If you fill out the "Forgot Password" form but don't get an email to reset your password within 5-10 minutes, please email logistics@ire.org for assistance.
Registration is open for IRE’s virtual NICAR21 data journalism conference, which runs March 3-5 and will feature hands-on data classes, panels and discussions, and opportunities to network with fellow data journalists.
Register by Feb. 10 to secure the early-bird rate of $125 for professionals. After that date, professional registration will be $175. Students may register at any time for $50. IRE membership is required to attend and should be current through April 1.
During the conference, members will be able to attend sessions, interact with speakers and one another, schedule one-on-one or small group video meetings, celebrate winners of the Philip Meyer Award, and gather virtually with IRE friends from across the country and around the world for fun activities.
Conference sessions will run between noon and 4 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time each day, with some social events scheduled after main conference hours.
Submissions also are now open for pitches for Lightning Talks, quick and quirky 5-minute presentations that are a beloved NICAR tradition, and for the NICAR21 T-shirt contest, where the winning design will be sold as conference swag. Submission for both are due Jan. 27, and members can vote for the winning talks and T-shirt design soon after.
“While the NICAR Conference will look different this year, we are excited to bring the same high-quality data journalism training to our members in this new format,” IRE Interim Executive Director Denise Malan said. “The online conference also will be accessible for more journalists than ever before.”
Sign up for the NICAR21 email newsletter to receive detailed updates on major announcements and the planning process. You’ll also get reminders of key dates/deadlines surrounding the conference.
Frequently asked questions
How do I register for NICAR21?
First, make sure you have a current IRE membership through April 1, 2021. You can do that by logging into your account on the website and going to Manage Memberships in your Member Dashboard.
Next, go to the conference ticket page. The correct price for your membership level will show up in the ‘Get Tickets’ block. Click ‘Add to cart’ and follow the steps to check out.
If the ticket block is blank, please check that you are logged into your account with a current membership. If you still need help, email info@ire.org.
What sessions can I expect at a virtual NICAR21?
View a list of expected sessions here. Full session and speaker details will be released in the coming weeks.
NICAR21 will offer a mix of panels, demos, discussions, networking, and on-demand hands-on data training, with several options to choose from during each hour of the conference.
Will there be Lightning Talks?
Lightning Talks, a much-anticipated session at every NICAR conference, will be part of the virtual experience as well. Lightning Talks are 5-minute presentations on particular skills, tools or techniques. Pitches are submitted and voted on by NICAR21 attendees.
You can submit a pitch for a Lightning Talk here. Pitches are due Jan. 27, and voting will open shortly afterward.
Will we have opportunities to socialize?
While we aren’t able to hang out in person this year, we still want to bring the NICAR community together in some more relaxed social settings. The NICAR Happy Hour sessions will offer everything from low-key to high-energy sessions to help you unwind after a long and exhausting day (or year).
What will hands-on training look like in a virtual setting?
All hands-on training will be on demand, via short, recorded videos that teach the same skills NICARians have come to expect from our conferences. Attendees can learn valuable data journalism skills, tips and tricks at their own pace. Videos will be recorded by IRE trainers teaching these skills:
Each lab will include instructions to set up your computer at home, data files to follow along, and other resources.
NICAR will also offer numerous office hour sessions where attendees can sign up to receive live help from experts in various skills to complement the on-demand training.
What are the tech requirements to attend NICAR21?
The conference will be held on an event platform called Pathable, which is best viewed on the Chrome browser. Sessions within Pathable are held on Zoom, and attendees should download Zoom here (free and available for Mac and PC).
Attendees will receive a login for the Pathable platform before the conference.
Does IRE offer fellowships to attend?
Fellowships are available for the following communities:
Fellowships include a complimentary IRE membership/renewal ($25 for students/$70 for pros) and a complimentary conference registration ($50 for students/$175 for pros).
For more information and to apply, visit our fellowships page.
How long can I access conference materials?
All on-demand classes, live session recordings, tipsheets and session materials will be available on the conference website for one year for any attendee to access. Members are encouraged to register for the conference even if they can’t attend during live conference hours.
