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Posts by Alena Rehberger
Department of Veterans Affairs wins 2016 Golden Padlock
Investigative Reporters and Editors has named the Department of Veterans Affairs as the winner of its annual Golden Padlock Award recognizing the most secretive U.S. agency or individual. The VA was selected for this honor for withholding records about the qualifications of medical staff who evaluated thousands of veterans for potential brain injuries following service to their country. When TEGNA…
Read MoreA conversation with Tonya Simpson of WTMJ-Milwaukee
Tonya SimpsonPhoto by Aliah Williamson At the IRE Conference in New Orleans, 2016 Knight Scholar Aliah Williamson spoke with Tonya Simpson, executive producer of the investigative team and special projects at WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Williamson: What interests you about investigative journalism? Simpson: I feel like all journalism is important, sharing stories and shining a light…
Read MoreHow journalists cover crime and policing in the wake of Ferguson
By Reade Levinson Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri changed the way journalists cover law enforcement. At the 2016 IRE Conference in New Orleans, civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson joined reporters Oliver Laughland of the Guardian US, Errin Haines Whack of the Associated Press, and Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post to discuss what’s next…
Read MoreA conversation with Francisco Vara-Orta of the University of Missouri
At the IRE Conference in New Orleans, 2016 Knight Scholar Arriana McLymore spoke with attendee Francisco Vara-Orta, a graduate student at the University of Missouri. McLymore: What interested you in journalism? Vara-Orta: My mother always had newspapers in the house. We didn’t always have the money to buy certain things, but she would say that…
Read MoreBest practices for investigating litigious billionaires
By Taeler De Haes We live in a world of billionaires who exert quite a bit of influence over our lives, especially as reporters. At the recent IRE Conference in New Orleans, a panel of investigative journalists discussed getting sued by billionaires, including Donald Trump. They gave tips on how to bulletproof their work, defend…
Read MoreSeven elected to IRE Board of Directors
IRE members elected seven new directors to the IRE board on Saturday evening at the organization’s annual conference in New Orleans. The newly elected members are: Sarah Cohen, The New York Times; Andrew Donohue, Reveal + The Center for Investigative Reporting; Ellen Gabler, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Jill Riepenhoff, The Columbus Dispatch; Nicole Vap, KUSA-TV-Denver;…
Read MoreHow to find and use data to cover the lower courts
By Ashley Balcerzak Reporters write story after story about the vacant U.S. Supreme Court seat left by Antonin Scalia. But many news outlets overlook the benches in their local areas that can impact their communities much more directly: municipal courts. During the IRE panel “Do criminal and municipal courts treat defendants fairly?” Kendall Taggart from BuzzFeed News, Ted Gest…
Read MoreTips for small newsrooms and freelancers wanting to take on big investigations
By Reade Levinson How do you begin investigative reporting when you’re short on cash? Start by searching Google for documents tagged “confidential.” At the “Investigative Reporting on a Shoestring” panel, past and present freelancers — including Lee Fang from The Intercept, Kathryn Joyce, a freelance journalist and author of two books, Trevor Aaronson from the…
Read MoreIRE Conference schedule changes and updates
2016 IRE Conference Addendum Thursday, June 16, 2016 Schedule changes and additions THURSDAY New! Welcome and overview of the conference 8:30-8:50 a.m. in Salon E IRE Staff NICAR Commons: How to enter (and win) a duPont Award 10:15-11:15 in Preservation Hall **Moderated by Lisa R. Cohen, Columbia Journalism School In this session, Lisa R.…
Read MoreWelcome to the 2016 IRE Conference
Welcome to the 2016 IRE Conference. Below are a few bits of information to help you prepare for this great conference! For the most up-to-date information about panels, speakers and special events at the conference, please visit our conference website at: https://www.ire.org/conferences/ire-2016/ Hotel information The conference is taking place at the New Orleans Marriott,…
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