If you fill out the "Forgot Password" form but don't get an email to reset your password within 5-10 minutes, please email logistics@ire.org for assistance.
The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more layoffs within the journalism industry. During these difficult times, IRE has started the Support a Journalist program to ensure members continue to have access to the IRE network and its resources.
Donations will be accepted to help fund memberships for professional and academic journalists who have been laid off, furloughed or whose position has been terminated within the last year.
If your professional or academic IRE membership expired anytime during or after March 2019 and you are currently laid off, furloughed or unemployed, please fill out this request form for the chance to receive assistance with your membership. The program is intended to help fund the memberships for those who sign up, not for a specific person. If you would like to pay for a specific person's membership, please fill out this form.
If you are in a position to support colleagues and help fund their memberships, please donate any amount online, or mail a check payable to IRE at 141 Neff Annex, UMC, Attn: Heather Feldmann Henry, Columbia, MO 65211 (write Support a Journalist in the memo field).
Your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
Annual memberships are $70 and provide access to thousands of tipsheets, exclusive databases, listservs, the IRE Journal magazine, premium reporting tools and much more.
IRE has taken additional steps during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure journalists have access to the resources they need to report on a topic that affects everyone. IRE is hosting a series of free webinars related to the pandemic and relaunching its NICAR-Learn library of data tool tutorials, with new videos and free access for one year.
If you have ideas of other ways IRE can help you or your newsroom during this time, please fill out our survey.
If you have questions, please email membership@ire.org.
IRE has taken several steps in recent weeks to deal with financial fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In early March, IRE decided to postpone all in-person workshops, data bootcamps and newsroom training. In addition, IRE has delayed its annual conference from June to late August. Those actions produced a projected deficit of $260,000 in IRE’s budget for the current fiscal year, which runs through June 30. Before the pandemic, IRE was on course to finish the fiscal year with a surplus.
Because of fiscal uncertainty that may continue for a year or longer, the Executive Committee of the IRE Board of Directors authorized participation in the Paycheck Protection Program. The program is designed for small businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic.
Through the program, IRE this week received a two-year loan of $233,453 from Commerce Bank in Columbia, Missouri, at an interest rate of 1 percent. The program carries no fees or prepayment penalties. The program, operated through the Small Business Administration, is designed to avoid layoffs and furloughs by reimbursing payroll costs for eight weeks. The loan amount is set by a mandated formula.
If, as planned, IRE maintains full-time staff levels through June 30, an estimated $187,000 of the loan will be forgiven. The remainder of the operating deficit will be covered by IRE reserve funds, which total $635,000.
“The coronavirus pandemic has created unprecedented disruption to IRE’s operations, including significant financial fallout,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. “As we navigate uncertainty that may continue into 2021, the Paycheck Protection Program has given IRE critical financial support.”
In response to financial uncertainty, IRE also has eliminated one part-time contract position, reduced hours in a second contract position and put plans on hold to hire a part-time financial assistant.
IRE also has been in discussions with funders about potential sponsorships of new and expanded digital offerings: the new webinar series, expanded NICAR-Learn collection of short video tutorials, and planned expansion of NICAR Courses for college educators and students.
“We know that our members are facing financial pressures, too, so we’re making the webinar series and NICAR-Learn video tutorials free for anyone for a full year,” said IRE Board President Cheryl W. Thompson. “These resources are available now to all journalists, professors and students -- not just IRE members. We hope they bring value during these turbulent times.”
IRE is relaunching its NICAR-Learn library of data tool tutorials, with new videos and free access for one year.
NICAR-Learn is a hub of almost 60 short, skill-based videos for journalists to learn tools, tricks and strategies for working with data. Unlike some online training platforms, you won’t find any hour-long webinars on the site. Instead, most videos are under 10 minutes and designed for journalists to quickly learn a skill on demand.
Access to NICAR-Learn typically costs $25 per year for IRE members and $40 for nonmembers. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, IRE is offering the service free for one year. Current subscribers will receive a free one-year extension. After a year, anyone may subscribe at the standard rates.
“During these uncertain economic times, IRE wants to be sure that journalists, students and professors have access to these tools,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said.
