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Investigative Reporters and Editors is pleased to announce that the organization is partnering with three major airlines to provide discounts for those flying to California for the IRE24 conference in Anaheim June 20-23.
"In this tumultuous time for the journalism industry, we at IRE are doing everything we can to ensure that our best-in-class training is accessible and affordable for all reporters and editors,” said IRE Board President Brian M. Rosenthal. “We know that our members are facing enormous financial pressures, and we are committed to finding creative solutions to better serve their needs."
Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are the three companies that are offering the discounts for IRE24. The discounts are the result of work by Rosenthal and the board’s Affordability Task Force, chaired by Mark Katches of the Tampa Bay Times. The task force has been meeting regularly to discuss and develop recommendations for ways to reduce costs for those who need help to attend IRE conferences and other events.
Early-bird registration for the conference is open until April 22. The airline discounts are now available following the instructions below.
Alaska Airlines is offering a discount of 5 percent off published fares for those traveling to IRE24 from anywhere Alaska Airlines / Horizon Air flies in the continental 48 states (does not include Alaska or Hawaii) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA) or Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).
Travel must take place between June 14- 27.
Request the special discount code by sending an email to logistics@ire.org. After receiving the discount code, go to alaska.air.com to book your flight.
Check baggage policies prior to travel.
Delta Air Lines is offering special discounts for those traveling to IRE24 from anywhere around the world that Delta serves to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA), Long Beach Airport (LGB) or Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). Discounts range from 2 percent for the lowest fares to 10 percent for domestic business and first class fares and other discounts in between up to 25 percent for the highest transatlantic fares.
Travel must take place between June 14-28.
Click here to book your flights. Discounts will be applied automatically when you book. You may also call Delta Meeting Network® at 1-800-328-1111 Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (EST) and refer to meeting event code NY3AS to book your flight. There is NO service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via the reservation 800 number.
Check baggage policies prior to travel.
Southwest Airlines is offering a discount of 2 percent to 5 percent depending on fare category for those traveling to IRE24 from any airport Southwest serves to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Long Beach Airport (LGB), Ontario Airport (ONT) or John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA).
Travel must take place between June 17-26.
Click here to book your flight. Discounts will be applied automatically when the fares are listed. Rapid Rewards members also will receive 25 percent bonus miles.
First two checked bags are free.
(March 6, 2024) COLUMBIA, Missouri — Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), the largest professional journalism association in the United States, is launching a new initiative to mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of its founding.
The nonprofit organization, which will reach the milestone in 2025, has created a special task force to plan events to celebrate the occasion.
“Since 1975, IRE has played a crucial role in fostering investigative journalism that has informed the public, held leaders accountable and ultimately made the world better,” said IRE President Brian M. Rosenthal, an investigative reporter at The New York Times. “Now it is time to honor that storied history – and lay a foundation for our next 50 years, and beyond.”
IRE began as a collaborative effort to encourage high-quality investigative reporting during a hotly competitive time in the industry in the wake of the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The founders chose the name IRE in part because they thought it was fitting for a group of impassioned investigators.
The fledgling organization solidified after one of its early members, Don Bolles of the Arizona Republic, was murdered in 1976 while reporting on an investigation and other members banded together from across the country to finish his work.
The new task force will be co-chaired by former IRE President David Boardman, dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, and Tisha Thompson, an investigative reporter at ESPN and longtime IRE leader.
“This is an opportunity to celebrate the profound impact of IRE in its first five decades, and to build a foundation for the next five decades,” Boardman said. “I’m excited and honored to be a part of this.”
“I credit IRE/NICAR and its membership for so much of my professional success,” Thompson said. “I am honored to work with David and the other incredible journalists on this task force to celebrate IRE’s history, its bright future, and a remarkable fellowship of journalists helping journalists.”
The task force includes 15 other distinguished reporters and editors from all corners of the industry, a diverse list of some of the world’s top journalists. Their bios are below.
IRE is looking for additional volunteers to support this effort. Boardman and Thompson are planning to create subcommittees to work on various aspects of the initiative. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact president@ire.org
If you would like to donate to honor IRE’s 50th Anniversary, please go to ire.org/donate and specify that your donation is for the anniversary.
Investigative Reporters and Editors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It has nearly 5,000 members, making it the largest professional journalism organization in the U.S.
Members of the IRE 50th Anniversary Task Force:
David Boardman, a co-chair of the Task Force, is the dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. Previously he was the executive editor of The Seattle Times. He served on the IRE Board of Directors between 1997 and 2007, including two terms as the IRE President.
Tisha Thompson, a co-chair of the Task Force, is an investigative reporter at ESPN. Previously she was an investigative reporter at several local television stations in the Washington, D.C., area. She attended her first IRE Conference as a high schooler in 1993 and has played a leadership role in the organization since the early 2000s.
