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(Feb. 21, 2025) – On Feb. 22, 1975, a group of intrepid journalists got together to discuss the emerging world of investigative reporting. Up until then, the few investigative journalists were mostly “lone wolves” in their newsrooms, working on their own and often in fierce competition.
The soon-to-be founders of IRE wondered: What if we help each other instead?
That visionary thought 50 years ago has blossomed into a powerful, supportive community of nearly 5,000 journalists from around the world, today the largest journalist organization based in the United States.
“There is no better time to celebrate investigative journalism than now,” said Executive Director Diana R. Fuentes. “In the face of attacks from many quarters, we are called upon to rally together and keep speaking truth to power and fighting for the people’s right to know. The work our members do every day is truly inspiring. Long live IRE!”
Fifty years of IRE. This milestone is special.
It means that for half a century – through decades of shifting politics and policies, advancements in tools and technology, racial reckonings, financial hardships, industry turmoil, busy news cycles and so much more – our members have stayed true to the belief that journalism can help us all live in a better, more informed world.
Year after year, thousands of journalists have packed into conferences and workshops to share their secrets, to commiserate and to gain inspiration and motivation.
“We are so proud of the storied history of IRE, but we also know that the work continues,” said Brian M. Rosenthal, an investigative reporter at The New York Times and president of the IRE Board of Directors. “This is a moment to celebrate, and to commit ourselves to continuing to carry the torch for the next 50 years, and beyond.”
To celebrate this historic milestone, we have exciting plans throughout 2025. See details below and join us!
On March 25, listen to IRE’s real OGs talk about our beginnings and their views of today and tomorrow. We are honored to welcome Len Downie Jr. and Ed DeLaney for this extraordinary online event. They both attended the original meeting of IRE in 1975, and they are still active in our community.
In conversation with Deb Nelson, a veteran IRE member herself and past president who won her first IRE Award in 1984, Downie and DeLaney will talk about the obstacles the group overcame to get IRE started, remembering the strife and the laughter, too; whether they thought we’d ever be where we are today; and where they see us going in the future.
Downie was at The Washington Post at the time, fresh from editing the Watergate stories that led to the resignation of President Nixon, and DeLaney was a lawyer who shepherded the creation of the new nonprofit IRE. Today, Downie is a professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and DeLaney is a Democratic legislator in the Indiana State House of Representatives.
This special event is free to all IRE members. Please register here.
The IRE Conference, set for June 19-22 in New Orleans, is our biggest event of the year, and it’s going to be extra special this year because of the anniversary. We’re thrilled to announce legendary journalist Jim Steele as the 2025 keynote speaker.
Steele was among the first members of IRE and has stayed active in the organization, serving as a mentor for countless young journalists and participating in dozens of conference sessions, among other roles.
“From my first IRE convention in Indianapolis in 1976 to countless other ones along the way across our land, I have believed in the work we all do and in the vital role IRE has played in advancing it,” Steele said in accepting the invitation. “It is a mission that continues and indeed is more crucial than ever.”
Steele will address conferees at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, June 21.
A former contributing editor at Vanity Fair and editor at large at Time magazine, Steele and his longtime reporting partner, the late Don Barlett, won two Pulitzer prizes and dozens of other awards for their comprehensive data analysis and investigations into wide-ranging public issues including the Internal Revenue Service, federal housing programs, criminal justice, income inequality and nuclear waste, to name just a few. In 1972, the team worked with Philip Meyer, the pioneer in computer-assisted journalism, in using an early computer to analyze more than 1,000 Philadelphia crime cases. It was the largest CAR project of its time.
The reporting duo also wrote nine books, two of which became New York Times bestsellers.
Steele teaches at Temple University and serves on the Board of Directors of the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
Now for something completely different at IRE25. To celebrate the anniversary, we are offering a smashing totally New Orleans-style event: A rocking dinner on a riverboat, cruising the mighty Mississippi!
This is a one-of-a-kind separate affair with tickets available only to those attending the conference and their families (and friends). It will take place the evening of Friday, June 20 — after the day’s conference sessions end — and tickets are $95 each. All proceeds will go to our 50th anniversary fund to support our efforts to expand training in the future.
The two-hour cruise will include live music, appetizers, dinner, dessert and an open bar. You won’t want to miss it!
The link to purchase tickets will be available soon on the 2025 IRE Conference page online.
This is just some of what we’re doing to celebrate our birthday! Already we’re offering an exceptional membership deal for retired journalists who are no longer working full time: $50 for the 50th! Retirees can join or renew in 2025 and get a one-year membership for just $50 instead of $75.
Our 50th Anniversary Task Force is cooking up more engaging and fun-filled experiences, in person and online. Stay alert for upcoming announcements as we roll them out. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Quick Hits newsletter to be the first to know the latest IRE news and updates.
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