IRE Journal
FOI Files: How student journalists helped shine a light on a university withholding important records
By Lauren Lifke My journey with public records started in 2023, when I was a student at the University of New Mexico just starting out as a reporter for our student newspaper, the Daily Lobo. I, like much of the student body, wondered why we frequently weren’t getting campus safety alerts until hours after the…
Read MoreWhat I learned from Diana R. Fuentes
What I learned from Diana R. Fuentes by Francisco Vara-Orta I never felt like I had enough time in DeeDee’s presence because I genuinely enjoyed being with her. Even though we lived in the same city, we didn’t see each other often since she was always on the go. And when we did, she was…
Read MoreUnmasking the tourism industry: A Puerto Rico case study
by Luis Joel Méndez González, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo You are drinking a piña colada under an umbrella. You can hear the waves, feel the heat of the sun and notice the texture of the sand beneath your feet. That is the idyllic scene many of us imagine when we think about the tourism industry.…
Read MoreAnnouncing the 2026 Lightning Talks lineup!
by Adam Rhodes In about a week, hundreds of my favorite nerds are going to descend on Indianapolis to dive deep into panels and roundtables, spreadsheets classes and all the other things that make NICAR so unique. Disguised as a delightfully dorky meetup of data journalists, NICAR is an unmatched chance to expand your reporting…
Read MoreDon’t know what to attend at NICAR26? The IRE staff is here to help!
So you’ve landed in Indianapolis. You’re at the JW Marriott. You’re checking the schedule and….. whoa. It’s pretty overwhelming, right? With more than 200 hours of programming spanning nearly a week, it’s hard to plan what to see, who to talk to and when to go where. But the IRE staff is here to help…
Read MoreThe Alabama Solution: Journalists Hope to Inspire More Ethical Prison Reporting
By Victoria Valenzuela, independent journalist When Charlotte Kaufman and Andrew Jarecki visited Easterling prison in Alabama as media seven years ago, they didn’t know what to expect — but they knew that it is rare to get an opportunity to report from a prison, so they took the chance. What started as a filmed visit…
Read MoreBuilding The SLAPP Back Initiative – Tracking and Mapping Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation
By Pete Madden & Susanna Granieri Illustration by Derek Abella In August 2021, Wausau Pilot & Review, a small newspaper in central Wisconsin, acted on a tip from a reader and reported that a local businessman uttered a homophobic slur during a recent county board meeting. He denied it and demanded a retraction. When he…
Read More10 public sources of downloadable demographic data
Many government datasets that were once public and available on the internet are either being taken down or no longer updated. So what’s a data journalist to do?
Read MoreFrom the Editor: Welcome to the “new” IRE Journal
From the Editor: Welcome to the “new” IRE Journal By Adam Rhodes, IRE & NICAR This isn’t going to be a “things I’m thankful for” essay, I swear. But I am lucky to have a lot to be thankful for. My sweet albeit ornery beagle, a healthy family and trusted friends, a steady income, Ariana…
Read MoreWhiplash from the backlash: the state of DBEI work in newsrooms in 2025
By Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE & NICAR For anyone who values diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion, it would be an understatement to say this year has taken a toll on those who rely on these principles and champion them. But that doesn’t mean we give up the fight. After the 2024 presidential election results, a rollercoaster…
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