AccessFest 2025 conference schedule The AccessFest 2025 conference will run from Thursday, October 9, to Saturday, October 11. More details will be added to this schedule as they are confirmed. To register for the conference, please navigate to this page: https://www.ire.org/accessfest-2025-registration/ 27 sessions confirmed - Updated August 25 - All times are ET View schedule in another format: HTML: https://schedules.ire.org/accessfest-2025/index.html PDF: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1naA-un-JfWgmbEM6FIHdwSxIRvDB7Px3k3fD58hUg48/export?format=pdf CSV: https://schedules.ire.org/accessfest-2025/accessfest-2025-schedule.csv JSON: https://schedules.ire.org/accessfest-2025/accessfest-2025-schedule.json   *** THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 *** ------ Welcome to AF25! Overview and networking event Time: Thursday, October 9, 10 – 10:30 a.m. (30m) Location: Zoom In this opening session, IRE's executive director Diana Fuentes and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Francisco Vara-Orta kick off #AF25. We'll give an overview of the conference schedule, give tips on how to make your conferenfe experience the best it can be, how to stay connected with other attendees after AccessFest wraps and the we'll break into small groups to network with your fellow IRE members. Notes:   - Session type: Networking,   - Networking track Speakers:   - Diana Fuentes, IRE & NICAR,   - Josh Hinkle, KXAN,   - Francisco Vara-Orta, IRE & NICAR ------ Data reporting for smaller newsrooms Time: Thursday, October 9, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Local news track Speaker information coming soon. ------ Disclosing AI in investigative journalism: What audiences want and how newsrooms can respond Time: Thursday, October 9, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - AI track Speaker information coming soon. ------ How to make sure your interviews are accessible Time: Thursday, October 9, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Accessibility track Speaker information coming soon. ------ Use FOIA to launch your next investigation Time: Thursday, October 9, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Public records track Speaker information coming soon. ------ When government data disappears: How to cross-check, preserve, and investigate Time: Thursday, October 9, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Covering immigration on any beat Time: Thursday, October 9, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ How AI can make your reporting more (or less) accessible Time: Thursday, October 9, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - AI track Speaker information coming soon. ------ Investigating for-profit health care Time: Thursday, October 9, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Beat reporting track Speaker information coming soon. ------ Navigating record requests within the criminal legal system Time: Thursday, October 9, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Accessibility awareness for charts and interactives Time: Thursday, October 9, 4 – 5 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Covering special education: Ways to investigate and tell compelling stories Time: Thursday, October 9, 4 – 5 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ How to safely interact with federal officials Time: Thursday, October 9, 4 – 5 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Attacks on the press, Safety track Speaker information coming soon. ------ Shining a light on immigration enforcement at the state and local level Time: Thursday, October 9, 4 – 5 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon.   *** FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 *** ------ Designing entrepreneurship systems that work for you Time: Friday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Finding and using historical documents in investigative stories Time: Friday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Research track Speaker information coming soon. ------ How tax breaks disproportionately harm students of color Time: Friday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ How to build a disability-led newsroom from the ground up Time: Friday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Reporting about, for, and with Gender Expansive Communities Time: Friday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Covering Indigenous Communities better with solutions journalism Time: Friday, October 10, 1 – 1:30 p.m. (30m) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Working with sensitive and hard-to-reach sources Time: Friday, October 10, 1 – 1:30 p.m. (30m) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Covering U.S. territories Time: Friday, October 10, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon.   *** SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 *** ------ Digital accessibility basics Time: Saturday, October 11, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Introduction to data journalism Time: Saturday, October 11, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ The internet is forever: How to uncover hidden information Time: Saturday, October 11, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ Coordinating a public records audit in your community Time: Saturday, October 11, 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded Speaker information coming soon. ------ 50 free government data sets in 50 minutes Time: Saturday, October 11, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. (1h) Location: Zoom Description coming soon. Notes:   - Session type: Panel,   - Session audio will be recorded,   - Public records track Speaker information coming soon.