The videos are taught by IRE trainers and some of the most experienced data journalists in the business, including MaryJo Webster, Anthony DeBarros, Samantha Sunne and Alexandra Kanik.
Newly added videos include four on SQLite using the tool DB Browser. In addition, 10 videos focus on using the programming language Python, including how to install it on your computer, load and analyze data using Pandas, and understand basic syntax.
Other skills covered include Excel spreadsheets, DocumentCloud, OpenRefine, and visualization tools such as Carto and Tableau.
IRE will continue to update NICAR-Learn with new tools and skills. Let us know what you’d like to see by filling out this short survey.
Investigations that proved Russian jets bombed Syrian hospitals, documented dangerous solitary confinement of vulnerable immigrants, revealed conditions inside Amazon warehouses and uncovered sexual abuse of children are among the winners of the 2019 Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards.
“This year's entries were powerful examples of investigations that held institutions and people accountable,” said Jennifer LaFleur, an IRE board member and chair of the IRE Awards contest committee. “Many of the investigations also made use of innovative techniques, enabling them to do stories that could never be done before.”
Norberto Santana Jr., an IRE board member who also served as a contest judge, added: “At a time when trust in government is beyond strained, these entries really inspire in terms of these reporters' dedication to public service. Whether it's protecting vulnerable seniors, workers or kids, or preserving voting rights, or fighting corruption abroad or checking our own federal government's truthfulness on the fight against terrorism and the war in Afghanistan, reporters all across America and abroad are really stepping up to offer people real information they can use to stay informed and most importantly, get involved.
“That's the true power of investigative reporting,” Santana said. “It changes things. It allows people to get involved.”
This year’s winners were selected from more than 450 entries. The awards, given since 1979, recognize the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year. The contest covers 17 categories across media platforms and a range of market sizes.
The IRE Awards will be presented at a luncheon on August 28 at the 2020 IRE Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
Tom Renner Award (for covering organized crime or other criminal acts): “Plunder and Patronage in the Heart of Central Asia,” Radio Azattyk (RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz service), the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and Kloop, a Kyrgyz outlet. Due to multiple threats received by reporters and editors, the names of individual contributors are not disclosed.
Link to OCCRP series; Link to RFE/RL series
FOI Award: “The Afghanistan Papers: The Secret History of the War,” The Washington Post, Craig Whitlock
Link to Washington Post series
Print/Online Division I (tie):
“While the judges were impressed with all of the entries, they were unable to name just one winner in the Print/Online Division I category. We felt that both pieces were important and strong,” contest judge Ron Nixon said. "Both investigations saved lives in different ways."
Print/Online Division II:
“Beaten, then Silenced,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, Lisa Gartner
Link to Philadelphia Inquirer first story
Print/Online Division III: “At Risk: Boys & Girls Clubs and Sexual Abuse,” Hearst Connecticut Media, Lisa Yanick Litwiller, Hannah Dellinger, Viktoria Sundqvist, Meghan Friedmann, Peter Yankowski, Humberto Rocha, Tatiana Flowers
Link to Hearst Connecticut Media first story
Print/Online Division IV: “It’s Time For You to Die,” The Post and Courier, Jennifer Berry Hawes, Stephen Hobbs, Glenn Smith, Andrew Whitaker, Seanna Adcox
Link to The Post and Courier first story
Broadcast/Video Division I: "Syria Health Care Under Attack," The New York Times, Evan Hill and Christiaan Triebert
Link to The New York Times story
Broadcast/Video Division II: “Unwarranted,” WBBM-TV, Chicago, Dave Savini, Michele Youngerman, Samah Assad, Jeff Harris, Tiffani Lupenski, Marda LeBeau, Mike Klingele, Alif Muhammad, Deandre Taylor, Scott Wilson, Derek Dalton
Link to WBBM-TV story
Broadcast/Video Division III: “Fooling the Feds,” Fox45 News, Baltimore, Jeff Keene, Chris Papst, Carolyn Sachse, Dwayne Myers, Jed Gamber
Link to Fox45 News story
Broadcast/Video Division IV: “Patient Pain: The Massive Money in Medical Debt,” East Idaho News, Nate Eaton, Nate Sunderland, Mike Price
Link to East Idaho News story
