Investigative sessions to catch at SPJ23 in Las Vegas

The Society of Professional Journalists’ 2023 Convention in Las Vegas, Sept. 28-30 will offer a variety of opportunities for journalists to advance their investigative and data reporting skills. 

IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes will attend the conference to present “Prying Loose Public Records” from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 29. Fuentes will offer tips on writing public records requests and overcoming common roadblocks in receiving records.

“Public records requests are a strong foundation of investigative journalism and one of the many ways journalists dig for information — regardless of beat, outlet or medium,” Fuentes said. “I’m looking forward to sharing some of the many strategies for successfully requesting public records, fighting exorbitant fees and overcoming other obstacles. I anticipate a valuable and practical discussion.”

SPJ23 will also feature colleagues of late investigative reporter and IRE member Jeff German from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 28. In “The Review-Journal's Fight for Jeff German's Sources,” panelists will discuss their newsroom’s work to investigate his killing and protect his anonymous sources.

At IRE23 in Orlando this past summer, IRE posthumously honored German with the Don Bolles Medal. 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. 

German’s colleagues provided the keynote address at IRE23, and they also presented at IRE’s inaugural Jeff German Investigative Workshop in the spring of 2023. Their ongoing effort to safeguard sources in the aftermath of German’s tragic killing remains a work in progress that SPJ23 attendees will not want to miss. 

Several other training opportunities at SPJ23 of interest to IRE members include sessions on Google tools in reporting, open records laws, visualization and narrative in data-driven stories, and following the money in sports coverage. More information about the SPJ23 conference and registration is available on the SPJ website. 

IRE is proud to partner with SPJ and other news organizations. Read more about our 2023 collaborations on the IRE news blog.