Will there be a mentorship program?
No, the mentorship program will not be a component of the virtual conference. One-on-one help for data skills and projects will be available at office hour sessions where attendees can sign up for individual time slots.
How do I keep up with all the news about NICAR21?
Sign up here to receive email newsletters with all the latest NICAR21 announcements about sessions, Lightning Talks, the T-shirt contest, office hour signups and more!
Denise Malan will manage IRE staff and operations as interim executive director until the IRE Board of Directors hires a new executive director.
During the past year, Malan has served as IRE deputy executive director. She was a newspaper journalist for more than a decade, covering government, education, politics, the environment and more. After several years at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in Texas, she joined IRE in 2013 in a joint position with the Institute for Nonprofit News, helping newsrooms around the country use data in their reporting. She became an IRE training director in 2016 and earned a master’s degree in data science from the University of Missouri in 2019.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead IRE during this time of transition, and I look forward to working with our dedicated staff, board and members," Malan said.
The deadline to apply for the executive director position is January 15. Full details are available online. IRE is seeking a new leader to succeed Doug Haddix, who served in the role for more than four years. In October, he announced his resignation, which took effect January 8.
Welcome to our new website, which has been redesigned to better serve our members and the journalism industry. Please refer to our FAQs and screen shots below for full details. Here are tips for key features:
LOGGING IN: At the top right of the home page, click Log In. Use the same email and password that you’ve been using to log into the IRE website. If you don’t remember your password, please click the Forgot Password link and follow instructions. If you still have questions or need assistance, please email info@ire.org.
EXPIRED MEMBERSHIP: If you can’t log in, one reason may be that your membership has expired. In that case, please go through the process to rejoin IRE on the Join page.
MEMBER DASHBOARD: To the left of the Log In / Log Out button is the Member Dashboard. After you click it, you will look below and see three buttons:
NAVIGATION: The website is designed to be intuitive, so we encourage you to explore the drop-down menus at the top. Simply hover your mouse over About, Training, Resources, News, Hire Us and Awards to see all of your options. Please note our new Diversity & Inclusion page. Also take a look at the quick links at the bottom of the home page. Throughout the site, you’ll see plus signs with some labels; simply click those buttons for more details. You can toggle those accordion boxes on and off by clicking them.
RESOURCES: For the first time, IRE members will be able to search across various types of materials: tipsheets, data sets, audio files, contest entries and more. The new Resource Search can look through all resources, or you can limit it for a targeted search (e.g. only tipsheets or only data sets). Once you find what you need, add those items one by one to your shopping cart (even if they’re free). Then click the Shopping Cart button at the top right of the page and follow instructions. For example, you will be able to gather free tipsheets, register for a conference, buy a T-shirt and purchase a book in one transaction.
DATA SETS: If you’re looking for data provided by IRE, navigate to the Resource Search. IRE maintains these databases: SBA Disaster Loans, SBA 7a Business Loans, National Inventory of Dams, National Bridge Inventory, FOT Fatality Analysis Reporting System, College Scorecard-Simplified and Boating Accidents. Use the Resource Search to find them by clicking on Data and adding a key word (uncheck the View All button). We also provide archived data that is no longer updated but useful for reporting. Click here to see a full list and a link to request archived data.
First, make sure you’re logged into the IRE website. Use the same email and password that you’ve been using to log into the IRE website. If you don’t remember your password, please click the Forgot Password link and follow instructions. If you can’t log in, one reason may be that your membership has expired. In that case, please go through the process to rejoin IRE on the Join page. If you still have questions or need assistance, please email info@ire.org.
Once you’ve successfully logged in, click on Member Dashboard at the top right:
Make sure the IRE Membership tab is selected (1). In the shaded box, click on Manage Membership (2). Your membership expiration date will be listed in the Subscription column (3).
First, make sure you’re logged into the IRE website.
Then click on Member Dashboard at the top right:
Make sure the IRE Membership tab is selected (1). In the shaded box, click on Manage Membership (2), then Renew (3).
If your membership has recently expired, the word Subscribe will appear instead of Renew. Click Subscribe to restart your membership.
