The early bird deadline for 
Posts by Alena Rehberger
IRE & NICAR Federal Data Directory
In an effort to promote rescued federal data and prevent duplicated efforts, IRE and NICAR are cataloging rescued data in a public directory. Below is a list of datasets saved by concerned IRE members as well as data held by other data rescue organizations including DataRefuge. To access the rescued data, please follow the link…
Read MoreCody Winchester joins IRE as training director
Cody Winchester of the Austin American-Statesman will join the IRE staff April 3 as a training director. Cody brings six years of reporting experience plus advanced computer coding skills to the position. In Austin, Cody worked on a team at the newspaper that develops, tests and deploys interactive graphics, applications and other web products. Previously, he worked…
Read MoreParticipate in the IRE Conference Mentorship Program
This program is currently full for those looking for a mentor. You can sign up for our waiting list or to be a mentor. Seek advice on reporting techniques and skill development through the Mentorship Program at the 2017 IRE Conference in Phoenix. Registration is now open for conference attendees who want to be mentees, as…
Read MoreHighlighting the 2016 IRE Award screeners and judges
IRE would like to thank and highlight the journalists who gave their time, energy and expertise to screen nearly 500 entries for the 2016 IRE Awards. Each year, around mid-January, IRE receives hundreds of stories submitted in hopes of winning an IRE Award. In total, these entries consist of upwards of 100 hours of video…
Read MoreNapoli Management Group creates IRE scholarship
Napoli Management Group, one of the largest news talent representation firms in the country, has established and will fund an IRE scholarship to benefit young television journalists interested in investigative reporting. The scholarship is designed to help aspiring watchdog journalists, early in their careers, who otherwise would not have the financial means to attend the…
Read MoreDeadline approaching for FIRE funding application
Independent reporters are encouraged to apply to Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE), for support with investigative stories. FIRE, a collaboration between Project Word and Investigative Reporters and Editors, offers stipends of up to $10,000, plus a suite of reporting tools. The application deadline is Thursday, March 23, 2017. To apply to FIRE, reporters are…
Read MoreUsing election data beyond the results
By Soo Rin Kim You’re a city government reporter and you’re on a deadline to write about a public hearing on the city’s zoning overhaul. You want to quote a resident who made an interesting comment at the hearing, but you forgot to get the exact spelling of his name (oops!). What do you do?…
Read MoreFive things I learned at my first CAR Conference
By Amanda Nero The CAR Conference came and went much too quickly. Luckily, it’s nearly impossible to walk away from the conference empty-handed. Whether it’s technical skills or a deeper understanding of the data community and its importance, hopefully you walked away with a memento to remember the conference by. Here are some conference takeaways…
Read MoreBattling burnout in a tweet-breaking world
By Uliana Pavlova “If you think you are indispensable, just die and see what happens.” – Ron Nixon It seems almost impossible to find a work/life balance when you’re a journalist in a constantly shrinking industry. In the world of breaking news and Twitter, it’s hard to unplug. Nixon, a Washington correspondent with The New…
Read MoreFriendly robots: How journalists can use bots in the newsroom
By Dariya Tsyrenzhapova The definition of bots is murky, but expectations for the use of artificial intelligence tools in news organizations is on the rise. Bots, like automated personal assistants, can collect information, execute actions, generate content and even emulate humans, said Tiff Fehr, an interactives editor at The New York Times. Fehr moderated a 2017…
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