The value of an IRE membership

These are trying times for many in journalism, but there is strength in numbers. If you’ve been thinking about joining IRE or renewing your membership, our fall membership drive is the perfect time to take action. Join today!

Membership is just $75 per year for professionals, with a discounted rate of $50 for early-career professionals — those who have been in the field for less than five years. And it’s only $25 for students, who  may keep their student membership for up to one year after graduation if they are still looking for their first journalism job. 

Academic and associate memberships also are $75 per year.

Our retirees, those who are retired from journalism and are no longer working full time, get a special deal. To celebrate IRE’s 50th anniversary, we are offering a special rate of $50 for retirees through the end of the year. $50 for 50!

Join now to take advantage of early bird rates for NICAR26, set for March 5-8, at the J.W. Marriott in Indianapolis. Early bird is $150 for early career members as well as for members who are full-time freelancers and those who are unemployed. 

Members receive multiple benefits, including access to free and discounted tools and free webinars that offer a wide range of hands-on training and the latest information on current topics. That’s in addition to thousands of tipsheets and recordings of past conference sessions that provide invaluable information for doing groundbreaking stories in your own backyards.

In response to member needs, the IRE Board of Directors created a new Press Freedom Committee and an Employment and Career Advancement Task Force. 

The Press Freedom Committee is working with other news organizations to fight government efforts to thwart access to public records and to attack journalists seeking to do their work in their communities.

We continue to offer our world-class training at our three annual conferences. NICAR in the spring brings together the best data journalism minds to teach attendees at all skill levels. IRE in the summer is our largest in-person convening with so many opportunities to network and learn. Our all-virtual conference AccessFest is in the fall to bring our best trainings online and make them more accessible.

IRE training doesn’t stop at conferences — we have countless trainings year-round throughout the country. For accessibility opportunities, in addition to AccessFest, we offer lots of other online training sessions, such as our series of webinars, “Protecting the Facts.” These sessions give those in the line of fire information to understand their rights on covering issues, including reporting on protests, handling leaks and maintaining digital security. 

Many of our members are facing the double threats of job instability and career stagnation. To address those concerns, we not only offer professional development training but also one-on-one mentoring. Members have access to an online jobs board with a regularly updated list of openings for reporters, editors, data journalists, graphic designers, academics and more.

There is value in an IRE membership, not just in dollars but in something more priceless: a network of like-minded colleagues who want to share what they know and their support. We are all in this together. Join us! 

About IRE: Investigative Reporters & Editors is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. IRE provides training, resources and a community of support to thousands of journalists around the world. Learn more about the organization and the benefits of membership here.