When the form opens, select your membership type and complete the other information. Be sure to click Complete Registration at the bottom of the form (below the payment information).
First, make sure you’re logged into the IRE website.
Then click on Member Dashboard at the top right:
Go to the Order History tab (1). Details about each of your prior payments for IRE events and products will appear in the Actions column, where you can click each one for full details (2).
To see past transactions for IRE membership dues, click on ‘Your Transactions’ in the sidebar. Please note that not all transactions from previous years have been transferred to the new website.
If your news organization, employer or other affiliation was in our dropdown list, your membership will take effect immediately. That means you’ll be all set to explore the members-only sections of our website.
However, if your affiliation is not already on our list, IRE staff likely will need to request additional information from you to determine whether you qualify for IRE membership, as set by our Articles of Incorporation. That may take a few business days to process.
If you know your existing password, start by logging into the IRE website.
Then click on Member Dashboard at the top right:
Make sure the IRE Membership label is selected (1). In the shaded box, click on Change Password (2) and complete the information on the form. Click Update Password.
If you do not remember or know your existing password, click the “Log In” button in the upper right corner of the IRE homepage. Click the “Forgot Password” link on the login screen to generate a password reset email. If you still need help, email IRE at info@ire.org.
You must be logged in as an IRE member to access IRE tipsheets, data, audio files and other resources. For all of those items, the “Add to Cart” button will appear only when you’re logged in as an IRE member.
Most IRE events are open only to current members.
If you’re already a member, please log in with your membership email and password. Ticket information will then be visible.
If you’re not a member and you don’t see any available tickets, that means it’s a member-only event. Before purchasing a ticket, you first will need to join IRE. Be sure to check out the five membership types permitted by our Articles of Incorporation. If you qualify, simply click the Join Now button to apply for membership.
The IRE office will be closed from Thursday, December 24, until Monday, January 4. If you need assistance during the break, please send an email to info@ire.org. Responses may be delayed during the office closure.
Rowaida Abdelaziz of HuffPost, Carlos Ballesteros of Injustice Watch, Terry Jones of The Advocate, and Ishan Thakore, an independent journalist, will serve as IRE’s 2021 Journalists of Color Investigative Reporting Fellows.
Abdelaziz, an enterprise reporter, has been with HuffPost since November 2016. Prior to that, she was HuffPost’s social media editor, and she served as Middle East North Africa Researcher for the Committee to Protect Journalists. She is a graduate of Rutgers University.
Abdelaziz’s project involves President Donald Trump’s ban on individuals from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, and now tens of thousands of Americans, many of them Muslims, have been separated from their families. She will investigate the effect of the bans by diving into the numbers — it's still not clear how many people were impacted — and uncover the physical, mental and economic toll the ban has taken.
Ballesteros, a staff reporter, has been with Injustice Watch since June 2020. Prior to that, he was at the Chicago Sun-Times, and he also worked in New York for Newsweek. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College.
Ballesteros’ project centers on COPA, the public body born in 2016 charged with revamping investigations of Chicago police officers who exerted deadly force after the public outcry against the killing of Laquan McDonald. He will investigate how COPA has fared so far in carrying out its mission, with a focus on family members of people killed by police officers and a searchable database of records concerning those investigations and their outcomes.
Terry Jones, a staff reporter, has been at The Advocate since April 2012. Prior to that, he was at the Hattiesburg American. He is a graduate of Southern University.
Jones is taking a deep dive into the spending of federal funds within the city-parish’s Office of Community Development to see just how far and how long questionable spending of those grant dollars might have further stunted the communities that needed them most. Has the city-parish government’s documented mismanagement of federal grant funding earmarked for low and moderate income residents and communities further widened the lines of disparity when it comes to race, socioeconomic status and upward mobility for a certain segment of the population in Baton Rouge?
Thakore is an independent journalist and associate producer for the Emmy Award-winning show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He was previously a Sundance Institute Grantee at BBC World Service and a National Geographic digital storytelling Fulbright Fellow. Thakore is a graduate of Duke University.
