IRE Conference Blog
Social media proves stronger than print during Ukraine protests
This post was originally published at Newsroom by the Bay By Elijah Akhtarzad The Investigative Reporters and Editors conference held at the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco on June 27 included a first-hand account of the YanukovychLeaks discovery from journalists Olesya Ivanova and Denys Bigus. Both reporters were on the scene at Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych’s home…
Read MoreReporting on inequality requires an eye for historical context, institutional injustice
By Laura Rena Murray Sally Lehrman of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and Venise Wagner of San Francisco State University discussed reporting tools and strategies to better cover institutional inequity. Wagner and Lehrman began the session with personal tales. Lehrman’s great-grandfather moved to Colorado to be cured of tuberculosis in a sanitarium – prevailing…
Read MoreVIDEO: Reporters offer tips for covering emerging communities
By Chhaya Nene Minorities will account for more than a third of U.S. households by 2025, according to a recent study. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, of the Los Angeles Times; Momo Chang, independent journalist; and Ravi Kapur of WRJK-Chicago shared their best strategies for covering emerging communities on a deadline. After the session, Hennessy, Chang, and Kapur…
Read MoreWatchdog on campus: Tips for investigating college sports
By Trisity Miller Where there’s a college, there’s a story. That was the theme of “Campus coverage: College sports,” a panel featuring Paula Lavigne, Jodi Upton, Jill Riepenhoff, and Brad Wolverton. In recent years there have been several major stories involving college campuses, from the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State to the recent Jameis…
Read MoreVIDEO: How to go undercover on a budget
By Chhaya Nene These days the phrase “on a budget” applies to everyone, especially journalists. At the 2014 IRE Conference, veteran journalists Anna Hewson of KUSA/9News Denver, Joe Ellis of KXAN-Austin, Bryan Staples of WTVF-Nashville, and Steve Eckert of KARE 11 Minneapolis/St. Paul shared their best-kept secrets for going undercover without blowing the newsroom budget.…
Read MoreHow to measure mental health care in your community
By Emily Burns Friday’s panel on mental health care reporting began with a video clip of the 60 Minutes episode, “Nowhere To Go.” The episode focused on mental health care for young people and featured an interview with Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds, who was stabbed by his mentally ill son, Austin, who also took…
Read MoreInsider tips for maximizing your investigative power with Google
By Danielle Kirsh There are many Google tricks and methods that can make research much easier. Daniel Russell studies the way people search using Google. He offered a few tips for people who want to get the most out of their Google searches. Search by image Search by image is a tool that allows…
Read MoreHow to build trust and get reluctant sources to talk
By Laura Rena Murray Ellen Gabler of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tony Kovaleski of NBC Bay Area, Ellen Weiss of Scripps Washington Bureau and documentary producer Andrés Cediel discussed cautionary steps to consider when identifying sources and offered advice on getting reluctant sources to speak at the IRE Conference in San Francisco. Key recommendations for…
Read MoreStorify: Investigating do-gooders and crowd pleasers
[View the story “Friendly Fire” on Storify]
Read MoreIRE by Design winners, schedule announced
All of the following pop-up IRE by Design sessions will take place from 4:50 – 5:50 PM. You can find panel descriptions here. Salon 1-3 | Help shape FOIA reform & join the #FOIAFriday community Salon 4-6 | Managing your manager and wrangling your calendar Salon 10-11 | The freelance dilemma: How to get your…
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