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Posts by Alena Rehberger
The Center for Investigative Reporting recalibrates to cover Trump
By Amy Pyle Editor’s Note: This article first ran on Nov. 21, 2016 on the Columbia Journalism Review’s website. I was jolted awake, or rather I was jolted awake, by the Northridge Earthquake on January 17, 1994. I drove bleary-eyed down the 210 freeway to the 118, careening off expansion joints that had become steps. Less than…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | Mobile Tech, Human Cost
If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re affected by the topic of our show today. The phone, computer or tablet you’re using to play this episode is likely powered by a lithium-ion battery. And one of the main ingredients in those batteries is cobalt. Much of our cobalt comes from the Congo, where miners often…
Read MoreQ&A: Ted Conover on mastering the art of immersion journalism
By Kevin Deutsch Editor’s Note: This article first ran on Nov. 16, 2016 on the Columbia Journalism Review’s website. During a career that’s spanned three and a half decades, Ted Conover has guarded hardened criminals in Sing Sing, snuck across the US border with Mexican immigrants, inspected poultry as a USDA employee, and roamed the…
Read MoreRemembering an IRE leader: Jan Colbert
By Steve Weinberg One of the most important individuals to IRE’s history never published an investigative project. Nor was she a newsroom editor, or a big-money donor. Jan Colbert died Nov. 5, 2016, after struggling for two decades with cancer. From 1983-1990, Jan served as IRE’s associate director, then briefly as executive director before shifting over…
Read MoreIRE Radio Podcast | The Killer That Got Away
How many people in the U.S. die of antibiotic-resistant infections? It seems like a simple question. But when a team of journalists from Reuters set out to gather the numbers, they realized that the answer would be anything but straightforward. They found out no one was properly keeping track of how many people die from…
Read MoreThe power of IRE
.@markhorvit spreading the good news of Excel at #IJAsia16 pic.twitter.com/koPokVlwmm — Liz Lucas (@eklucas) September 23, 2016 As a reporter who covered multiple beats, from night cops to politics, IRE’s tip sheets were a great source of ideas and inspiration. As an editor, whether working the city desk or managing an investigative team, IRE’s conference…
Read MoreA conversation with IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix
Doug Haddix Now that IRE’s new executive director Doug Haddix has been on the job for two weeks, we thought it was time to see what he has in store for the organization. Riley Beggin, a graduate student at the University of Missouri and IRE web contributor, sat down with Haddix to learn more about…
Read MoreSinking a bold foray into watchdog journalism in Japan
By Martin Fackler Editor’s Note: This article first ran on October 25, 2016 on the Columbia Journalism Review’s website. It seemed like compelling journalism: a major investigative story published by The Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s second largest daily newspaper, about workers fleeing the Fukushima nuclear plant against orders. It was the work of a special investigative section that had…
Read MoreThe death of Gavin MacFadyen
From the staff of the The Centre for Investigative Journalism: We are extremely sad to announce the death of Gavin MacFadyen, CIJ’s Founder, Director and its leading light. Gavin died of lung cancer surrounded by loved ones in London on Saturday 22nd Oct 2016. Over his lifetime Gavin was a fierce defender of justice and human…
Read More3 leaders share 3 tips on how to build up your investigative unit
It’s a paradox of modern journalism. For newsrooms struggling to stay afloat, an easy way to cut costs is to spend less on investigative reporting. Yet it’s often these watchdog stories that bring in (and keep) the biggest audience. Many newsrooms across the country are devoting more and more resources to investigations. But it’s not…
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