The early bird deadline for 
Welcome to IRE
Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. IRE was formed to create a forum in which journalists throughout the world could help each other by sharing story ideas, newsgathering techniques and news sources.
IRE provides members access to thousands of reporting tipsheets and other materials through its Resource Center and hosts conferences and specialized training across the country. Programs of IRE include the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), a collaboration between IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism.
IRE News
NICAR26 right around the corner!
The 2026 NICAR Conference will be here before you know it - have you taken advantage of the early-bird registration rate and snagged the discounted hotel rate before the block sells out? Hurry! These deals only last a few more weeks!
2025 IRE Awards now open!
It's that time of year again! The 2025 IRE Awards are now open! We're excited to announce a few new categories this year as well as a brand new contest platform.
IRE heads to New York City
Join us for a special Watchdog Workshop in New York City at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, January 23-24, 2026.
You'll hear from award-winning speakers and some of the top investigative and data reporters in the country. Sessions will cover breaking news investigations, getting grants for your next big story and beat reporting how-to panels for business, health care and environmental journalism.
A current IRE membership is required. Seating is limited -- don't miss your chance to snag a seat before it's too late! Need help attending? Apply for a fellowship!
Don Bolles By Phil Williams, WTVF-TV From the earliest days of my journalism career, I found inspiration in the nobility of IRE’s mission and its history – and, in some of the darkest days of my career, I found strength in that legacy. My first IRE Conference, in June 1987, was the 10-year anniversary of…
Investigative Reporters and Editors is now welcoming nominations for its annual Golden Padlock award recognizing the most secretive government agency in the United States. “The techniques of government secrecy have been elevated into high art by determined civil servants,” said Robert Cribb, chair of the Golden Padlock committee. “This award brings well-deserved recognition to those…
Download the First Quarter 2018 IRE Journal My son’s alma mater, the University of Rochester, provided him an engineering degree and me a personal and professional mantra: meliora. The university’s Latin motto roughly translates to “ever better” or “the pursuit of the better.” For a perfectionist like me, it was a radical shift in outlook.…
There’s more pressure than ever to rise above the competition.
IRE can help you enhance your daily reporting with resources and member benefits you won’t find anywhere else.