August 2025 Advanced Data Journalism Bootcamp in R

This bootcamp will be offered in-person at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. The bootcamp runs Monday, August 4 through Thursday, August 7 from 8 am-5 pm (CT) and from 9 am - noon on Friday, August 8. Optional open labs will be available Monday-Thursday after class with two optional group dinners during the week. 

R is a free, powerful, open-source programming language for cleaning, analyzing and visualizing data. This weeklong bootcamp will cover all those skills, starting with the building blocks of importing and performing basic analysis on data. We'll also discuss finding and negotiating for data, bulletproofing your analysis, and using numbers in your stories. We'll help you get set up with all the software you need on your own computer.

This bootcamp will serve you best if you have some experience with working with data in a program like Google Sheets or Excel, *or* have had a limited introduction to programming with R or Python.

Attendees are asked to bring their own laptop and pre-install some software prior to the bootcamp. If a laptop is not available, we would be happy to provide one for you. Please reach out to logistics@ire.org to make arrangements.

IRE requires all attendees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and participants are expected to follow all COVID protocols in place at the host institution. Masks are encouraged.

Scholarships

details coming soon

• IRE membership/renewal ($75 value)
• Complimentary bootcamp registration (up to $1,250 value)
• Travel stipend (varies)

Date and Time

Monday, August 4 - Thursday, August 7 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (CT)

Friday, August 8 from 9 a.m. - Noon (CT)

Registration

You must be a current IRE member to attend this bootcamp. Pricing is based on the size of your audience. You can see the size definitions here.

• Division I: $1,250
  • Newspapers with 400k+ circulation (largest single day, including digital replica) Wire services; network or syndicated radio/TV Magazines, weeklies, nonprofits, trade publications and online-only media with a national target audience
• Division II: $1,050
  • Newspapers with 151,000-399,999 circulation (largest single day, including digital replica) Top 20 radio/TV markets Magazines, weeklies. nonprofits, trade publications and online-only media with a regional (multi-state) target audience Universities with the exception of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), which are in Division IV
• Division III: $850
  • Newspapers with 75,000-150,999 circulation (largest single day, including digital replica) 21-50 radio/TV markets Magazines, weeklies, nonprofits, trade publications and online-only media with a state-wide target audience
• Division IV: $650
  • Newspapers with less than 75,000 circulation (largest single day, including digital replica) Below 50 TV/radio markets Magazines, weeklies, nonprofits, trade publications and online-only media with a city, county or metropolitan-area target audience HSI, HBCU and TCU colleges and universities
• Educators: $800
• Freelancers, Students or Educators from HSI, HBCU, TCU and PBI schools: $500

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your bootcamp registration, there will be a $200 non-refundable fee until one week prior to the bootcamp. The week prior to the camp, registration is non-refundable. Please email logistics@ire.org to request a cancellation.