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The votes are in and the 2020 NICAR T-shirt has been selected!
Jan Diehm won our annual contest. You’ll be able to buy her design at the 2020 NICAR Conference in New Orleans. Any extra shirts will be available for purchase online in the IRE Store.
Thanks to everyone who entered designs and voted.
Submissions are now open for Lightning Talks to be featured at #NICAR20 in New Orleans!
Lightning Talks, which take place on the Friday afternoon of the conference, are five-minute talks about a particular tool, skill or piece of advice learned from working on stories. The goal is to teach some practical tips in a fun and entertaining way.
The talks began in 2010 and quickly grew into one of the most popular sessions at IRE’s annual data journalism conference. We now open a large room so that nearly all conference attendees can hear the talks.
The pitch form is open until Feb. 7. After that, members will be able to vote for their favorite ideas, and the 10 talks with the most votes will earn slots at the conference in New Orleans.
All conference attendees can pitch ideas, and we especially encourage women, journalists of color, those from smaller newsrooms and other underrepresented groups to submit talks. (If you’ve given a talk in recent years, we encourage you to take a year off to allow for new voices.)
Pitching and voting will be anonymous again this year. In years past, a pitch would be displayed alongside the person who submitted it. Last year we saw that anonymity encouraged a more diverse group of people to submit pitches and bring more focus to the content of the talk in the voting process.
What makes a good Lightning Talks pitch? In the spirit of IRE’s conferences, try to focus on teaching your fellow journalists a practical skill. Think of something you wish you had known when you started a project or a particular tool that helped you overcome a challenge.
The talks don’t have to be in-depth or super-advanced — remember you’ll only have five minutes, and yes, you will be timed!
If you have questions about Lightning Talks or the submission process, please contact Brittany Mayes at brittany.mayes@washpost.com or Christine Zhang, ychristinezhang@gmail.com.
The 2020 Lightning Talks are sponsored by Knight Foundation.
Multimedia journalist Madison Fleck has been named IRE’s new Editorial Director.
Since May 2017, Fleck has worked at ABC 17 in Columbia, Missouri, as a producer and content editor. She assigns stories and guides reporters; writes and edits stories for digital platforms and social media; and writes scripts. In addition, she is teaching a journalism class this semester at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Fleck earned a master’s degree in convergence journalism from the University of Missouri, where she worked for two years as managing editor and then as editor in chief of Vox Magazine, a weekly city magazine. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University, where she worked in several roles at The Daily Athenaeum newspaper, including editor in chief.
As Editorial Director, Fleck will serve as managing editor of the quarterly IRE Journal magazine. She also will oversee content on IRE’s website, social media channels, e-newsletters and IRE Radio podcast. She will supervise one part-time staff member and several part-time student workers.
“Madison is fluent across all platforms, which will help her hit the ground running for IRE,” said IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix. “Her mix of skills and experience involving a weekly print magazine, WordPress, social media, digital storytelling, newspapers and TV impressed us.”
Fleck, who begins her IRE job on March 2, will report to Haddix. She succeeds current Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins, who is transitioning to a new full-time role as an IRE trainer.
“Investigative journalism continues to be an imperative part of institutional oversight across the world,” Fleck said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the talented journalists at IRE and be part of highlighting investigative journalism on an international scale.”
Help us pick a T-shirt to sell at the 2020 NICAR Conference in New Orleans!
Voting will stay open for about one week, ending Sunday, Jan. 26 at midnight (PST).
The designer of the winning T-shirt gets a free shirt and $50 in the IRE Store.
Visit the contest page to view the designs and vote.
Denise Malan has been named IRE’s deputy executive director. In her expanded role, Malan will oversee all of IRE’s training programs, event logistics and the IRE Resource Center.
“As IRE has grown in recent years, it’s become clear that we need to consolidate all facets of training under one strong leader,” said Doug Haddix, IRE executive director. “Denise is an exceptionally talented leader. She understands the value of a holistic approach that blends an engaging curriculum, smooth logistics and ongoing resources.”