Helena Bengtsson is data journalism editor at Gota Media, a publishing company with 13 titles in Sweden. Previously she worked at Sweden’s national television broadcaster and served as editor of data projects at The Guardian in the U.K. She has frequently helped with organizing NICAR, the annual data journalism conference run by IRE.
Ashley Brown is a senior editor at All Things Considered at NPR. Previously she worked as a producer at ABC News on This Week and in local television news. She was an IRE Philip L. Graham Fellowship recipient in 2013.
Len Downie is a professor at the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University. Previously he worked for 44 years at the Washington Post, including 17 years as the executive editor. He is a co-founder of IRE and one of the original nine members of the Board of Directors. He also served on the Board between 2009 and 2015.
Cindy Galli is the Executive Producer of the Investigative Unit at ABC News. Previously she was on the investigative team at Inside Edition and ABC’s local station in San Francisco. She has served on the IRE Board of Directors since 2019, including a stint as the IRE Vice President.
Manny Garcia is the executive editor of the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA Today Network at Gannett. Previously he ran newspapers in Florida. He served on the IRE Board of Directors from 2006 to 2014, including a stint as the IRE President.
Rick Gevers is the owner of Rick Gevers & Associates, which represents many broadcast journalists across the United States. Previously he worked as a local television news director. He has served on the IRE Board of Directors since 2023.
Dianna Hunt is national editor at Indian Country Today, a daily digital news platform that covers the Indigenous world. Previously she was an editor at newspapers in Texas. She served on the IRE Board of Directors between 2003 and 2008.
Ron Nixon is the vice president for investigations, enterprise, partnerships and grants at the Associated Press. Previously he was a reporter at The New York Times. He worked on the IRE Staff as a training director from 2000 to 2003.
Brian M. Rosenthal is an investigative reporter at The New York Times. Previously he worked as a local reporter in Texas and Washington State. He has served on the IRE Board of Directors since 2019, and he is currently the IRE President.
Jim Steele is a retired investigative journalist and author who wrote many iconic stories while at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Time and Vanity Fair. He is one of four people ever to win the IRE Founder’s Award for his contributions to the organization and the industry.
Lea Thompson is a retired investigative journalist who worked for 14 years as the chief consumer correspondent at NBC News. She served on the IRE Board of Directors between 2006 and 2013, including a stint as the IRE Treasurer.
Sisi Wei is the editor-in-chief of The Markup, a nonprofit news publication focused on the impact of technology on society. Previously she worked as a news app developer and editor at ProPublica. She served on the IRE Governance Committee.
Christine Willmsen is the managing editor for investigations at WBUR, the public radio station in Boston. Previously she was an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times and a Nieman Fellow. She is a frequent speaker at IRE conferences and other events.
Rick Yarborough is senior producer at WRC-TV, the NBC station in Washington, D.C. He previously worked at several other local television stations in D.C. and the Carolinas. He is a frequent speaker at IRE conferences and other events.
Lee Zurik is the chief investigative reporter at Fox 8 New Orleans and the vice president of investigations at Gray TV. He previously worked at several stations across the South. He served on the IRE Board of Directors between 2016 and 2020, including a stint as the IRE Vice President.
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) shares in the disappointment and sadness across our industry in the wake of recent layoffs at well-known traditional news outlets and in many smaller markets, which have received less attention but are just as devastating.
The cutbacks hurt journalism’s mission to inform the public. Yet, while fewer resources are disheartening, we cannot give up. There is a reason why the founders of the United States saw fit to include journalists in the First Amendment, and we at IRE are marshaling our resources and offering our strongest support to our colleagues, whose work is the very foundation of democracy.
From its beginnings in 1975, IRE has maintained a network of like-minded, fearless journalists who help each other in times of need, be it debugging a bit of code or finding a new job. And IRE members continue to do that today.
Here are some specific ways that IRE members can help today:
Investigative Reporters and Editors is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative journalism. IRE was started in 1975 with the goal of providing a forum for journalists throughout the world to share story ideas, news sources and newsgathering and data analyzing techniques. Its first conference was in 1976. It continues to educate, empower and connect journalists today, now with three conferences annually: NICAR in the spring, IRE in the summer and AccessFest, an all-virtual conference in the fall designed to increase accessibility and affordability of IRE’s top-of-the-line training. Members also have access to workshops and webinars throughout the year, as well as thousands of tipsheets and other resources online. The IRE network is thriving, with members reaching out to each other regularly online to resolve individual technical and content issues. If you’re not yet a member, join IRE here.
The life of Phil Meyer, a giant in data journalism and an IRE legend, will be celebrated Saturday, Dec. 2, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
A funeral service will be held at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception and celebration.