Radio/Audio - Large: “Amazon: Behind the Smiles,” Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Will Evans, Katharine Mieszkowski, Taki Telonidis, Rachel de Leon, Kevin Sullivan, Najib Aminy, Andrew Donohue, Esther Kaplan, Matt Thompson, John Barth (PRX), Al Letson, Melissa Lewis, Hannah Young, Byard Duncan, David Rodriguez, Mwende Hinojosa, Jim Briggs, Fernando Arruda
Link to Reveal story
Radio/Audio - Small: “Prosecution Declined,” Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, Eleanor Klibanoff, Kate Howard, Laura Ellis
Link to the KYCIR story
Student - Large: “State of Emergency,” Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University, News21 staff
Link to News21 series
Student - Small: "Believe at your own risk," SUNY Stony Brook, Rachael Eyler
Link to SUNY Stony Brook series
Investigations Triggered by Breaking News: "Inside Texas' Botched Voter-Rolls Review," The Texas Tribune, Alexa Ura, Ryan Murphy, Matthew Watkins
Link to The Texas Tribune first story
IRE Award for Sports Investigations: “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Game Change,” HBO, Josh Fine, Bernie Goldberg, Nisreen Habbal, Tres Driscoll, Joe Perskie
Link to HBO story
Book: “Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Book” by Katherine Eban
Click here for a complete list of winners, finalists, judges and judges’ comments.
In early March, we put together a panel at the 2020 NICAR Conference on how to cover the response to COVID-19. Although much has changed in the past month, there were some key takeaways from the panel that will ring true throughout the pandemic.
Panelists Caroline Chen from ProPublica, Anna Barry-Jester from Kaiser Health News and Sarah Babcock from the New Orleans Health Department, offered four tips for how to cover the coronavirus outbreak.
1. Look at lab capacity when reporting on testing
From the beginning of this outbreak, the United States decided against using the World Health Organization’s test guidelines. Caroline Chen noticed the slow rollout of testing, and eventually realized that American tests weren’t working properly.
“I had noted that it was taking New York City still a couple days to get answers to their tests. At that point, they were still coming back negative,” Chen said.
The tests were later found to be faulty.
“That [decision to go with our own protocol] lost us a bunch of time,” she said.
The lack of testing allowed the virus to spread in the United States undetected, exposing many people to the coronavirus without the knowledge of health departments. If you want to look into testing in your own area, Chen suggested looking at capacity. If a lab only has one technician and that person can only do X number of tests a day, how many tests can they realistically run?
2. Pull inspection reports to see if hospitals were prepared for the outbreak
The United States, by many metrics, was underprepared for the coronavirus outbreak. The Trump administration closed the White House pandemic office well before the COVID-19 outbreak began, stunting the federal government’s ability to respond. But Sarah Babcock of the New Orleans Health Department said local and regional health agencies are ready for this kind of outbreak.
“We have infectious disease outbreaks every single day around the country. And so our response to COVID-19 is the same as a child with measles, just at a larger scale,” Babcock said.
The local health department is notified if an odd number of people start showing up in the hospital system, and it knows which symptoms are cropping up often in the community, Babcock said.
“Almost every [health department] is already going to have a flu pandemic or infectious disease outbreak plan on the shelf ready to go,” she said.
Hospitals were preparing for the crisis to hit the U.S., and Chen said you can pull past inspection reports to see whether they were adequately prepared.
“There is a specific citation that can be given by [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] inspectors or federal government inspectors, that the tag is infection control specifically,” she said.
You can ask experts to look at those tags and tell you whether the hospital is following proper protocols to protect health care workers and whether they’ve had recent training on personal protective equipment.
Reporters should keep an eye on local nursing homes for signs of the outbreak, Anna Barry-Jester said. One Washington nursing home was linked to 34 coronavirus deaths.
Kaiser Health News has a tool available to look at infection records in nursing homes across the U.S. Using the tool, you can quickly find the number of times homes in your city or state have been cited for infection control violations since 2017.
3. Be careful with statistics
Because testing is so limited, it’s hard to know what the actual fatality rates are for COVID-19.
“Not every person that has coronavirus is ever going to get tested,” Babcock said. “And there's never going to be a time where anyone who wants a coronavirus test can get a coronavirus test.”