Malan has served for more than two years as IRE’s senior training director. Previously, she worked as an IRE trainer; as director of data services in a joint position with IRE and the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN); and as interim CEO of INN. Her newsroom positions included data/investigations editor and reporter at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and reporter at The Morning News in northwestern Arkansas.
Malan earned a master’s degree in data science and analytics at the University of Missouri and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and physics at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
“I'm excited to take on this new role as the IRE team and programs continue to grow,” Malan said. “Our focus will continue to be serving our members and delivering top-notch training to help them in their jobs.”
A sophisticated investigation that used machine learning to track hidden evidence connected to the opioid epidemic is the first-place winner in the 2019 Philip Meyer Journalism Awards. Other top awards go to investigations that uncovered substantial fire risks to communities in the West and tracked the causes of a refugee crisis in South Sudan.
“This year's entries, as they have for several years, reflected a growing sophistication in reporting methods, presentation and transparency,” said Sarah Cohen, a contest judge and the Knight Chair in Data Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. “The selections were more difficult than ever, so the judges focused on projects that could pave the way as exemplary efforts and could be used as models for other projects.”
The 2019 winners are:
First place: “Hidden Injustice,” Reuters
By Benjamin Lesser, Dan Levine, Lisa Girion and Jaimi Dowdell
with additional reporting by Charles Levinson, Charlie Szymanski, Andrea Januta, Nathaniel Okun and Erica Evans
Judges’ comments: For nearly two decades, federal civil courts have without sufficient justification sealed evidence that detailed the role of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid epidemic, a groundbreaking Reuters investigation found. Reuters combined on-the-ground reporting and compelling storytelling with statistical classification methods to quantify the nationwide problem. The team’s approach moved the story beyond anecdotal reporting to establish a link between the hidden evidence and the harm to public health and safety.
The Reuters team developed methodologies using machine learning and natural language processing to identify, classify and quantify cases with sealed court records that can be replicated by other data journalism teams. Reuters analyzed Westlaw data from 3.2 million federal civil suits filed between 2006 and 2016. However, the project’s greater contribution is the solid foundation it gives to any journalist covering a case to push for greater transparency and judicial accountability.
Second place: “Ahead of the Fire,” The Arizona Republic and the USA TODAY Network
By Pamela Ren Larson, Dennis Wagner, Jacy Marmaduke, Zach Urness, Anna Reed, Chris Henry, Sam Metz, Damon Arthur, David Murray, Dianna M. Nanez, Mitchell Thorson, Ryan Marx, Ramon Padilla, Veronica Bravo, Karl Gelles, Shawn Sullivan, Thomas Hawthorne, Timothy Hurst, Kelly Jordan, Anna Reed, Jay Calderon, Omar Ornelas, Mike Chapman, Rion Sanders and Maghen Moore
Judges’ comments: The deadly blaze in Paradise, California in 2018 prompted questions about other communities in the West that also could be in harm’s way. The analysis began with a deep dive into U.S. Forest Service data. But then the team went one step further. Using census data that measured each community’s evacuation routes, the age of its residents, the share of people with disabilities, the percentage of mobile homes and participation in the cellular emergency alert system, the journalists identified 526 small communities across 11 states that faced a wildfire potential greater than Paradise.
The sophisticated graphics and compelling photos helped tell a gripping story that can be replicated in many newsrooms thinking about ways to bring the threat of climate change home to their audiences.
Third place: “Forced Out: Measuring the scale of the conflict in South Sudan,” Al Jazeera, supported by Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, African Defence Review and Code for Africa
By Carolyn Thompson, Kristen van Schie, Lagu Joseph Jackson, Thomas Holder, Anealla Safdar and Mohammed Haddad
Judges' comments: “Forced Out” used an innovative mobile phone survey to interview thousands of displaced people across South Sudan, and found more than 40 percent reported being forced off their land or out of their homes since December 2013, nearly half at the hands of government soldiers. It’s an outstanding example of a determined group of reporters using social science methods to get to the root causes of a refugee crisis, even with severely limited press freedom, possible government interference and a scared population.
