Announcing the 2013 IRE Awards

The winners of the 2013 IRE Awards provided unprecedented insight into the ways in which the government deploys technology in surveillance programs with a shockingly wide net. They used deep sourcing to overcome government roadblocks and uncover atrocities and corruption. They fought and won precedent-setting victories in open records battles to shine light on increasingly opaque government agencies. They exposed threats to children, uncovered financial malfeasance, highlighted government waste and tracked hidden assets across the globe.

Ziva Branstetter, chair of IRE's Contest Committee, said the winners show that powerful investigative journalism is being published, aired and posted at all levels and across media platforms.

"The judges were impressed with the quality of these entries, which included moving stories about powerless people, fearless probes of corrupt public officials and exposés of powerful institutions run amok. They display in vivid detail that investigative journalism is alive and well across the nation and globe."

This year’s winners were selected from among more than 500 entries. One organization – the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – is a multiple award winner, in both the print/online and multimedia categories, for two separate projects.

The awards, given by Investigative Reporters & Editors Inc. since 1979, recognize the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year. The contest covers 16 categories across media platforms and a range of market sizes.

Click here for a complete list of winners and finalists.