The expected fatality rate has fluctuated significantly across time and location. In South Korea, which has expansive testing and a relatively mild rate of infection, death rates have remained much lower: just 0.6 percent. Italy, meanwhile, has limited testing and an elderly population, so its death rate is nearly 8 percent.
Chen also cautions against predictive statistics for infections. While epidemiologists are creating great models for how many infections there might be in a given city in the next few months, writing headlines with those numbers could cause a panic.
“People are just going to take that and run off in a panic,” Chen said. “So I just try not to do that. I think that's fear mongering.”
4. Health department officials can be the most reliable human sources
If you’re trying to find data about coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are obvious go-tos. But Chen also recommends the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
“They are very media friendly, and they're sort of aggregating information,” she said.
You can also look into public health associations, both regionally and nationally, Barry-Jester said. The American Public Health Association is one option, and it has regional offices across the country.
Johns Hopkins University has also put together a Coronavirus Resource Center that has updated information and stats.
When it comes to human sources, Babcock cautioned against using your local doctor as a health expert.
“They don't always have information that came out early that morning with the latest statistics or don't know the background that hasn't been released publicly yet,” she said. “The people who are going to know your most accurate and timely information are your health department officials.”
Babcock suggested interviewing public health officials, but said they’re often busy because of the outbreak. Instead of asking for individual interviews, she urged reporters to go to press conferences whenever they happen.
“I would say it is 1,000 times easier to get a written statement or a phone call than it is an in-person interview,” Babcock said.
You can find the tipsheet from the NICAR20 session here.
Although the IRE national conference has been postponed until late August, IRE will follow the same calendar as it has in recent years for board elections and the annual membership meeting.
Starting April 6, IRE will begin accepting applications for candidates for the IRE board of directors. This year seven of the board’s 13 seats are up for election. The initial filing period for candidates is April 6 – May 8. All candidates filing by this time will appear on the initial ballot when voting begins May 19. Information about each candidate will be posted online.
As is customary, a candidates forum will be held at 6 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 19 -- this year online via Zoom. Electronic online voting will be open until 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 20. Results will be announced after the IRE annual membership meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. EDT on June 20, also via Zoom. Full details may be found on the IRE 2020 Board Election page.
As in the past, candidates may join the campaign after the initial filing period. However, voting will have already begun, which could diminish a late-filing candidate’s chances of being elected. Candidates filing after the initial deadline will have their materials posted online two business days after submitting all of the required information.
In addition to candidates for the board of directors, the ballot also will include candidates for two slots on IRE’s Contest Committee, which judges the IRE Awards. Those interested in judging will apply using the same procedure as IRE Board candidates and will be selected on the same ballot. Contest Committee candidates’ information will also be available on the IRE website, but they do not participate in the board candidates forum.
The IRE board of directors will hold its regularly scheduled meeting from 2-5 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 18, via an online Zoom webinar. Members are welcome to attend virtually and may ask questions at the end of the meeting, as is customary.
In addition, newly elected board members will join the rest of the board for a brief reorganization meeting on Saturday evening, June 20, following the announcement of board election results. The only item of business for that meeting, which also is open to IRE members via Zoom, will be the election of officers.
The Hearst Foundations are contributing $50,000 to support IRE’s Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship.
The yearlong fellowship, which launched in 2019, is intended to prepare and support journalists of color for a solid career in investigative reporting. The program also provides an opportunity for the fellow’s news outlets to benefit from the fellow’s investigative skill-building. An underlying goal of the program is to increase the range of backgrounds, experiences and interests within the field of investigative journalism, where diverse perspectives are critically important. The fellow continues to work in the newsroom and carry the regular workload while also working on this investigative reporting project with a high level of support from IRE.
Hearst’s contribution will support funding for future fellowships, and applications will be available starting in October 2020. The fellowship is open to U.S journalists of color with at least three years of post-college work experience.
“Quality investigative reporting plays a critical role across the country,” said Hearst Foundations Executive Director Paul Dinovitz. “Helping journalists develop investigative skills has been IRE's mission from day one. Part of IRE’s work is diversifying newsrooms’ staffs to accurately portray the communities they cover. To that end, IRE recently launched the Journalists of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship. The Hearst Foundations are pleased to support IRE in this endeavor.”
