The early bird deadline for 
The 2025 Freelance Fellowship Recipients
In Knox County, Tennessee some students are ending up in jail even though they haven’t committed any crimes. Federal and state laws are supposed to keep juveniles who have committed status offenses – like truancy or running away – out of jail. An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity has found evidence that Knox…
Read MoreEleven years of data analyzed by the Columbus Dispatch showed that those charged multiple times with operating a vehicle while impaired were able to get their charges reduced through a plea deal almost as often as those who had no recent drunk driving charges. Some say repeat offenders know how to beat the system. Drivers can…
Read MoreThere’s still time to register for the IRE Conference in San Francisco. But if you’re still on the fence, we hope this will help. We asked some of our members to tell us why they think you should go to IRE14. Share you 140-character pitch with us on Twitter and we’ll publish our favorite responses. Tweet…
Read MoreFlorida’s mandated tutoring program used taxpayer dollars to hire firms run by criminals, cheaters and profiteers. Last year Tampa Bay Times reporter Michael LaForgia used invoice records, complaint reports, audits and interviews to report on the industry, which goes virtually unchecked by state regulators. In this series of clips LaForgia walks through how to investigate…
Read MoreProjects investigating segregation, health care and cold cases have been awarded IRE Freelance Fellowships this year. Winners of the 2014 competition are: Maya Dukmasova, for her work on segregation and public housing in Chicago. Arthur Kane, for his work investigating the Affordable Care Act as well as marijuana legalization in Colorado. Lee van der…
Read MoreErica Proffer, KRGV-TV, listens during a hands-on class at the 2013 IRE Conference. Get skills to help you dig into your next story with hands-on classes at IRE in San Francisco. If you’re looking to get your feet wet with spreadsheets or level up to mapping, we’ve got you covered. You’ll find classes at the…
Read MoreThey can pronounce you “man and wife…” evict you from your home and settle your minor legal claims. It is, by all accounts, a position with very basic judicial responsibilities. But the WDSU I-Team has learned that – depending on where a justice of the peace serves – the financial rewards can be huge. When…
Read MoreThere is no limit to how many hours Rochester School District supervisory staffers can exchange, save for what they carry over and accrue in a given year. And they have cashed out in greater number, for more hours and more pay on average than other district employees, records show. Over the past three years, they…
Read MoreMore than half of the private wells in the Town of East Fishkill have higher concentrations of sodium from road salt than some government health standards recommend, according to a new study by local scientists. The findings by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies are preliminary. But they represent the first scientific analysis of well…
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