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Investigative Reporters & Editors honored two former members this week, inducting them into the IRE Ring of Honor. The Ring of Honor launched in May 2022 as a fundraising initiative that celebrates members who have made significant contributions to the organization and investigative journalism.
On June 24, 2023, the late Tom Torok of The New York Times and the late David Donald of Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University became the first two members of the IRE Ring of Honor. The induction ceremony took place during the awards luncheon at the IRE Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Lifelong journalist Tom Torok was a tireless reporter and editor, a popular mentor and a trailblazing data journalist of the highest caliber. Torok was a natural-born teacher in high demand at the countless sessions he conducted at IRE and NICAR conferences and in classrooms across the United States and worldwide.
He died in Camden, New Jersey, on March 6, 2022, after a brief illness. He was 73.
Torok was nominated to the IRE Ring of Honor by Andy Lehren of NBC News. Lehren and other supporters raised $4,147 in Torok’s name for the IRE Ring of Honor fellowship fund.
"Tom represents the best in the IRE and NICAR spirit, not only excelling at his own work, but he tirelessly helped others, generously teaching and sharing with others," Lehren said.
David Donald was a visionary in the world of data journalism, eagerly embracing new techniques and technologies and sharing them with a passion that was infectious. Many remember him as a compassionate teacher who was always ready to help fellow journalists.
Donald died Dec. 10, 2016, of complications from mesothelioma. He was 64.
"David Donald changed the course of my career — his training, mentorship and overall support elevated my journalism and changed my perspective on finding and outing truths," said London-based journalist Crina Boros. "I once asked him why he mentored. 'I, too, once stood on the shoulders of giants,’ he said. ‘This is my way of giving back.'"
Donald was nominated to the IRE Ring of Honor by Jennifer LaFleur of the Center for Public Integrity and a group of IRE members called “Friends of D Squared.” In his honor, they raised $3,110 for the IRE Ring of Honor fellowship fund.
Tax-deductible donations to the Ring of Honor memorialize the legacies of these influential mentors and newsroom leaders while financially supporting the next generation of investigative journalists. Fellowships allow qualified recipients to attend conferences, participate in training and network with other investigative journalists.
For more information on how to nominate someone for the IRE Ring of Honor, please click here.
IRE’s Don Bolles Medal for 2023 has been awarded posthumously to Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, who was killed in September 2022 in apparent retaliation for his reporting on a local public official.
The Don Bolles Medal recognizes investigative journalists who have exhibited extraordinary courage in standing up against intimidation or efforts to suppress the truth about matters of public importance.
"Jeff German was undaunted in his pursuit of accountability journalism," said IRE President Mark Walker. "In recognizing him with the Don Bolles Medal, we honor his dedication to dogged persistence in the face of intimidation and hostility, and his fearless drive to get the job done.
"His spirit lives on in all of us who believe in the power of investigative journalism."
German, 69, whose career in Las Vegas spanned four decades, was found stabbed to death outside his home on September 3, 2022. At the time, Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook called German "the gold standard of the news business."
"It's hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like today without his many years of shining a bright light on dark places," Cook added.
German joined the Review-Journal in 2010 after more than two decades at the Las Vegas Sun. During his career, German repeatedly uncovered government corruption and exposed the misdeeds of Sin City’s most notorious mob figures.
"In recent years, his reporting exposed failures in city inspections before the deadly Alpine Motel Apartments fire in 2019; claims of bullying, hostility and mismanagement at the Clark County’s public administrator’s office; and extremist activity in Southern Nevada," the Review-Journal reported.
Then-Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was charged with German’s murder and is awaiting trial.
Former IRE Board member Phil Williams, who led the effort to create the Don Bolles Medal and has spearheaded the nomination process, said the selection of Jeff German sends a message that the murder of investigative journalists can never be taken for granted.
"While this posthumous honor will not bring back Jeff German, it will help ensure that his sacrifice will never be forgotten," Williams said.
"His murder is a reminder of the risks that come with the dedication to expose wrongdoing that public officials and others would like to keep hidden, and it serves as a reminder of the everyday heroism of investigative journalists all around the world."
The Don Bolles Medal was created in 2017 in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Arizona Project, an effort led by IRE to finish the work of Don Bolles. The Arizona Republic investigative reporter was killed in 1976 by a car bomb in retaliation for his reporting.
Bolles' death came a few days before the first national IRE conference in Indianapolis, where the veteran reporter had been scheduled to speak on a panel. At the time, Bolles had been investigating allegations of land fraud involving prominent politicians and individuals with ties to organized crime.