CNN, Gray Television, ABC News and ESPN have committed financial support of the program within the last year. More news organizations are encouraged to support the fellowship and interested news organizations may contact Chris Vachon, IRE director of partnerships, at chris@ire.org.
More than $25,000 has been raised for the program from individuals in the last two years. To donate securely online, go here (type “JOC fellowship” in the “specify a fund” field).
“At IRE, we’re determined to do all that we can to help more journalists of color succeed as investigative journalists,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. “Readers and viewers across America benefit when more watchdog reporters reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of their communities.”
The 2020 fellows are Sameea Kamal of the Los Angeles Times, Josh McGhee of The Chicago Reporter and Monica Velez of The Fresno Bee. The 2019 fellow is Bracey Harris of the Hechinger Report. Harris’s investigation published in The Hechinger Report and The Clarion-Ledger in February 2020.
Learn more about IRE fellowships and scholarships here.
During the coronavirus crisis, IRE is offering a series of webinars and recorded trainings to help our members and all journalists in these unprecedented times.
The webinars are free and open to IRE members and non-member journalists, students and educators. IRE is committed to bringing all journalists the training they need to help cover the crisis and take care of themselves as they inform their communities. The webinars are provided through a generous sponsorship of the Inasmuch Foundation (formerly Excellence and Ethics in Journalism).
We will list the trainings here, along with details on how to join them live or view recordings after the events. This page will be continually updated as we confirm new events and add recordings of previous events.
You can also tell us what other types of training you’d like to see during these times by filling out our quick survey.
You are as important as the work
Speakers: Mar Cabra of OdiseIA and Acumen; Kim Brice of Grace & Grit; and Benét J. Wilson of The Points Guy and Aviation Queen LLC. Sisi Wei and Ryan Pitts of OpenNews and Denise Malan of IRE will moderate.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded June 26, 2020.
Description: Taking care of yourself is not a self-indulgence, it’s a necessity for doing your best work and sustaining the work that you are passionate about. During this time of enormous disruption and uncertainty, journalists are battling on multiple fronts: Keeping up with the two major stories COVID-19 and racial justice protests, while also fighting for change in their newsrooms and dealing with high levels of stress or even trauma from all of the above. Come to this session to press pause and reflect on how you’re coping with these situations. You’ll learn some practical tips to take better care of yourself, and to support your colleagues in doing so as well.
Resources: Tipsheet here.
Summer Means Sunlight: Investigative angles on education stories in the COVID-19 era
Speakers: Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street Journal; Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report; and Krista Torralva of San Antonio Express-News. Emily Richmond of the Education Writers Association and Francisco Vara-Orta of IRE will moderate.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded June 25, 2020.
Description: The pandemic is causing an unprecedented disruption to the education of millions of students nationwide, with more questions than answers. Whether you are an education beat reporter or are interested in investigating schools, colleges or universities, what are the stories this summer amid COVID-19 you can be working on?
Come learn about some of the most pressing education issues to cover and what's ahead. And learn about key areas investigative journalists and beat reporters should be digging into before the new academic year begins: K-12 school district governance, education budgets, and oversight of colleges and universities. What records should you be requesting? What roadblocks may arise? Come with your questions!
This webinar is co-hosted by Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and Education Writers Association (EWA).
Resources: Tipsheet here
How to create a more inclusive newsroom
Speakers: Maria Carrillo of the Tampa Bay Times; Julia B. Chan of KQED News, San Francisco; and Matt Thompson of Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Martin Reynolds of the Maynard Institute and Francisco Vara-Orta of IRE will moderate.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded June 4, 2020.
Description: Are you serious about making sure newsrooms and their work reflects the communities we cover? Especially as COVID-19 disproportionately affects historically marginalized people - and on the cusp of an election impacted by racism?
Earlier this year, the IRE Journal devoted an entire issue to diversity and inclusion in the investigative and data journalism space. It was spurred in part by a panel discussion at our 2019 national conference in Houston focused on helping retain journalists of color and others underrepresented in the field and which went viral on social media for its low attendance.
