IRE 2026 master classes

Leading past crisis: change, culture, and community

With Kevin Benz, journalist and media consultant

Thursday, June 18, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

"Crisis" is a word we use constantly, probably too much, to describe the work we do.

For many newsroom leaders, it has become an unfortunate and permanent state of being.

Over the past year, colleagues have shared reflections like these: trying to fix what feels broken while enduring what's out of their control; leading teams with fewer resources, more pressure, and less autonomy; working days that begin before sunrise and end long after dinner; uncertainty about whether the industry they know will still be there at the end of their careers; and a growing tension between loving the mission and purpose of journalism while questioning whether the work still loves them back. Too many wonder if the time has come to do something easier that pays more.

Together, we'll begin to tackle the visible challenges of leadership — how we can guide our team through change, managing our time and workload, delegating what we can and planning what we can't; developing our team and holding them accountable for the work, and building a sustainable culture of excellence — while also making space for the less visible strains — anxiety, self-doubt, isolation, the emotional weight of responsibility and, laughably, having a life outside of work.

And… this will not be hours of "woe is me." If you're still practicing the craft, serving your community, then you still believe in the strength and power of journalism. This deep dive will focus on optimism, honesty, and practical, tangible leadership skills — offering coaching, peer learning, and clear priorities for what to do next, how to care for yourself, and how to continue serving your community with purpose.

SOLD OUT - Investigative skills: A master class

With Eric Lipton, The New York Times

Thursday, June 18, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

In this hands-on, tactical workshop using real case studies, we'll discuss investigative strategies to gather the information and sources needed to deliver a revelatory investigative piece -- in short, just about everything. How do you get started? How do you manage your progress to ensure your investigation is as targeted as possible? What tactics increase the likelihood of success?

We'll talk about how to obtain the best publicly available databases to supercharge your reporting. We'll spend time on FOIA tactics, such as "threading" and "piggybacking," and how to stay organized when the records start rolling in. And we'll discuss the importance of building a chronology and other organizational tactics, including the use of AI tools such as Google Notebook and Gemini, that allow you to see into your own files and what other folks have already discovered.

SOLD OUT - Outlining and structure: The writer's missing manual

With Matt Apuzzo, The New York Times

Thursday, June 18, 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Outlining might be the single best thing you can do to make you a better, faster writer. This isn't the roman numeral outlining your middle school teacher taught you. We'll take a story from the ground up, showing how early considerations about structure and framing develop into a draft.

Writing the investigative narrative

With Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times and Rebecca Woolington, NBC News Digital

Thursday, June 18, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Learn how to make your investigative writing compelling and powerful, from defining the narrative through reporting, organization, writing and self-editing.

Topics will include:

• Understanding the investigative narrative
• How to pitch
• Turning sources into characters
• Writing a scene
• Self-editing tips and techniques
• Organizing and writing a deeply reported investigative narrative

SOLD OUT - The freelance business workshop

Friday, June 19, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. FREE

Presented by the Institute for Independent Journalists

Join the Institute for Independent Journalists for a workshop on the business of freelancing on Friday, June 19, in D.C. during IRE 2026! This full-day workshop is designed to help freelancers build sustainable independent journalism practices. Meet assigning editors from National Geographic and other publications, and hear what they want in a pitch. Whether you're an early-stage freelancer or seasoned journalism entrepreneur, this workshop offers valuable training, including:

• The 3 P's model of structuring a freelance portfolio and what to negotiate for besides higher pay.
• Effective networking, recruiting anchor clients, identifying your brand and niche, and knowing when to say no.
• A range of organizational, time management, and mental health strategies.

Taught by IIJ leaders Katherine Reynolds Lewis and Shernay Williams. Past participants called the curriculum "the best professional development since grad school" and said, "You gave us real tools to navigate and tackle the challenges we may face. I'm feeling more empowered and inspired."

IRE conference attendees can register for free and pay an optional $30 to join for lunch! Space is limited, so sign up now. Click here for more information.

SOLD OUT - Reporting and writing for scene

With Ken Armstrong, Bloomberg and Lizzie Presser, ProPublica

Friday, June 19, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

When it comes to crafting scenes, we can learn a lot from people who write fiction and screenplays. But our challenges begin long before the writing: Our scenes have to be true not just emotionally, but factually.

This class will look at the importance of dialogue over quotes; ways to hook and pull (and weave); and how to write a scene that readers will remember, all without sacrificing the element of accountability. We’ll dissect song lyrics; chat about creating dread; read a scene on the page, then watch it dramatized on screen.

Claude Code for journalists: A (responsible) hands-on introduction to AI-powered data exploration

With Sean Mussenden, Director and Executive Editor, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, University of Maryland

Friday, June 19, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Journalists are increasingly expected to work with data and documents, but many lack programming backgrounds. Claude Code — an AI coding tool that works on the desktop, command line or IDE — can help bridge that gap, letting reporters do some too-complicated-for-Excel analytical work without writing code from scratch. This three-hour, pre-registered hands-on class will give attendees a practical, start-to-finish introduction to Claude Code in a journalism context.

Attendees will learn how to use Claude Code to do initial exploration of unfamiliar datasets, spot data quality issues that could undermine later findings, build simple web apps for exploring and visualizing data, develop a data analysis plan for a reporting project, and work through document sets efficiently. Just as importantly, attendees will learn what Claude Code can't do well, where it's likely to lead you astray, and how to verify its output — because responsible use matters as much as knowing the tool. No prior programming experience required. Attendees will leave with a repeatable workflow they can bring back to their newsrooms immediately.

