200 hours of programming spanning nearly a week, it’s hard to plan what to see, who to talk to and when to go where. But the IRE staff is here to help…
Read MoreThe Alabama Solution: Journalists Hope to Inspire More Ethical Prison Reporting
By Victoria Valenzuela, independent journalist When Charlotte Kaufman and Andrew Jarecki visited Easterling prison in Alabama as media seven years ago, they didn’t know what to expect — but they knew that it is rare to get an opportunity to report from a prison, so they took the chance. What started as a filmed visit…
Read MoreBuilding The SLAPP Back Initiative – Tracking and Mapping Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation
By Pete Madden & Susanna Granieri Illustration by Derek Abella In August 2021, Wausau Pilot & Review, a small newspaper in central Wisconsin, acted on a tip from a reader and reported that a local businessman uttered a homophobic slur during a recent county board meeting. He denied it and demanded a retraction. When he…
Read MoreIRE condemns the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) strongly condemns the arrests of independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who covered a Jan. 18 protest against immigration enforcement at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Read MoreIRE statement on FBI raid of Hannah Natanson’s home
IRE strongly condemns the raid of a Washington Post reporter’s home by the FBI, purportedly in an effort to seize classified documents provided to the reporter as she investigates President Donald Trump’s administration. “This was an unconscionable attack on a free press,” said IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes. “There is nothing more intimidating than going…
Read More10 public sources of downloadable demographic data
Many government datasets that were once public and available on the internet are either being taken down or no longer updated. So what’s a data journalist to do?
Read MoreFrom the Editor: Welcome to the “new” IRE Journal
From the Editor: Welcome to the “new” IRE Journal By Adam Rhodes, IRE & NICAR This isn’t going to be a “things I’m thankful for” essay, I swear. But I am lucky to have a lot to be thankful for. My sweet albeit ornery beagle, a healthy family and trusted friends, a steady income, Ariana…
Read MoreWhiplash from the backlash: the state of DBEI work in newsrooms in 2025
By Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE & NICAR For anyone who values diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion, it would be an understatement to say this year has taken a toll on those who rely on these principles and champion them. But that doesn’t mean we give up the fight. After the 2024 presidential election results, a rollercoaster…
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