The IRE Journal issue's centerpiece resurfaced some of what was missed in that Houston conference panel, and now we're offering this webinar for journalists to come listen and ask questions of experts on what it's really like for people working to keep journalism relevant in a changing nation by pushing for more inclusive newsrooms to meet the needs of their audiences and responsibilities as watchdogs.
Resources: Tipsheet here.
Investigating the stimulus
Speakers: Philip Mattera, Good Jobs First; Ben Popken, NBC News; Cheryl W. Thompson, NPR
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 21, 2020.
Description: The CARES Act is a $2 trillion stimulus bill with aid for workers and businesses, but the government hasn't released many details about which businesses are receiving loans. Learn how reporters and watchdog organizations are tracking the dollars, and how their work can help you cover stimulus spending in your own community
Resources: Tipsheet here.
Sourcing during the time of COVID
Speakers: Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times; Nicole Carr, WSB-Atlanta; Laura Morel, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting; Beena Raghavendran, ProPublica
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 19, 2020.
Description: When you can't take the best sourcing advice (get out of the office, meet with people in person, etc), how do you find and cultivate sources? Join this webinar to learn unique and innovative ways to get ahold of sources and convince them to talk.
Resources: Tipsheet here
IRE chat: Kat McGrory on how politics can influence COVID-19 data
Speakers: Kat McGrory, deputy investigations editor at the Tampa Bay Times; interview conducted by IRE training director Cody Winchester
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 13, 2020.
Description: For decades, Florida medical examiners have released a list of statewide deaths, including recent deaths attributed to the COVID-19 virus. After the Tampa Bay Times wrote a story pointing out that the medical examiners' list was about 10 percent larger than the list touted by the state department of health, which uses a different method to tally COVID-19 deaths, the public was blocked from seeing the medical examiners' list -- a longstanding public record. Listen to this interview to hear what happened next and pick up some tips on navigating the politics of this data in your market.
Behind the story: Tracking COVID-19 in nursing homes
Speakers: Tyler Dukes of WRAL; Emily Featherston of WECT; Nick Ochsner of WBTV; Jordan Schrader of the News & Observer; Lucille Sherman of the News & Observer; and Frank Taylor of Carolina Public Press
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 12, 2020.
Description: As the coronavirus tears through nursing homes in North Carolina, state officials have refused to identify facilities with outbreaks. Reporters from six local news organizations teamed up to challenge this policy and investigate the situation. Hear from the reporting team about what made the collaboration work and pick up some tips on pursuing a similar investigation in your market.
Resources: Tipsheet here.
Behind the story: Government accountability
Speakers: Willoughby Mariano, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Aneri Pattani, Spotlight PA; Steven Rich, The Washington Post
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 7, 2020.
Description: Learn how to hold public officials accountable from journalists who are doing it in their COVID-19 reporting. We'll cover story strategies that show how past budget cuts are affecting reopening efforts in Pennsylvania, how published data from Georgia's Department of Public Health is causing confusion and how you can use data compiled by The Washington Post to find public companies who have reported receiving money from the Paycheck Protection Program.
Resources: Tipsheet here.
For students: How to best prepare for summer and beyond with or without an internship amid COVID-19
Speakers: Norma Guerra Gaier, University of Texas; Linda Shockley, Dow Jones News Fund; Chip Mahaney, The E.W. Scripps Co.
Watch: The recording of the video can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded May 1, 2020.
Description: By now, students would be finalizing plans for a summer internship and looking forward to getting into their first newsroom. But due to COVID-19 concerns, students are instead seeing internship opportunities dry up altogether, or will have a very different experience likely having to work remote. Learn from experts on how to make the most out of this summer to keep you on the journalism career-bound track.
Resources: Tipsheet here.
So you manage a remote team now
Speakers: Kate Howard, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting; Mark Rochester, Type Investigations; and Liz Roldan, CBS Miami. Audrey Cooper of the San Francisco Chronicle will moderate the panel.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting “English CC.” Recorded April 29, 2020.
Description: With many journalists working from home, newsroom managers are having to adapt to new workflows while supervising remote teams. Learn some tips on handling the transition from folks who managed remote teams before the pandemic -- and from folks like you who are learning as they go.
Resources: View the tipsheet here.
Behind the story: Covering populations vulnerable to COVID-19
Speakers: Keri Blakinger, The Marshall Project; Samah Assad, CBS2 Chicago; Nicole Foy, Idaho Statesman; and Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 27, 2020.