Honorable mention: “Heat and Health in American Cities,” NPR / “Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide,” The Howard Center For Investigative Journalism and Capital News Service at the University Of Maryland with additional work done by WMAR TV and Wide Angle Youth Media
NPR: Meg Anderson, Sean McMinn, Nora Eckert, Nick Underwood, Nicole Beemsterboer, Robert Little, Barbara Van Woerkom and Alyson Hurt
The Howard Center and Capital News Service: Jazmin Conner, Theresa Diffendal, Bryan Gallion, Kaitlyn Hopkins, Dan Novak, Roxanne Ready, Ian Round, Jermaine Rowley, Sandy Banisky, John Fairhall, Sean Mussenden, Amina Lampkin, Maris Medina, Timothy Jacobsen, Camila Velloso, Adam Marton, Krishnan Vasudevan, Jane Gerard, Jake Gluck, Nate Gregorio, Kathy Best, Martin Kaiser, Alex Pyles and Brittany Goodman
Wide Angle Youth Media: Emma Bergman, Katia Crawford, Justice Georgie, Sonia Hug, Justin Marine and Otto Blais-Nelson
Judges' comments: “Heat and Health in American Cities” was an impressive collaboration between professional journalists at National Public Radio and students at the University of Maryland. It found a link between poverty and the hottest areas in cities. The project built on work done by journalists in California and New York and melded census and weather data, satellite imagery and sensors placed in homes to show the strong relationship between heat and income. The team also showed that extreme heat can lead to “deadly health consequences” in Baltimore by examining high rates of emergency calls and hospital admission rates. The judges were particularly impressed with the student contributions to this project.
The Meyer Award recognizes the best uses of empirical methods in journalism. The awards will be presented on March 7 in New Orleans during the 2020 NICAR Conference. The first-place winner will receive $500; second- and third-place winners will receive $300 and $200, respectively. The award is administered by the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Missouri School of Journalism.
The Meyer Award honors Philip Meyer, professor emeritus and former Knight Chair of journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Meyer is the author of “Precision Journalism,” the seminal 1973 book that encouraged journalists to incorporate social science methods in the pursuit of better journalism. As a reporter, he also pioneered the use of survey research for Knight-Ridder newspapers while exploring the causes of race riots in the 1960s.
The judges for the Philip Meyer Award for Precision Journalism were:
The Philip Meyer Journalism Award follows the rules of the IRE Awards in its efforts to avoid conflicts of interest. Work that included any significant role by a Meyer Award contest judge may not be entered in the contest. This often represents a significant sacrifice on the part of the individual — and sometimes an entire newsroom. The IRE membership appreciates this devotion to the values of the organization.
IRE works to foster excellence in investigative journalism, which is essential to a free society. Founded in 1975, IRE has more than 5,500 members worldwide. Headquartered at the Missouri School of Journalism, IRE provides training, resources and a community of support to investigative journalists; promotes high professional standards; and protects the rights of investigative journalists. The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting was founded by the Missouri School of Journalism in 1989 and became a collaboration between the school and IRE in 1994.
For questions concerning the 2019 Philip Meyer Award winners, please contact:
Presentado por: Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI)
El IRE ofrecerá varias de sus sesiones de trabajo principales, diseñadas para mejorar tu habilidad de buscar en forma rápida información en Internet y encontrar documentos y datos que ayuden a añadir profundidad en tu rutina de trabajo para producir en un corto tiempo historias de valor en medios corporativos.
Además, este taller te brindará consejos de cómo desarrollar “historias a pruebas de balas”, profundizando en sitios web con redes sociales, motores de búsqueda y mucho más.
Estas sesiones de trabajo son para reporteros, editores y productores de pequeños, medianos y grandes medios impresos, estaciones de radio y televisión, portales y blogs de noticias. Periodistas independientes, estudiantes y profesores también están invitados a participar.