Searching in the age of AI: Strategies for finding and analyzing information

With Craig Silverman, Indicator

Friday, June 19, 2:45 - 6:15 p.m.

Journalists are increasingly expected to work with data and documents, but many lack programming backgrounds. Claude Code — an AI coding tool that works on the desktop, command line or IDE — can help bridge that gap, letting reporters do some too-complicated-for-Excel analytical work without writing code from scratch. This three-hour, pre-registered hands-on class will give attendees a practical, start-to-finish introduction to Claude Code in a journalism context.

Attendees will learn how to use Claude Code to do initial exploration of unfamiliar datasets, spot data quality issues that could undermine later findings, build simple web apps for exploring and visualizing data, develop a data analysis plan for a reporting project, and work through document sets efficiently. Just as importantly, attendees will learn what Claude Code can't do well, where it's likely to lead you astray, and how to verify its output — because responsible use matters as much as knowing the tool. No prior programming experience required. Attendees will leave with a repeatable workflow they can bring back to their newsrooms immediately.

So you wanna make a podcast?

With Rhaina Cohen, Producer/Editor, Embedded; Kara McGuirk-Allison, Center for Investigative Reporting; Jason Moon, Senior Reporter/Producer, New Hampshire Public Radio

Friday, June 19, 2:45 - 6:15 p.m.

This workshop is designed for the audio-curious who feel like they don't know where to start. What staffing do you need? How much might it cost? How long might it take? How can you make something that people will actually hear? How do you approach storyboarding, getting comfortable with the gear, scripting, voicing/tracking, storytelling? We'll cover enough of the basics that attendees will feel equipped to pitch and begin developing their ideas.

Art of the investigative interview

With Mark Horvit, University of Missouri; A.J. Lagoe, KARE11; Cheryl W. Thompson, NPR

Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

You need one final confirmation to run your story. It's the key piece of a months-long project, only one person can provide it, and you've got one shot to get it.

The entire story comes down to The Interview. Will you be ready?

We can help. Sign up for this half-day Master Class in interviewing and get a playbook for getting the information you need.

We'll cover all the crucial steps, from preparation to the conversation, confrontational interviews, talking with survivors, getting the most from witnesses, convincing those who don't want to talk with you and much more.

So the next time you dial that number, knock on that door or corner an official who’s been avoiding you, you’ll be ready.

Managing investigators: Leading those born to challenge authority

With Emma Carew Grovum, Kimbap Media; Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group; Jennifer Forsyth, The New York Times; Cindy Galli, MS Now; Jamie Grey, InvestigateTV; Josh Hinkle, KXAN; Gonzalo Magana, TEGNA; Kat Stafford, Reuters; Mc Nelly Torres, independent journalist; Nicole Vap, independent journalist

Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Being a news manager is already tough, but what if you supervise investigative journalists? They come with an extra layer of challenges because their very job (and likely their personality) makes them hyper-alert to authority figures. This course is designed to give you some tools and tactics to lead individuals and entire teams of investigators more effectively.

Learn from three investigative managers from different media at different stages of their leadership careers. How did they launch into their roles, and what experience have they gained along the way? This course is for current investigative managers and anyone aspiring to step into such a position in the future.

NEW AT IRE26: For our 10th "Managing Investigators" master class (and our 50th IRE Conference), we're bringing back a BIG group of our past instructors for even more guidance, viewpoints and support! Think of it as Managing Investigators 2.0! More individual time and leaders for coaching!

Topics will include: managing compassionately, hiring challenges, transitioning to management, forging partnerships, building relationships, handling resource cuts, organization/structure, tough decisions/conversations, in-house training/growth, delivering feedback, creating inclusive opportunities, and juggling responsibilities/projects/work.

The Paper Trail: Finding local stories in national ICE arrest, detainer and detention data

With Aline Behar Kado, University of Maryland; Raphael Romero Ruiz, Howard Fellow, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Millions of records. One enforcement surge. And somewhere in it all, your story.

The Deportation Data Project's FOIA-obtained releases on ICE arrests, detentions, and detainers are among the most detailed public records ever produced on American immigration enforcement — and in this workshop, you'll learn how to work them in R. We'll clean, join, and interrogate all three datasets to trace the enforcement pipeline from detainer request to detention facility, surfacing the patterns and outliers that make national data locally meaningful. You'll leave with working code, a reproducible workflow, and story angles you can start reporting when you get back to your newsrooms. Basic R familiarity required.

From the idea to the prototype with Google AI Tools

With Mago Torres, Trainer, Google News Initiative

Saturday, June 20, 2:30 - 6 p.m.

In this hands-on workshop we will do a deep dive into Google's AI tools — including NotebookLM, and Gemini, among others — designed specifically for complex news workflows. We'll move from prompting 101 to developing simple, functional prototypes and custom research agents you can deploy immediately. Prefer to learn by observing? You are completely welcome to just come and watch the build process!

Participants must have a Google account, as well as Gemini and NotebookLM.

Master the power of mapping with QGIS

With Jennifer LaFleur, UC Berkeley School of Journalism; Charles Minshew, Senior Editor of Data Journalism at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, June 20, 2:30 - 6 p.m.

Mapping is a powerful tool to find patterns in data that can only be explored on a map. This session will give you the basics for doing mapping with the open-source tool QGIS. You'll learn how to build thematic maps, how to bring outside data into QGIS and connect it to your map and how to combine data in a map to look at geographic relationships in your data.

This class is good for those with solid spreadsheet skills ready to move into mapping.