Research Desk - Investigative Reporters & Editors

The IRE Research Desk can save journalists valuable time and provide a reliable foundation of information for enterprise and watchdog stories.

Research Desk services

Deep backgrounding of individuals via social media, public records and court documents.
Detailed dossiers on companies and organizations.
Custom spreadsheets built from searching and analyzing court filings and other public records nationwide or in a particular state or region.

Services start at $50 per hour for small news organizations. Rates increase in relation to the complexity of work and size of the newsroom. Long-term contracts and retainer services are available.

News clients of the IRE Research Desk include Reuters, Gray Television, Education Week, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE), the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and The Marshall Project.

Ready to hire IRE?

The next step is fill out our online request form. Our research director will get in touch with you to discuss your newsroom's needs and explain our training fees in more detail.

SUBMIT A REQUEST ONLINE

Of all the services we make available in our Virtual Newsroom, the IRE Research Desk is among the most important. It has repeatedly helped FIRE-supported reporters break through on their stories, especially at the crucial early stages. IRE's sophisticated technology and trained researchers are unparalleled.

- Laird Townsend, Freelance investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE)

Meet Your IRE Expert

Lauren Grandestaff

Lauren Grandestaff is the Director of Content. She oversees the training and editorial teams as well as manages the programming for IRE's events including its three major conferences. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis on queer theory and social inequalities and a master’s degree in library science with an emphasis on inequitable access to information - both from the University of Missouri. Lauren has been with IRE since 2011.

Connect