Los talleristas serán Mariela Fullana, del periódico El Nuevo Dia; Laura Moscoso, del Centro de Periodismo Investigativo de Puerto Rico; Mc Nelly Torres, periodista independiente; Omaya Sosa Pascual, del Centro de Periodismo Investigativo de Puerto Rico; Francisco Vara-Orta y Cody Winchester de IRE/NICAR.
Acompaña a los experimentados entrenadores del IRE y a un grupo de reporteros de larga trayectoria en nuestro Watchdog Workshop el viernes 7 de febrero de 2020.
Adquiere las herramientas y los trucos del oficio que necesitas para hacer un periodismo de investigación mejor y más rápido.
Este programa es posible gracias al apoyo de la Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
Sábado 8 de febrero de 2020, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Participa de este taller práctico y aprende cómo usar Google Sheets, una simple pero poderosa aplicación de hoja de cálculo para comenzar a analizar datos en tus historias. Comenzaremos con las fórmulas básicas y avanzaremos hasta resumir la información utilizando tablas dinámicas y más. ¿Qué piensas del análisis de datos como periodista? ¿Cómo encuentras la historia dentro de las columnas y filas?
La capacidad es limitada; regístrate temprano para reservar un asiento en este taller.
**Los participantes necesitan traer su propia computadora portátil con su cargador y tener una cuenta de usuario de Google.
Los talleres de viernes y sábado se llevarán a cabo en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Interamericana de Derecho, salón 201. La dirección es 170 Calle Federico Costas. Puedes encontrar un mapa aquí.
Hay estacionamiento disponible en el predio de la Universidad.
(Incluye un año de membresía en el IRE. Si usted ya es miembro, su membresía se extenderá por un año más. Los participantes deben conocer las condiciones de la IRE membresía)
$55 Profesional
$25 Estudiantes
$30 Taller práctico opcional - Entrenamiento en hojas de cálculo (Spreadsheet)
El registro se puede realizar haciendo click en "click here to begin". Los miembros actuales y/o expirados iniciarán sesión en su perfil. Si no tiene un perfil, podrá crear uno y luego registrarse para el evento. Las instrucciones se encuentran una vez haga click en "click here to begin".
Todas las cancelaciones deben ser enviadas al correo electrónico logistics@ire.org. Hay un cargo administrativo de $25 para profesionales ($10 para estudiantes) en cancelaciones hasta el miércoles previo al evento. Reembolsos por cancelaciones no van a ser ofrecidos después de esta fecha. Cancelaciones anulan la membresía incluida con el registro al taller.
Los participantes pueden acceder a las evaluaciones del taller en línea. Nosotros apreciamos los comentarios de quienes participan; esto nos ayuda a mejorar el programa y proporciona retroalimentación con nuestros patrocinadores.
Viernes 7 de febrero de 2020 - Sábado 8 de febrero de 2020
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico
170 Calle Federico Costas
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918
La registración para este evento está abierta! Click aquí para comenzar.
¡Apúrate! El registro cierra el 7 de febrero a las 12 pm.
Panel: Bienvenida/Introducción general
Tallerista: Francisco Vara-Orta de IRE y NICAR
Resumen de lo que aprenderá hoy y logística clave sobre el espacio para reuniones.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
9:00 am - 9:15 am
Panel: Desarrollando una actitud investigativa
Talleristas: Laura Moscoso del Centro de Periodismo Investigativo de Puerto Rico y la periodista independiente Mc Nelly Torres.
