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Investigative Reporters & Editors is adding a new position to our training team that helps journalists improve their investigative and data skills.
The trainer will help organize and conduct Watchdog Workshops, customized newsroom training, and national conferences; and develop innovative instructional materials in investigative and data journalism.
Location: Remote, with convenient access to an airport
Hours: Full time, with frequent travel and some weekends required for workshops or other training
Pay: $62,000 to $70,000, depending on experience.
What IRE needs: The position requires spreadsheet and watchdog skills, excellent public speaking ability, a passion for investigative reporting, frequent travel (including weekends) and the ability to work successfully from a remote office. Advanced data skills such as programming or visualization are preferred but not required.
What IRE offers: Collegial, creative and funny colleagues; a collaborative team atmosphere; and high impact in bolstering watchdog journalism around the world. IRE staff members are employees of the University of Missouri, with attractive health insurance, retirement and other benefits.
How to apply:
Read more details or apply online at this link by Nov. 20.
The University of Missouri is an equal access, equal opportunity, affirmative action employer that is fully committed to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
If you have questions, please contact IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix by email (doug@ire.org) or phone (614-205-5420).
IRE Board President Cheryl W. Thompson is featured in the latest "Chasing Corruption" video story about the power of local investigative reporting.
The eight-minute piece highlights a rolling investigation at The Washington Post by Thompson and Ovetta Wiggins into Jack B. Johnson, then the powerful county executive of Prince George's County. Their investigation led to one of the longest prison sentences in Maryland for political corruption.
Johnson was released from prison after serving five years. He pleaded guilty in 2011 to evidence tampering and destruction of evidence. His wife, developers and other government officials also were implicated. Prosecutors said he received more than $1 million in bribes during his time in office.
"Chasing Corruption" is a Facebook Watch program produced by Reckon at the Alabama Media Group. It's hosted by Ian Hoppe, who is traveling with a team across the country to focus on the value of watchdog reporting.
Thompson, who was elected to the 13-member IRE board of directors in June 2015, began service as board president this past June. She is an associate professor who teaches journalism at The George Washington University and writes investigative stories for The Washington Post. She’s won numerous awards, including an Emmy, National Headliner, IRE and two Salute to Excellence awards from the National Association of Black Journalists. She was named NABJ’s Educator of the Year in 2017. She also was part of a team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.
Blood delivers oxygen to our tissues. It fights off infections. It courses through our veins. But can it help us catch a murderer? A little-known arm of forensic science, known as bloodstain pattern analysis, believes it can. On this week’s episode, Pamela Colloff, a senior reporter at ProPublica and writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine, takes us through her investigation into the case of Joe Bryan, a high school principal serving 99 years in prison for the murder of his wife. His conviction was based largely on expert testimony surrounding bloodstain patterns prosecutors argued placed Joe at the scene of the crime.
You can find the podcast on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play.
Looking for links to the stories and resources we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.
House of Grendel (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 3.0
FasterFasterBrighter (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Slow Driver (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Castillo (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Eleven (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Gaddy (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Plaster Combo (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Lowbrow (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Lacquer Groove (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Tessa Weinberg reported this episode. IRE Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri.
It's once again time to enter the Philip Meyer Journalism Award contest. Entries are now being accepted online, through Nov. 16.
Established in 2005, the award was created to honor Philip Meyer's pioneering efforts to utilize social science research methods to foster better journalism. The contest recognizes stories that incorporate survey research, probabilities, and other social science tools in creative ways. Three awards are given annually:
Not sure what to enter? Watch award-winning data journalists Jennifer LaFleur, David Donald (deceased) and Tom Hargrove discuss best practices for great data reporting and stories that previously won the Philip Meyer Awards. To learn more about the contest, go to the Philip Meyer Award FAQ page, or contact IRE's contest coordinator, Lauren Grandestaff at 573-882-6668 or lauren@ire.org.
The deadline for entries is November 16, 2018, 11:59 PST.
Thanks to the generosity of the Park Foundation, IRE donors and the Ottaway Fund, IRE is fortunate to have funding available to provide scholarships to its three 2018 On-the-Road Boot Camps.
IRE awarded 10 scholarships to the October 2018 Python Boot Camp in Pittsburgh to the following:
IRE awarded 10 scholarships to the October 2018 CAR Boot Camp in Indianapolis to the following:
IRE awarded 10 scholarships to the November 2018 Reporting with R Boot Camp in Chicago to the following:
If you are interested in attending the Reporting with R Boot Camp, seats are still available. Get more information and register here.
After Hurricane Harvey devastated homes and businesses in southeast Texas, construction workers began the long process of rebuilding. But when payday came, some found their checks were short or that they didn’t get one at all. An investigation from The Dallas Morning News and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting found that Texas officials did little to protect workers, both legal and undocumented, from wage theft. On this episode, reporter James Barragán takes us through his investigation into worker exploitation after the storm.