Thakore’s project aims to quantify pandemic-era informal evictions among undocumented New Yorkers in a single borough. Understanding the scale of informal evictions, which do not go through housing court, is important, because it exposes how even strong tenant protection laws can fail the city’s most vulnerable residents.
IRE’s yearlong fellowship is designed to increase the range of backgrounds, experiences and interests within the field of investigative journalism, where diverse perspectives are critically important. The 2021 fellowship program is open to U.S. journalists of color with at least three years of post-college work experience.
Abdelaziz, Ballesteros, Jones and Thakore were selected based on the projects they pitched in their applications. They will continue in their current professional roles while receiving a suite of IRE resources and support. These include complimentary registrations for an IRE data journalism bootcamp and both annual conferences, and they will receive IRE data services. Most importantly, they will each receive a mentor network of IRE members who will guide them through their year-long project.
“Access to IRE’s full array of training, mentoring and support helps our Fellows supercharge their investigative skills in a single year,” IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. “We’re excited to see them each grow professionally. And we’re grateful to our donors and supporters, who have enabled us to expand this program to nurture more journalists of color doing high-impact watchdog work.”
Bracey Harris, of NBC News, was IRE’s first fellow in 2019. When she was selected for the fellowship she worked at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. During her fellowship she took a new role at The Hechinger Report. Harris’ fellowship project explored the effects of school integration on black families in Mississippi, which led to an investigation published The Hechinger Report and The Clarion-Ledger in February 2020.
The 2020 Fellows are Sameea Kamal of the Los Angeles Times, Monica Velez of The Fresno Bee and Josh McGhee, formerly of The Chicago Reporter, and now at Injustice Watch. Due to the pandemic, their projects will be published in spring of 2021.
The IRE Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship was initially made possible thanks to generous donations from IRE members Meghan Hoyer, Megan Luther, Mike Tahani and Mike Gruss. Additional funding was provided by the IRE community and company sponsors ABC News, CNN, ESPN, Gray Television and Hearst Foundations. More than $100,000 has been raised to support the program.
Applications for the 2022 IRE Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship will be available in October 2021.
If you’d like to donate to the fellowship, go here and indicate your contribution is for the JOC fellowship.
If you are interested in participating in IRE training events, you can check them out here. If you are looking for financial assistance to attend any of these events, you can find the details here.
It’s time to gather your best stories of the year! The 2020 IRE Awards contest is now open for submissions, and we can’t wait to see what you’ve done.
You’ll notice our new contest submission platform, which we hope will be easy and straightforward to use. The platform, powered by OpenWater, will allow you to start, save and come back to your entries at any point during the open call. You will need to set up a login and password through the platform, but it does not have to be the same information as your IRE membership.
As with any new system, we might need to tweak some things as we move forward. Please check out the new contest submission platform and email questions to Director of Programming and Resources Lauren Grandestaff at lauren@ire.org or Contest Committee chair Jennifer LaFleur at jlafleur@irworkshop.org.
Eligible entries must have been published or aired between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 12, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
For details on how to enter, go here. To view past winners, go here.
To volunteer to be a contest pre-screener, fill out this short form.
Projects investigating senior care during the pandemic, microfinance financial networks and the lack of protection for coal ash workers in Tennessee have been awarded IRE Freelance Fellowships. The recipients of the 2020 fellowships are:
The generosity of an anonymous donor has allowed IRE to award fellowships for the last 13 years. The fellowships give independent journalists a financial boost to pursue investigative work.
If you’d like to donate to the Freelance Fellowship fund, click here to make a donation. Please designate "Freelance Fellowship” in the form.
About the award:
IRE Freelance Fellowships are awarded annually to journalists who make their living primarily as freelance/independent journalists. Applications are scrutinized by experienced freelance journalists. Proposals are judged in part on the breadth, significance and potential impact of the investigative project. At the request of the donor, proposals dealing with whistleblowers, business ethics and/or privacy issues will receive priority; projects involving other topics will be given serious consideration by the committee as well. The freelance projects are to be published or aired primarily in U.S. outlets.