After his murder, nearly 40 journalists from across the country descended on Arizona to complete his investigation. News organizations across the country published their findings.
Their message: Efforts to suppress the truth will be met by even greater efforts from the rest of the journalism community to tell it.
A staunch commitment to blocking the release of internal emails about a growing public health risk has earned Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy the 2023 Golden Padlock Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors. The award honors the most secretive government agencies in the U.S.
The agency originally quoted the Flatwater Free Press a fee of $2,000 to access internal emails referencing nitrate, a chemical in fertilizer linked to cancer that has been increasingly showing up in Nebraska drinking water. When a reporter submitted a simplified request to reduce the fee, it instead increased by 2,000 percent to $44,103.11.
“The easiest way not to give documents is to deny documents. And you can deny documents in one of two ways,” said Daniel Gutman, attorney for the Flatwater Free Press. “One is to say there are documents but you don’t get them. The other is to say you have to pay $45,000 dollars for them. Both avenues lead to the same result, which is no documents and less public awareness – less transparency.”
The Flatwater Free Press sued, and a judge ordered that the Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy provide a fee estimate reflecting the actual cost of making the records available. Nevertheless, the agency has held firm in its resolve to withhold the information pending a state supreme court appeal.
“This is the story of a public agency funded with public money in the public interest working diligently to undermine the public’s right to know,” said Robert Cribb, chair of the IRE’s Golden Padlock committee that reviewed nominations from across the country. “The relentless commitment displayed by Nebraska officials who are keeping vital information from public view is a distinction worth honoring.”
The committee also named three other finalists that exemplified the techniques of secrecy and obfuscation the award seeks to highlight. Those other three finalists were the City of Vallejo, California; the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut; and the City of Worcester, Massachusetts.
The winner of the 2023 Golden Padlock Award was announced during a June 24 awards luncheon at the 2023 IRE Conference in Orlando. IRE invited Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy, to Orlando to accept the award, but received no response.
Read the “Our Dirty Water” series by the Flatwater Free Press. See also reporter Yanqi Xu’s article about her reporting in The IRE Journal’s first quarter 2023 edition.
Watch the presentation of the 2023 Golden Padlock, excerpted from a recording of the awards luncheon, June 24, 2023, at IRE23 in Orlando.
Investigative Reporters & Editors celebrates its new mission statement on diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion, adopted unanimously by the IRE Board of Directors on June 14.
The statement reaffirms IRE’s commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment at all its events and meetings.
“We believe a diverse and inclusive space helps secure a strong future for our organization,” said IRE President Mark Walker. “All our members and partners can be assured that IRE takes its commitment to diversity seriously.”
While IRE has had a code of conduct in place for several years, board members saw a need for IRE to develop a separate document underscoring its DBEI principles amid growing concerns about hostile environments for journalists, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
The move is particularly timely as the organization prepares for its annual flagship conference in Orlando, Florida, where there has been a backlash against inclusivity and high-profile attacks on LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.
“At a time of such political uncertainty, IRE wants to reiterate its support for members of intersecting identities and backgrounds,” said Barbara Rodriguez, chair of the IRE Diversity & Inclusion Committee and a board member. “Let our message with this mission statement be clear: IRE is committed to being a safe and welcoming organization.”
In response to IRE members’ feedback over legislation in the state of Florida targeting the LGBTQ+ community, the board issued a statement May 11 reaffirming IRE23 as a safe space for those most directly affected. The board has also worked with the staff and members to put together a guide for programming sessions and community activities that offers support and guidance to attendees navigating this developing situation. The guide includes businesses, including restaurants and entertainment venues, owned by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
This is the complete statement approved by the board June 14, now included on the IRE website:
IRE strives to reflect diversity and inclusion in all of its efforts and offerings. It is a foundational value, as a diverse membership strengthens our organization and produces higher-quality journalism that more accurately reflects the communities we serve. By centering inclusivity — both in our public programming and internal staffing policies — we help sustain IRE’s future and ensure that our members thrive as journalists, educators and students.
