The early bird deadline for 
The 2025 Freelance Fellowship Recipients
If you’re making the trip to New Orleans for the IRE Conference, consider tacking on some additional training. Several of our partners are offering special workshops and classes in conjunction with the conference. The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism At “10 Great Business Databases to Mine for Stories,” data journalist Steve Doig…
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard of Jason Leopold, even if his name doesn’t immediately ring a bell. He’s the journalist who forced the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails. He’s also unearthed shocking details on CIA torture and spying. Jason works at VICE News, and he’s the master of the federal FOIA request. In fact, he’s such a…
Read MoreGet an inside look at how the mammoth collaboration for the Panama Papers came together. You’ll hear about the technical details of giving a group of journalists throughout the world protected access to a trove of leaked documents. You’ll hear from journalists whose work led to the downfall of a prime minister. We also have…
Read MoreGo behind the scenes to learn how a team of AP reporters launched an investigation that helped free more than 2,000 enslaved workers. Martha Mendoza and Mary Rajkumar of The Associated Press will offer insights into how journalists can use documents, data and sourcing to uncover similar abuses. And in a separate session, you’ll learn…
Read MoreA series of sessions at the IRE Conference in New Orleans will dig into one of the biggest stories of our time. Sessions will include “After Ferguson: What’s next for reporting on policing in America?” with panelists including DeRay Mckesson, a leader of the post-Ferguson police protest movement, and reporters from The Washington Post, The…
Read MoreBy Deron Lee, CJR Editor’s Note: This article first ran on May 13, 2016 on the Columbia Journalism Review’s website. One day in late January 2015, Bryan Lowry of the Wichita Eagle was at a Mexican restaurant in Topeka, Kansas, when he received an email forwarded from a source. He immediately knew he was onto…
Read MoreBy Jennifer Lu When writing about a topic as pervasive and complex as heroin addiction, the last thing you want to do is to get it wrong. At the 2016 CAR Conference, Stephen Stirling and Jacquee Petchel, who have reported extensively on this subject, shared their experiences and advice on reporting, quantifying and telling the…
Read MoreWe’re bringing the popular NICAR Commons series to the IRE Conference in New Orleans – and we want your ideas! NICAR Commons is a space for informal, conversation-driven sessions. Most importantly, each conversation is driven entirely by attendees. NICAR Commons sessions are: 1-hour long with 10-minute breaks in between. Designed for small groups: There will…
Read MoreGet the tools and inspiration you need to successfully fight for records at the IRE Conference in June. Jason Leopold, a self-described FOIA terrorist and a winner of this year’s IRE FOI Medal, will share his strategies and advice on how to wrangle information from recalcitrant officials. He’ll be joined by Brandon Smith, the journalist…
Read MoreThe follow is an abbreviated transcript of Daniela Vidal’s interview with Daniel Guazo for the IRE Radio Podcast. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. Daniela Vidal (IRE): Could you tell me a little bit about what this project is about, The Disappeared? Daniela Guazo (El Universal): The objective of this project was…
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