IRE’s TV Watchdog Workshops are going virtual in 2021, allowing us to reach more journalists and keep everyone safe during the pandemic. These half-day workshops are open to broadcast journalists and will focus on tips and techniques for journalists working in television news.
Each of the four virtual workshops will focus on a different aspect of investigative journalism with sessions tailored to television reporters, producers and news directors. The workshops will include interactive sessions, group activities and time for attendees to network with other broadcast journalists across the country.
Registration is $35 for each workshop and includes a one-year IRE membership or renewal for the first 500 people to sign up for any of the events and qualify for IRE membership. Regular membership price is $70/year for professionals and $25/year for students. Each person can receive only one membership or renewal for the 2021 Virtual TV Watchdog Workshop series.
The workshops and free memberships are made possible by support from Knight Foundation. Before the pandemic, IRE hosted TV Watchdog Workshops in Denver, Seattle, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
“We’re excited to bring this valuable training online and make it accessible to more journalists than ever before,” IRE Deputy Executive Director Denise Malan said. “These unique events will help broadcast journalists dig deeper for their stories, expand their investigative toolkit and network with other journalists from across the country.”
Registration is open for the first two workshops and will open soon for the other two:
A fully redesigned IRE website will debut in December with improved navigation, easier event registration and a more robust search of Resource Center materials.
The transition to a new website will require a few temporary outages:
Members and the public alike will see a variety of improvements on the new site, including:
IRE last redesigned its website in 2011. The new website has been developed in partnership with Hoot Design Co., a women-led creative branding agency in Columbia, Missouri, near IRE headquarters at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Investigative Reporters & Editors has launched its search for a new executive director to lead the world’s largest organization supporting investigative and data journalism.
The position involves overseeing a dynamic organization with more than 6,300 members internationally, 13 full-time staff members and dozens of volunteer contributors, as well as serving as a faculty or staff member at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Those interested in the position can access application materials here. You can search for the position by using the job identification number: 34900. The application deadline is January 15.
For 45 years, IRE — a nonprofit organization — has led the journalism industry in supporting and training journalists and college students in techniques for investigative reporting and data analysis. The organization runs the world’s biggest conferences on investigative journalism, and its data arm – the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) – runs the world’s biggest data journalism conference. IRE provides training and resources for journalists in news organizations of all sizes, from rural U.S. communities to cities across the globe. Its website, ire.org, offers a growing portfolio of training tools, including podcasts, video tutorials and an extensive library of resources.
The job search began after current Executive Director Doug Haddix submitted his resignation, effective in January. Haddix has served as IRE’s director since 2016, overseeing the organization’s first virtual conference in September with nearly 3,000 attendees. Haddix also developed initiatives to further IRE’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, including training and mentorship programs for journalists of color.
Six veterans in the field of investigative journalism have been appointed as members of IRE’s executive director search committee. IRE board president Cheryl W. Thompson has appointed Mark Rochester and Ziva Branstetter co-chairs of the committee. Thompson will serve on the committee along with Cindy Galli, Manny Garcia and Mark Horvit.
The committee is meeting regularly to review applicants for the position of executive director and will recommend finalists for the position to the full 13-member board of directors, which will make the final selection.
The right candidate will have experience in investigative journalism, management experience, teaching or training experience and an enthusiasm for evangelizing on behalf of investigative journalism and raising funds to support that mission.
IRE is located in Columbia, Missouri, and while not required, there is a preference for a candidate who would relocate after the pandemic. For a Columbia-based candidate, a faculty appointment could include teaching one class per semester at the School of Journalism. The position also involves considerable travel, both domestically and internationally. Salary will be commensurate with experience.
Candidate screening will begin immediately, with a goal of filling the position by early 2021.
Applicants must submit a resume, a letter outlining employment history and achievements, a statement no longer than two pages of your vision for the organization, as well as relevant material or samples that demonstrate work in investigative journalism, any evidence of teaching experience and fundraising, and a one page diversity statement that specifically addresses how you would engage with a diverse student population with regards to teaching, research, mentoring and advising. The names and contact information for three references should be provided.
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