Un periodismo de investigación sólido no es solo para los equipos de trabajo en tecnología. Aprende cómo los métodos y herramientas de investigación pueden transformar tu reporteo, ya sea en turnos rápidos o historias en medios corporativos.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
9:15 am - 10:15 am
Panel: Excavar en los documentos públicos
Aprende cómo usar las leyes de acceso a la información en el marco legal de Puerto Rico. Discutiremos formas de desafiar las negaciones y mantener un flujo constante de información en la sala de redacción.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Evento fuera del salón: Almuerzo (por cuenta propia)
Lee el calendario impreso sobre información del salón
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Panel: Investigar en las Redes Sociales
Tallerista: Cody Winchester de IRE y NICAR
Consejos sobre búsquedas web más efectivas, cómo encontrar información confiable sobre plazos y para historias en medios corporativos. Los últimos motores de búsqueda, sitios de datos y otra información práctica que puede utilizar de inmediato.Uso de aplicaciones gratis para mapeo, líneas de tiempo y otras herramienta de reporteo y visuales.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Panel: Crea tu ritmo: Consejos para entrevistas y uso de fuentes
Talleristas: Omaya Sosa Pascual del Centro de Periodismo Investigativo de Puerto Rico, Francisco Vara-Orta de IRE y NICAR y Mariela Fullana del periódico El Nuevo Día
Aprende estrategias para preparar entrevistas, hacer el acercamiento a fuentes, manejar situaciones difíciles, sortear problemas éticos y mas.Esta sesión de trabajo de dos horas va a ser una guía interactiva de cómo manejar temas complicados y las fuentes sensibles.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Panel: Cierre & qué puede hacer el IRE por ti
Talleristas: Francisco Vara-Orta de IRE y NICAR
Ahora sos miembro de IRE, aprende cómo aprovechar mejor las hojas de consejos, los servicios de datos, las becas y otros recursos para aumentar tu cobertura diaria.
Facultad de Derecho, Salón 201
5:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Taller práctico opcional - Entrenamiento en hojas de cálculo (San Juan)
Talleristas: Francisco Vara-Orta y Cody Winchester de IRE y NICAR
Participa de este taller práctico y aprende cómo usar Google Sheets, una simple pero poderosa aplicación de hoja de cálculo, para comenzar a analizar datos en tus historias. Vamos a comenzar con las fórmulas básicas y avanzaremos hasta resumir la información utilizando tablas dinámicas y más. ¿Qué piensas del análisis de datos como periodista? ¿Cómo encuentras la historia dentro de las columnas y filas?
La capacidad es limitada; regístrate temprano para reservar un asiento en este taller.
**Los participantes necesitan traer su propia computadora portátil con su cargador y tener una cuenta de usuario de Google.
NOTA: El registro es requerido para esta sesión. Click aquí para registrarte.
Opioid addiction is a decades-long crisis that killed roughly 47,000 people in 2017 alone, largely due to the potency of fentanyl. But despite all the warning signs, Congress didn’t pass any legislation on opioids until 2016. On this week’s episode, we’ll hear how Katie Zezima of the Washington Post tracked inaction in Congress and visited a small town in rural Massachusetts to witness the consequences firsthand.
You can find the podcast on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play. If you have a story you think we should feature on the show, drop us a note at web@ire.org. We’d love to hear from you.
Looking for links to the stories and resources we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.
Noe Noe (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
The Yards (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Keo Keo (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Daymaze (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
McCarthy (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Tarte Tatin (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Kelly Kenoyer reported this episode. IRE Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri.
Earn bragging rights and help raise money for future training events by participating in our annual NICAR Conference T-shirt contest.
All ideas celebrating data and data journalism are welcome, from a simple, classic design with #NICAR20 on it to bad SQL puns (SELECT * FROM tshirts WHERE tshirts.thisone = “Awesome”).
There are only a few guidelines:
We will accept entries up through Sunday, Jan. 19. Send official entries as JPG or PNG files to shirts@ire.org. Only submissions sent to that email will be entered in the contest.
Designs will be posted to the contest page as they are received. Starting Monday, Jan. 20, you’ll be able to vote for your favorite designs.
The designer of the winning T-shirt gets a free shirt and $50 in the IRE Store.
We look forward to your ideas and another great NICAR Conference, March 5-8 in New Orleans.
Live in the kind of world only journalism can provide. Give your year-end tax-deductible donation to IRE to empower and train reporters in your backyard and around the world. IRE believes every journalist can be an investigative journalist.
Click here to find all the ways to give.
“IRE empowers me to learn new ways to explore the issues that matter most to my community,” said Bethany Barnes of the Tampa Bay Times.
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