American journalism is in a state of flux, with a decline in newsroom employment that can limit what stories are told and who has the opportunity to tell them. That threatens diversity in an industry that still does not reflect the diversity of the nation. IRE is committed to taking practical steps to address the ongoing impact of such growing inequality within the industry. IRE will maintain the necessary data collection to assure membership of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
IRE develops programming, networking opportunities and training to create a safe space for all journalists, including journalists of color, LGBTQ+ journalists, journalists of different gender identities, journalists with disabilities and journalists of different religious beliefs and spirituality. For IRE, inclusivity means welcoming and supporting people with intersecting identities and backgrounds. IRE seeks to maintain a discrimination-free organization where everyone can learn and be supported professionally — including at conferences and events held in states with evolving laws and legal protections.
For more information on all of IRE’s DBEI initiatives, see our diversity and inclusion page.
Thanks to Mary Shanklin and Adam Rhodes for helping compile this local guide for the 2023 IRE Conference in Orlando, June 22-25. Shanklin served on the IRE23 regional committee and is currently a journalism instructor at the University of Central Florida. Formerly, Shanklin was a reporter at the Orlando Sentinel. Rhodes is currently a Training Director at IRE and received their undergraduate journalism degree from the University of Central Florida.
Neighborhoods to Note:
Dining, Dancing, Drinking:
If you have businesses or other resources you’d like to add to this list, send us a quick email at conference@ire.org and we’ll be happy to add to the list! For more local tips, be sure to check out the IRE23 LGBTQ+ Resource Guide.
Whether you’re looking for queer-focused sessions, IRE personnel, a spot for lunch or a business to support, this guide can be your roadmap while in Orlando.
The IRE Board of Directors recently issued a statement reaffirming the organization’s commitment to LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. When registering, attendees also agreed to an anti-harassment policy and our Code of Conduct. If you have questions or concerns, please seek out IRE Board Secretary Josh Hinkle, IRE Director of Diversity & Inclusion Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE Senior Training Director Liz Lucas, or IRE Training Director Adam Rhodes — who are all LGBTQ+ community members and happy to help.
On Thursday, we’re kicking things off with an hour-long LGBTQIA+ networking session right before lunch. IRE Training Director Adam Rhodes and The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez will be your hosts to ensure you feel welcome and ready for the next few days of the conference.
Then, on Friday, from 11:30 to 12:30, we’ll hear from Jo Yurcaba at NBC; Lauren McGaughy with the Dallas Morning News; and Madison Pauly from Mother Jones. They’ll teach us how they dig deep into anti-trans legislation, locally and nationally.
And on Saturday, George Joseph at THE CITY will lead a panel with Jo Yurcaba and Nicole Einbinder (Insider) that will focus on how to cover and investigate the treatment of LGBTQ+ people inside the criminal legal system.
But don’t think of those sessions as your only chance to tap into the LGBTQ+ beat. FOIA, data and traditional investigative tools are indispensable assets on any beat, and we have tons of sessions at the conference aimed at building your skills on all fronts, including:
Outside the conference, we encourage you to support LGBTQ-owned businesses and have compiled a list of some dining and nightlife options, as well as community organizations and other resources for Orlando and its vibrant queer community.
If you have businesses or other resources you’d like to add to this list, send us a quick email at conference@ire.org and we’ll be happy to add to the list! We can’t wait to learn and celebrate side-by-side with you in Orlando! Happy Pride, y’all!
See more local tips from IRE's "Other Orlando" guide, which includes a map of local Black-owned dining establishments, neighborhoods of note, attractions and more!
Investigative Reporters and Editors is honored to announce that three colleagues of the late Las Vegas journalist Jeff German will deliver a joint keynote address at the 2023 IRE conference in Orlando, June 22-25.
Rhonda Prast, Briana Erickson and Art Kane, all members of German's Investigative Team at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, will speak at the IRE Awards luncheon on Saturday, June 24.
German was killed outside his home Sept. 3, 2022. An elected county official who was the subject of German’s investigation into allegations of workplace harassment has been charged with murder in his stabbing death.
"Mere hours after Jeff's death, his colleagues had to set aside their grief not only to report on his case and answer questions from reporters across the country but also to continue the work on his other pending investigations," said IRE Board President Mark Walker. "The Investigative Team was determined to show they would not be intimidated. It was a daunting undertaking but one they tackled head-on."
Erickson is an award-winning investigative reporter at the Review-Journal where she has covered everything from the Las Vegas mass shooting at the Harvest music festival to the Raiders, courts and homeless issues. Her work has been recognized by the Best of the West, the Nevada Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Kane was named Review-Journal Investigations Editor in February 2023. He has been a reporter, editor, producer and executive producer at top metro newspapers and a top 20-market television station for nearly three decades. Since joining the Review-Journal, his stories led to indictments of convention officials, the Henderson constable and a revamping of the state dental board, including the resignation of half the board and termination of the top two staffers. He has been honored with two duPont-Columbia awards, a Peabody and a national Emmy. He was also named Nevada's outstanding journalist of the year in 2020 and again in 2022 by the Nevada Press Association. Kane is writing a book on the life and death of Jeff German for WildBlue Press.