Meyer died Saturday, Nov. 4, at home in Carrboro, North Carolina, surrounded by family.
He was 93.
Meyer was professor emeritus and former Knight Chair of Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“He maintained his humor, grace and mild-mannered reporter’s sense of curiosity and calm till the end,” said Sarah Meyer, one of his daughters.
Meyer died of complications of Parkinson’s disease. He recently had a happy celebration of his 93rd birthday with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, family members said.
The professor and journalist pioneered the use of social science methods to improve reporting and authored numerous books, including the seminal “Precision Journalism.” Earlier this year, IRE celebrated the 50th anniversary of the book at NICAR23 in Nashville.
“Phil was a pioneer in data journalism, who brought higher standards to reporting through data analysis and his own brilliant conceptual thinking,” said Brant Houston, a longtime friend and himself an author of textbooks and the Knight Chair of Investigative Journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“He instructed and inspired students and journalists throughout the world and leaves a deep legacy in the profession.”
Meyer was one of the early proponents of using data analysis for investigative journalism. In a groundbreaking story, he analyzed survey research about the 1967 deadly riot in Detroit to show that college-educated people were just as likely as high school dropouts to have participated in the riot.
His work on the riot helped earn the Detroit Free Press a Pulitzer Prize for local spot news reporting.
Meyer has received numerous awards over the years, and one of journalism’s highest honors is named after him.
IRE’s global Philip Meyer Journalism Award, established in 2005, recognizes the best journalism that uses the social science research methods pioneered by Meyer.
“Phil Meyer embodied all that makes the investigative journalism community great — brilliance, creativity, thoroughness and generosity,” said IRE President Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times. “We will miss him, but we know that his legacy lives on in countless IRE Members and other data journalists around the world.”
Meyer was widely recognized as a consummate educator, who enjoyed sharing his passion for numbers and making things better for fellow journalists the world over, including at IRE bootcamps about statistics and mapping.
“He will be remembered for his kindness and patience in his teaching along with a wry sense of humor that made new methods and ways of thinking much easier to learn,” Houston said.
That even-tempered nature was a hallmark of Meyer’s personality, his colleagues said.
“He was very precise and patient,” said Jennifer LaFleur, veteran journalist and now assistant professor of data journalism at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. LaFleur met Meyer when she was a trainer at IRE, studying and working with him. “He was able to seamlessly weave stories of his work in newspapers and his work doing analysis into something we were trying to learn that was much harder, which I think made it a lot easier to learn,” LaFleur said.
Prior to entering academia in 1981, Meyer was a reporter for 26 years, including stints at the Miami Herald, Detroit Free Press and the Akron Beacon Journal.
Meyer is survived by his daughters Kathy (Steve) Lucente, Melissa (the late Thal Massey Jr.) Meyer and Sarah (Teddy Salazar) Meyer and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Quail Meyer, and daughter Caroline Dalton Meyer.
To honor Meyer, contributions may be made to The Fund for PhD Education and Enhancement in memory of Phil Meyer by sending to UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, Attention Danita Morgan; CB#3365, UNC Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3365.
Contributions also may be made to Investigative Reporters and Editors at www.ire.org/donate or to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press at www.rcfp.org. Put "Phil Meyer" in the tribute line.
The new president of the IRE Board of Directors is Brian M. Rosenthal, investigative reporter at The New York Times.
Previously, Rosenthal served as treasurer.
The 13-member Board of Directors elected new officers for 2023-24 on June 30, 2023.
The new vice president is Josh Hinkle, director of investigations and innovation at KXAN in Austin, Texas. Previously, Hinkle served as secretary.
The board elected Mark Greenblatt as treasurer. Greenblatt is executive editor of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Before taking on his new position at ASU, Greenblatt was the senior national investigative correspondent at Scripps News in Washington, D.C., for 10 years.
The new secretary is Darla Cameron, managing editor for visual journalism at the Texas Tribune. The new At-large Officer is Lam Thuy Vo, a reporter at The Markup and associate data journalism professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York.
As immediate past president, Mark Walker, investigative reporter at The New York Times, will continue to serve on the IRE Executive Committee in an advisory role as Chairman of the Board.
Officers serve one-year terms. All board members serve two-year terms; six are elected one year and seven the next year. Six seats were up for election this year.
Cameron, Greenblatt, Vo and Walker are in the second year of their two-year terms on the board.
Rosenthal and Hinkle were reelected in this year’s board elections to another two-year term. Board members Cindy Galli and Jodie Fleischer also were reelected to two-year terms on the board in this year’s elections.