You can find the podcast on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play. If you have a story you think we should feature on the show, drop us a note at web@ire.org. We’d love to hear from you.
Looking for links to the stories and resources we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.
Great is the Contessa (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Cases to Rest (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Headlights/Mountain Road (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Wisteria (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Cloud Line (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Wax Paper Jewel (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Abby Ivory-Ganja reported this episode. Tessa Weinberg is our host. IRE Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri.
Sometimes seeing is believing. But in Texas, at least, it’s not always that easy. Thanks to an obscure loophole in the Texas Public Information Act, law enforcement agencies can withhold evidence, including dash cam footage and recordings, if a suspect didn’t go through the court process. On this week’s episode, Josh Hinkle and Sarah Rafique of TV station KXAN discuss their investigation into the law’s unintended effects. Information in cases involving dead suspects — including deaths in police custody — can remain confidential, even to family of the deceased.
You can find the podcast on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play. If you have a story you think we should feature on the show, drop us a note at web@ire.org. We’d love to hear from you.
Looking for links to the stories and resources we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.
Building the Sled (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 3.0
Roundpine (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
The Records (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Greyleaf Willow (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Slow Line Stomp (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Then A Gambling Problem (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Lamprey (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0
Tessa Weinberg reported this episode. IRE Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri.
A new yearlong IRE fellowship seeks to increase the range of backgrounds, experiences and interests within the field of investigative journalism, where diverse perspectives are critically important.
The IRE Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship is made possible thanks to generous donations from IRE members Mike Gruss, Meghan Hoyer, Megan Luther and Mike Tahani.
"We’re grateful to several IRE members who are passionate about making a tangible difference in the professional development of journalists of color," IRE Executive Director Doug Haddix said. "Their investment will enable a talented journalist to receive a full slate of IRE and NICAR training. At the end of the year, the fellow will be better positioned to produce even better journalism with high impact."
The 2019 fellowship is open to U.S journalists of color with at least three years of post-college work experience. Applicants currently working in a newsroom must receive the support of their employer; freelancers are also encouraged to apply.
As part of the program, the fellow must propose and work on a well-developed project that benefits their community. A mentor network of IRE members will advise the fellow throughout the year or until the project is complete, whichever comes first.
The fellowship includes a suite of resources and training opportunities:
Fellowship applications are due Oct. 15. The recipient of the fellowship will be notified in November for a January 1 start date.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Chris Vachon, chris@ire.org or 317-371-6780.
Boost your investigative reporting skills this school year with this series of workshops at the Missouri School of Journalism. Investigative Reporters and Editors, a global membership non-profit based at the school, is organizing these sessions for students, faculty and staff.
Attendees will learn how they can improve their work, regardless of whether they aspire to become an investigative journalist. Sessions will run 70-90 minutes and be open to students of all levels. You do not need to be an IRE member, though you may not have access to all the resources on the IRE website.
Missouri School of Journalism students can get a free one-year IRE membership if they attend four of the IRE-Mizzou Watchdog Series workshops during the 2018-2019 school year. Students only on campus this fall can qualify by attending two sessions. The IRE student memberships will be awarded at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. Students who already have a membership will receive a 1-year membership renewal.
Since the 1970s, IRE has trained thousands of journalists worldwide in investigative and data reporting techniques. For the first time, IRE is offering a training series for Missouri School of Journalism students.
Prof. David Herzog, academic adviser for the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, is the organizer of this series. NICAR is a joint program of the school and IRE. Contact him at herzogd@missouri.edu with any questions.
Monday, Sept. 17 in RJI Palmer Room 100-A, 6-7:30 p.m.
Learn how investigative reporting skills can help you become a better journalist. We’ll provide an overview of some of the best investigative reporting today. Also, you’ll learn how to use IRE resources to create deeper stories.
IRE is providing pizza and soft drinks/water for attendees, so please RSVP if you plan to be there.
Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE), a fiscally sponsored project of IRE, is pleased to announce the launch of FIRE Diversity Fellowships to promote investigative training for underrepresented reporters nationwide. Made possible with support from the Ford Foundation, the fellowships are available to journalists of color currently working as freelance investigative reporters, or planning to do so soon.
The FIRE Diversity Fellowship can be applied to IRE Watchdog Workshops and other IRE trainings in 2018. Watchdog Workshops cover a range of investigative topics, from use of public records, to interviewing and sourcing techniques.
The fellowship includes the following:
For information about the trainings, the fellowship application and due dates, visit this page.
Questions? Email application@firenewsroom.org, placing “FIRE Diversity Fellowship” in the subject line. For more information about the FIRE Diversity Fellowships, visit http://firenewsroom.org/program/diversity-fellowships.
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