Prast is the former Assistant Managing Editor for Investigations and Projects at the Review-Journal. She edited German’s investigative work on Robert Telles and the county, and she managed the I-team’s ongoing probe after his death. A veteran editor, she has held leadership positions at the Idaho Statesman, the Kansas City Star, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and The Seattle Times. She was also a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism on the magazine faculty, focusing on digital journalism. At the Review-Journal, her team’s work was honored with more than 25 state, regional and national awards under her tenure.
At the IRE23 Awards Luncheon, the three will talk about their work and that of others in the aftermath of German’s death.
"This is an opportunity to hear what was going on behind the scenes and how these journalists handled difficult situations as they evolved," Walker said. "We appreciate their willingness to share their experiences with fellow IRE members. This is sure to be a highlight of IRE23."
Following German’s slaying, the Jeff German Fund for Investigative Journalism was established by IRE with generous support from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Arnold Ventures and the Knight Foundation as well as individual donors from across the country. The fund helps journalists get training in the latest investigative reporting skills as well as tried-and-true methods at IRE conferences and workshops. Donations to the fund can be made in several ways, including PayPal, credit card and text, at the IRE donation link: ire.org/donate. Please write "Jeff German" in the message or tribute field.
IRE is proud to welcome 95 journalists to the IRE23 fellowship class!
IRE and generous benefactors are helping journalists around the country attend the #IRE23 in Orlando, June 22-25. Fellows will attend panels and training sessions, and also network with IRE members from around the country.
Fellowships and scholarships were available to all journalists, including early-career and student journalists, reporters working in smaller news markets and other journalists from underrepresented communities. All fellows were required to meet IRE’s membership standards.
IRE is proud to help foster the development and training of investigative reporters. Congratulations, IRE23 fellows!
Colorado Trust Fellowships
David Dietz Fellowship
Eric B. Sager Scholarship
Gary Marx Scholarships
Godfrey Wells Stancill Fellowship
IRE Fellowships
Cox Media Group Scholarships
James Richard Bennett Scholarships
IRE Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship
Jeff German Fellowship
Jennifer Leonard Scholarship
Napoli Management Group TV Scholarships
ProPublica
Sandra Thomas Fellowship
Investigative Reporters and Editors has named its finalists for the 2023 Golden Padlock Award honoring the most secretive public agency or official in the U.S.
This year’s award marks a decade of celebrating the best of government opaqueness with four new finalists chosen from a competitive field of nominees. Each of them champions the highest principles of bureaucratic intransigence through techniques that include imposing interminable delays for accessing records, demanding exorbitant fees, launching court challenges blocking public access to records and destroying vital public information and evidence detailing the actions of government officials.
"Reaching the highest levels of government secrecy requires fearlessness in doing whatever it takes to keep citizens in the dark," said Golden Padlock committee chair Robert Cribb. "These elite-level players have distinguished themselves through extraordinary commitment to information suppression."
The finalists for the 2023 Golden Padlock Award are:
The winner of the 2023 Golden Padlock Award will be announced during the awards luncheon at the IRE conference on Saturday, June 24, in Orlando.
We're gearing up to start planning for AccessFest23, and we would love to hear your ideas!
AccessFest is the newly expanded version of our fall conference, the DBEI Symposium. IRE's third annual, virtual-by-design event will still center on themes of inclusion, equity and belonging in newsrooms and in news coverage but we're broadening the scope to include more sessions and topics. You'll also see panels and data classes that mirror sessions you’d typically see at the NICAR and IRE conferences. Our goal is to make IRE training more accessible for everyone!
If you have ideas about what we should include in the line-up this year, we want to hear from you. Your input helps ensure that we’re providing programming that meets your needs and the needs of your newsrooms.
Here are a few ways you can use the ideas form:
Have several ideas? Great! Fill out the form as many times as you’d like. And help us spread the word by sharing this form with friends, colleagues, Slack channels, etc.
Keep in mind that IRE retains editorial control over the content of its conferences. If we can use your idea, our team will be in touch to discuss details. Please direct questions to conference@ire.org.
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