Two new board members were elected: Hyuntaek “Tag” Lee, an assistant editor at The Chosun Ilbo, a major newspaper in Seoul, South Korea, and Ana Ley, a reporter at The New York Times.
The results of the 2023 elections were announced at IRE23 in Orlando, Florida, on June 24.
Former board members Neena Satija, investigative reporter at the Houston Chronicle, and Barbara Rodriguez, state politics and voting reporter at The 19th*, ended their two-year terms in June. They chose not to seek reelection and were honored for their service at the IRE23 Awards Luncheon on June 24.
Investigative Reporters & Editors celebrates its new mission statement on diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion, adopted unanimously by the IRE Board of Directors on June 14.
The statement reaffirms IRE’s commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment at all its events and meetings.
“We believe a diverse and inclusive space helps secure a strong future for our organization,” said IRE President Mark Walker. “All our members and partners can be assured that IRE takes its commitment to diversity seriously.”
While IRE has had a code of conduct in place for several years, board members saw a need for IRE to develop a separate document underscoring its DBEI principles amid growing concerns about hostile environments for journalists, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
The move is particularly timely as the organization prepares for its annual flagship conference in Orlando, Florida, where there has been a backlash against inclusivity and high-profile attacks on LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.
“At a time of such political uncertainty, IRE wants to reiterate its support for members of intersecting identities and backgrounds,” said Barbara Rodriguez, chair of the IRE Diversity & Inclusion Committee and a board member. “Let our message with this mission statement be clear: IRE is committed to being a safe and welcoming organization.”
In response to IRE members’ feedback over legislation in the state of Florida targeting the LGBTQ+ community, the board issued a statement May 11 reaffirming IRE23 as a safe space for those most directly affected. The board has also worked with the staff and members to put together a guide for programming sessions and community activities that offers support and guidance to attendees navigating this developing situation. The guide includes businesses, including restaurants and entertainment venues, owned by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
This is the complete statement approved by the board June 14, now included on the IRE website:
IRE strives to reflect diversity and inclusion in all of its efforts and offerings. It is a foundational value, as a diverse membership strengthens our organization and produces higher-quality journalism that more accurately reflects the communities we serve. By centering inclusivity — both in our public programming and internal staffing policies — we help sustain IRE’s future and ensure that our members thrive as journalists, educators and students.
American journalism is in a state of flux, with a decline in newsroom employment that can limit what stories are told and who has the opportunity to tell them. That threatens diversity in an industry that still does not reflect the diversity of the nation. IRE is committed to taking practical steps to address the ongoing impact of such growing inequality within the industry. IRE will maintain the necessary data collection to assure membership of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
IRE develops programming, networking opportunities and training to create a safe space for all journalists, including journalists of color, LGBTQ+ journalists, journalists of different gender identities, journalists with disabilities and journalists of different religious beliefs and spirituality. For IRE, inclusivity means welcoming and supporting people with intersecting identities and backgrounds. IRE seeks to maintain a discrimination-free organization where everyone can learn and be supported professionally — including at conferences and events held in states with evolving laws and legal protections.
For more information on all of IRE’s DBEI initiatives, see our diversity and inclusion page.
April 7, 2023
Contact: Executive Director Diana Fuentes, diana@ire.org
Investigative Reporters and Editors is profoundly disturbed by the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by Russian authorities.
Gershkovich is an experienced U.S. journalist assigned to cover important topics like Russian politics, the country's economy and the war in Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal has flatly denied the allegations leveled against Gershkovich and has emphasized that he was in Russia on assignment, reporting the news for the public.
"Arresting a journalist for doing his job is an intimidation tactic of the worst kind," said IRE President Mark Walker. "It's what authoritarian regimes do when the spotlight of truth starts shining too brightly. Like the Wall Street Journal and fellow journalism organizations, IRE stands in solidarity with Evan and urges his immediate release."
This week, IRE is holding its annual data journalism conference in Nashville. Some members have expressed concern about their safety in light of recent actions by lawmakers in Tennessee. Today, the IRE Executive Committee issued the following statement:
IRE is committed to serving and supporting all its members and maintaining a safe, discrimination-free organization where everyone can learn and be supported professionally.
IRE is also dedicated to evolving its practices to create a more diverse and inclusive community. We believe discrimination based on gender identity or expression is damaging. IRE should be a space for all members to thrive, including trans, non-binary and gender diverse people.
If you are feeling unsafe during the conference, please seek out an IRE staff or board member for further assistance. They are there to help.
We will continue listening to all members, responding to their input, and working to improve our trainings, conferences and other events with those perspectives in mind. IRE also has a Code of Conduct to address complaints of discriminatory or harassing behavior. We encourage members to reach out to the IRE board or executive director with further questions, and please review the organization’s recent DEI initiatives for additional details.
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