Description: Amid all the story angles of COVID-19, those marginalized in our nation's history likely could be so again — as data already shows them disproportionately affected by the virus. Learn from journalists who are covering some of the country's most vulnerable populations and how you can do so as well. We'll discuss covering communities of color, the elderly, immigrants and the undocumented, as well as those in prison and jail and others who work in those facilities.
Resources: Tipsheet here and slides here.
Investigating higher ed amid COVID-19
Speakers: Elizabeth Brixey, Missouri School of Journalism; Michael Vasquez, Chronicle of Higher Education; Shera Avi-Yonah, The Harvard Crimson; and Mike Hiestand, SPLC's senior legal counsel. Hosted by David Herzog, IRE & Missouri School of Journalism; Sarah Hutchins, IRE; Denise Malan, IRE.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 22, 2020.
Description: Student journalists can dig deep when covering their own campuses, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Learn how to investigate higher education with a focus on essential data and documents. Also, hear about higher ed stories that can be done in any newsroom. This webinar was part of the IRE-Mizzou Watchdog Series, a monthly seminar in partnership with the Missouri School of Journalism.
Resources: View the tipsheet here.
Covering job losses and economic fallout from coronavirus
Speakers: Paul Overberg, The Wall Street Journal; Keith Taylor, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 15, 2020.
Description: The economic toll from the coronavirus pandemic is hard to fathom. This session will cover finding data to quantify and dig into the economic fallout, as well as finding the human stories to illustrate the staggering toll. Panelists will show how to find and use economic data from the St. Louis Fed, how to dig into WARN reports of layoffs in your state, and crowdsourcing to find human sources, especially among vulnerable populations.
Resources: View the tipsheet here.
Fact-checking coronavirus stories
Co-hosted with Society of Professional Journalists
Speakers: Rachana Pradhan, Kaiser Health News; Samantha Sunne, independent journalist; Cristina Tardáguila, International Fact Checking Network; Claire Wardle, First Draft News
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 9, 2020.
Description: The coronavirus pandemic has created a steady stream of misinformation on social media, questionable websites and from political leaders across the globe. Learn from fact-checking and health reporting pros on how to find and verify facts, track hoaxes and the spread of misinformation, and ultimately bring your audiences the high-quality, fact-based reporting they need.
Resources: View the tipsheet here.
IRE Chat: Janine Zacharia on covering disinformation
Speakers: Janine Zacharia, journalist and lecturer at Stanford University; interview conducted by IRE training director Cody Winchester.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 6, 2020.
Description: Zacharia discusses the recommendations in her new report, written with Stanford colleague Andrew Grotto, on how journalists can report on disinformation and propaganda responsibly. The 10-point playbook includes recommendations for newsrooms on developing social media guidelines, protocols for determining the origin of viral content and more.
Finding COVID-19 data and responsible context
Co-hosted with Reynolds Journalism Institute
Speakers: Caroline Chen, ProPublica; Armand Emamdjomeh, The Washington Post; Jennifer LaFleur, American University/The Investigative Reporting Workshop; and Cheryl Phillips of Big Local News at Stanford University. Hosted by Kat Duncan of Reynolds Journalism Institute and Denise Malan of IRE.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player. Recorded April 3.
Description: Panelists will address where journalists can find accurate data about COVID-19, share advice for using the data within larger context responsibly and ways to deliver that information to communities in easily understandable formats for the greatest impact.
Resources: View the tipsheet here.
Fighting for open records during the COVID-19 crisis
Co-hosted with Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Speakers: Adam Marshall and Gunita Singh, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Jason Leopold, BuzzFeed News; hosted by Denise Malan of IRE
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded April 1.
Description: Panelists will discuss specific records to ask for to investigate coronavirus response at all levels of government, and resources to help push back against agencies that say they can't fill requests during this crisis. Bring your questions.
This webinar is co-hosted by IRE and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which is gathering and continually updating legal resources for reporters covering the crisis here: https://www.rcfp.org/covid-19-resource/.
