Here’s a look at some of the sessions we’re planning for #IRE20. Please note that this list is preliminary and subject to change.
COVID-19
Covering the stimulus package
Investigating hate crimes against Asian-Americans in the age of COVID
Reporting on racial and ethnic disparities
Overcoming pandemic excuses to get records requests
Investigating nursing homes and elderly care
Investigating hospitals
Story idea blitz: COVID-19
INVESTIGATING LAW ENFORCEMENT
Challenging the police narrative
Using data & public records to police the police
Investigating law enforcement and white supremacy
EXPOSING SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES
Investigating inequality
Words matter: Beware harmful language in your writing
Access and obstacles to higher education
Localizing affordable housing stories and data
Investigative reporting on the border and immigration crisis
Covering immigration away from the border
Involving marginalized communities in your reporting
Finding data on LGBTQ communities
Recognizing your implicit biases
Master class: Covering inequality on any beat
Covering epidemics caused by natural disasters
ELECTION 2020
Master class: Election administration coverage
Tracking 2020 digital ads: Learn the secrets of new political ad databases
Tracking money to candidates up and down the ballot in 2020
How to unearth the secrets of candidates & public officials
Uncovering dark money in 2020 elections and beyond
Access to voting
OPEN RECORDS/FOIA
50 records to request right now
Navigating federal FOIA
Using state open records laws
Master Class: Becoming a public records sleuth
FOIA appeal strategies to actually get records
Overcoming pandemic excuses to get records requests
RESEARCH SKILLS & TOOLS
Web research
Advanced Google searching
Tools a reporter can’t live without
Backgrounding like a boss
Verifying hacked and leaked information
Social media deep dive
Using CrowdTangle to access public Facebook and Instagram data
Combating misinformation, disinformation and deepfakes
SECURITY
Counter and anti-surveillance for journalism safety
How to secure yourself online: Doxxing for good
Encryption tools demo
Security of your everyday newsroom tools
STORY IDEAS
Court records are filled with untold stories: A PACER deep dive
Story idea blitz: COVID-19
Story idea blitz: Campus coverage
Story idea blitz: Local government accountability
Story idea blitz: Business and labor
Story idea blitz: International
Story idea blitz: Data
Story ideas blitz: Education
CAREER & MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Freelance lessons I’ve learned the hard way
Career paths in investigative journalism
Career advice
Master class: Management
Directing high-stakes investigative projects
TAKING CARE
How to manage the stress and trauma of being a journalist
Do you qualify as an ally?
Self care & resilience
BROADCAST
More details coming soon!
At least 15 sessions focused on sourcing, interviewing, reporting and visualizing broadcast investigations
Networking sessions
Show & Tell
MASTER CLASSES
Interviewing for print
Interviewing for broadcast
Narrative writing
Becoming a public records sleuth
Election administration coverage
Management
It’s just video… Until a storyteller creates an experience
Verification and disinformation
OSINT
Launching an investigative podcast
Libel
Covering inequality on any beat
DATA
Spreadsheets
SQL and databases
R
Python
Tableau data viz
SESSIONS ALSO WILL COVER THESE TOPICS:
Mining data to bolster health care investigations
Data.census.gov demo
Press freedom and investigative journalism
Holding companies accountable
Source-building: What reporters can learn from spies
Building trust with your audience
Reporting about arbitration and private justice
How to make climate change interesting and local
The art of confrontation
Perfecting your story idea and pitch
How to frame your investigation and tell a captivating narrative that gets noticed
Owning the local government beat
The first hours of breaking news
The art of long-form audio narrative
Corruption across borders
Infiltrating government agencies
Lessons learned from building trust in the gun rights community
NETWORKING AND CONVERSATIONS:
Media attorney Q&As
Meet the author sessions
Data office hours
Conversation: How to include watchdog training in your curriculum
Conversation: Pitching an investigative freelance story
Conversation: Bringing investigative to your student newsroom
Networking for students, educators, freelancers, journalists of color, international attendees, reporters on various beats and platforms, and many more
