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!
Despite being supported by tax dollars, Penn State University is not subject to the state’s open records laws. Penn State’s records, including police records, e-mail, phone records, calendars and memos, are closed. Poynter’s Al Tompkins writes about how that exemption played a role in surpressing information in the Jerry Sandusky case. Tompkins quotes Sara Ganim, who won…
John Diedrich of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recalls the moment everything clicked for him with computer-assisted reporting, at an IRE Boot Camp in 2010. When crash-course training didn’t stick with him, he convinced his bosses to send him to Columbia, Mo. What Diedrich left with were the skills that allowed him to produce ‘Wiped Clean‘,…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after releasing its “Cheating Our Children” series that identified suspicious test scores around the country, provided the NICAR Database Library with test scores data gathered from state education departments. From the AJC: “The data include state testing data paired in approximate cohorts by school, test subject and grade. An approximate cohort would…
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.