Resources: View the tipsheet with tips and resources mentioned on the call, plus answers to additional questions
TV and radio broadcasting from home
Co-hosted with RTDNA
Speakers: Eric Flack, investigative reporter at WUSA9 Washington; Danielle Leigh, investigative reporter at ABC7 New York/WABC; and Lee Zurik, director of investigations for Gray Television and chief investigative reporter at WVUE in New Orleans. Hosted by Cindy Galli, chief of investigative projects for ABC News and Denise Malan, deputy executive director of IRE
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded March 28, 2020.
Description: Step inside the living rooms of veteran local TV and radio investigative reporters to see how they've adapted to "work from home." So how do you do it? How are we all broadcasting from home? What do you need gear-wise? What are best practices for Skype interviews? How do you make TV or radio without a studio? Can you actually create a green screen in your apartment? (Hint: yes, we've done it). Join IRE and RTDNA members for an informal chat as we all swap ideas and navigate a new normal together.
Resources: View the tipsheet with all the apps, tools and tips mentioned in the webinar here
How journalists can fight stress from covering COVID-19
Speakers: Al Tompkins of Poynter and Sidney Tompkins, licensed psychotherapist; hosted by IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded March 25, 2020.
Description: Al Tompkins of Poynter and Sidney Tompkins, a licensed psychotherapist, have been working with newsrooms to help journalists manage traumatic stress. Now, with nonstop coverage of the coronavirus spread, self-quarantines and economic fallout, journalists are facing an unprecedented amount of stress. Al and Sidney will give a short presentation and then talk with attendees about the challenges they face and strategies to cope.
Other resources mentioned during the webinar: Poynter post about taking care of yourself while covering coronavirus, by Al and Sidney Tompkins. Poynter post including links to articles about avoiding weight gain while working from home.
IRE Chat: Getting the most out of interviewing from home
Speakers: Fernanda Santos, former New York Times journalist and professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University; interview conducted by IRE Editorial Director Madison Fleck.
Watch: The recording can be viewed here. Closed captioning is available by clicking the CC button in the bottom right of the player and selecting "English CC." Recorded March 24, 2020.
Description: Fernanda Santos has been working through workarounds for interviewing with her journalism students at Arizona State University. She shares her tips on how to still get the most out of interviews and how to get to know sources, even when reporting virtually.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the #IRE20 national conference has been rescheduled for Aug. 27-30. The conference will be held in the same location: the Gaylord National hotel in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
Government bans on large gatherings and uncertainty about travel led IRE to delay the conference, which had been set for June 18-21. By late August, we hope that our gathering can take place, bringing together investigative journalists eager to learn from one another.
“We appreciate your understanding and support of IRE and our shared mission during these tumultuous times,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. “Together, we’ll persevere through this pandemic.”
For those who already have signed up for the conference, your registration will automatically transfer to the August event. If you cannot attend in August, you may cancel your registration with no fees by emailing logistics@ire.org.
The nightly hotel room rate and resort fee will stay the same for the new dates. All reservations for June will be canceled, and any deposits paid will be refunded to your method of payment on file within 7-10 business days. A new link for reservations for August will be available soon.
Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns: info@ire.org.
If you’d like to receive updates on #IRE20 as we adjust plans, please sign up for our 2020 IRE Conference email list.
IRE Watchdog Workshops scheduled this spring in Miami, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City will be postponed because of the rapidly shifting landscape involving coronavirus.
Workshop registration fees will be refunded for those who already have registered. IRE will work with its workshop hosts to reschedule the training events.
“There’s too much uncertainty about travel and the spread of COVID-19 for us to move forward with these workshops,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. “We expect to have more information in coming weeks that will help us assess other IRE events such as data journalism boot camps.”
Plans continue for the IRE national conference June 18-21 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. The health of our members remains our paramount concern.
At this point, we expect the conference to proceed as scheduled.
“With three months remaining before the kickoff of #IRE20, it’s too early to make any decision about changing plans for the conference,” Haddix said.
In coming weeks, IRE will closely track developments connected to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with state and local governments to implement aggressive measures to prevent the spread of this new coronavirus. The CDC has a COVID-19 page online with full details. The Share Facts, Not Fear page is especially helpful.
IRE will provide updates as events warrant. Subscribe to our special IRE20 email list to get updates on the conference as they’re announced.
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