Jeff German colleagues to deliver IRE23 conference keynote

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.