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IRE Awards

IRE Awards About the IRE Awards The 2025 IRE Awards are now closed.  The IRE Awards is the annual contest of Investigative Reporters and Editors recognizing the best in investigative reporting by print, broadcast and online media. After judging, all entries are placed in IRE’s Resource Center story library so that IRE members may learn…

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Remembering Paul Williams

By Doug Meigs In towering all-caps, a 1972 Omaha Sun headline proclaimed: “BOYS TOWN: AMERICA’S WEALTHIEST CITY?” followed by a biblical quote: “‘Give an account of thy stewardship…’ (Luke, 16)” So began an eight-page broadsheet investigation into the murky finances of Boys Town, an esteemed charitable institution that Father Edward J. Flanagan (now on the…

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The rise, fall and (possible) resurgence of FOIA audits

Four icons surround the text "FOI Audits." The icons include a mailbox, a folder with magnifying glass, open laptop, and a file.

The rise, fall and (possible) resurgence of FOIA audits By Jordan P. Hickey, independent journalist   On Aug. 23, 1999, just after 8 a.m., regional supervisors for the Arkansas Health Department started getting phone calls from county health officials. Not exactly the most breaking news of the day, but what set those calls apart was…

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Michael Keaton to receive IRE’s Champion of Investigative Journalism Award

(July 31, 2025) — Investigative Reporters and Editors is pleased to announce Academy Award-nominee Michael Keaton, star of “Spotlight” and “The Paper,” will receive the Champion of Investigative Journalism Award at IRE’s 50th Anniversary Gala in September. The gala, IRE’s first fundraiser of its kind, will be an entertaining evening of good food and fun…

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Capturing global investigative journalism’s oral history

By Silas Tsang, WTOL-TV There is a new effort to document the oral history of investigative journalism around the world. It’s the brainchild of investigative reporter Adiel Kaplan at Columbia Journalism School. The goal of her project is to preserve key perspectives on how the methods and tools of accountability reporting spread globally since the…

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IRE ortorgó a Rocío Gallegos la Medalla Don Bolles 2025

Rocio Gallegos at IRE25

Rocío Gallegos es directora editorial y co-fundadora del portal de noticias de investigación La Verdad que ella ayudó a formar en 2018 con el fin de combatir la censura y el control de información del gobierno de México dirigidos a medios locales de noticias.

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Despite attacks, industry turmoil, journalists declare: We are staying

By IRE staff Editor’s note: Legendary journalist James B. Steele was one of the first to join IRE after it started in 1975 and has stayed active throughout the years in the organization, serving as a mentor for countless young journalists and participating in dozens of conference sessions, among other roles. A former contributing editor at…

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Read Jim Steele’s IRE25 keynote address

Jim Steele speaks at podium at IRE25

Legendary journalist Jim Steele delivered the keynote address at the IRE25 Awards Luncheon in New Orleans, celebrating the organization’s 50th anniversary. This is a complete, unredacted version of his speech.

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CBS’ Scott Pelley to emcee IRE’s 50th Anniversary Gala

IRE logo and photo of Scott Pelley. CBS’ Scott Pelley to emcee IRE's 50th Anniversary Gala

Scott Pelley, the longtime and highly regarded correspondent for CBS’ 60 Minutes, will serve as master of ceremonies for IRE’s 50th Anniversary Gala. The gala, the first such fundraiser in IRE history, will take place Sep. 15 in New York.

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