IRE 2022 virtual conference logo

Virtual conference schedule

51 sessions confirmed • Updated June 29 • All times are MT

The IRE 2022 virtual conference will run from Thursday, June 23, to Saturday, June 25 online.

(If you'd like to check out the in-person schedule instead, please click here.)

🚨 Registered attendees can access the most up-to-date schedule by logging into the Guidebook app — please check your email for login instructions. Questions or trouble signing in? Email logistics@ire.org.

IRE staff will try to post each recording the same day as the session.

In addition to the sessions listed below, on-demand data training videos will be available on the Guidebook app on the first day of the conference.

» Click here to register for the virtual conference «

You can browse through the sessions below or search by session title, speaker name, track or session type. Additional sessions and details will be added as they are confirmed.

Examples: Jennifer, Python, Panel

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Showing 51 of 51 sessions


Thursday, 6/23

Sessions starting at 8:15 a.m. MT

special

👋 Welcome, first timers!

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 8:15 – 8:45 a.m. MT (30m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Welcome to the conference! Hear from IRE staff about tips and tactics to navigate our conference like a pro. Also, you'll learn about key resources that IRE offers once you're back home.

Speaker

Diana Fuentes, IRE & NICAR 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Sessions starting at 9 a.m. MT

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Including disability communities in your investigative reporting (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Nearly one in four Americans live with some form of disability, which puts them at risk on almost every economic and social index. Yet disability often gets overlooked in reporting on inequality in employment, housing, health care, education, access to democracy and more. A panel of experienced investigative reporters and editors will offer suggestions, story ideas and resources that can help correct this imbalance.

This session was planned in collabration with National Center on Disability and Journalism. The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Jodi Cohen, ProPublica 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Kristin Gilger, ASU 👇

Kristin Gilger is director of the National Center on Disability and Journalism and Reynolds Professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. She has served as interim dean, associate dean and assistant dean of the school. Previously, she was an editor at The Arizona Republic and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. She is co-author of “There’s No Crying in Newsrooms: What Women Have Learned About What it Takes to Lead.”

On Twitter: @kristingilger

Jennifer LaFleur, Center for Public Integrity 👇

Jennifer LaFleur is a senior editor at The Center for Public Integrity and teaches at American University. She joined CPI from The Investigative Reporting Workshop. She previously was a senior editor at Reveal/CIR, data editor at ProPublica, The Dallas Morning News and other newspapers. She is a former IRE training director and has won awards for her coverage of disability, legal and open government issues.

On Twitter: @j_la28

Kendall Taggart, Buzzfeed News 👇

I’m a reporter on the investigative team at BuzzFeed News. Most recently, I investigated what happened after the private equity giant KKR bought up a company operating hundreds of group homes that promised to help people with disabilities “live their best lives.” Instead, conditions grew so dire that staff quit in droves, a state prohibited the company from accepting new residents, and some of the most vulnerable people in its care suffered and died.

On Twitter: @KendallTTaggart

panel

Investigating the rise of globally connected white supremacy

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Find out about emerging, international networks working to connect white supremacists and white nationalists around the world -- and how you can dig into the reporting on this evolving threat. The team behind the new podcast Verified: The Next Threat reveals how they got the interviews and how you can wade through difficult ethical questions that come up when reporting on hate.

Speakers

Mark Greenblatt, Scripps Washington Bureau 👇

Mark Greenblatt is senior national investigative correspondent for Scripps Washington Bureau, reporting for Newsy, Scripps local stations and podcasts. Mark is the lead reporter for "Verified: The Next Threat," an investigative podcast on globally linked white supremacy. He is a three-time Peabody winner and has earned the IRE Medal, duPont, Emmy, Murrow, Sigma Delta Chi and Livingston Award and has twice been a finalist for Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize. He also gardens and brews his own beer.

On Twitter: @greenblattmark

Susanne Reber, Scripps Washington Bureau 👇

3X Peabody award-winning media executive. Currently Executive Producer Podcasting Scripps Washington Bureau. Creator of Verified, Investigative podcast series. Co-founder of Reveal, the first investigative radio show and podcast in the US. Former head of NPR Investigations and CBC Investigations. Frequent international speaker and trainer on investigative storytelling and innovation

On Twitter: @verpod

Ellen Weiss, E.W. Scripps 👇

Ellen Weiss is Washington Bureau Chief and Vice President of the E.W. Scripps Company and leads the production of original investigative and documentary stories and series in video and audio. Previously, she was Executive Editor at the Center for Public Integrity and Senior Vice President of News at NPR. Weiss is a trustee of the Scripps Howard Foundation and a volunteer with the National Park Service. She is a graduate of Smith College.

On Twitter: @Ellen_weiss

panel

Breaking into investigative reporting

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

A session given by veteran journalists with tips for newbies on how to break into investigative reporting.

Speakers

Laura Castañeda, USC-Annenberg 👇

Laura Castañeda, Ed.D., is a Professor of Professional Practice at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the school’s Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access. She was worked for the Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News and The San Francisco Chronicle. She earned two B.A.s from USC, her M.A. from Columbia, where she also was a Knight-Bagheot Fellow, and her doctorate from USC.

On Twitter: @lauracastaneda

James Grimaldi, Wall Street Journal 👇

James V. Grimaldi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal based in Washington. In 2021-22, his work with two WSJ colleagues found that 152 federal judges violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing 1,076 court cases involving companies in which they or their family owned stock. In response, the U.S. Congress passed a new ethics law that requires judges to post their financial disclosure reports on an online database.

On Twitter: @jamesvgrimaldi

Kathleen Johnston, Indiana University 👇

Founding director of the Arnolt Center for investigative journalism at Indiana University. Formerly longtime senior investigative producer at CNN in Atlanta and a similar role at CBS NEWS in DC. Prior to television producing, had a long career in newspapers. Multiple awards including IRE, national Emmy, Columbia DuPont, Peabodys, ,Murrows. Specializing in counter terrorism and homeland security ; congressional spending and breaking new events

Myriam Masihy, WSCV Miami 👇

Myriam Masihy is a consumer investigative reporter with Telemundo 51 and NBC6 South Florida. She has dedicated the last 20-plus years addressing viewers’ concerns and working to solve problems in the community. She currently works as part of the NBC6 Investigators, NBC6 Responds, Telemundo 51 Responde and Telemundo 51 Investiga teams. Her work has been recognized with 19 Emmy Awards.

On Twitter: @MyriamT51

Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. MT

panel

Broadcast track: Investigating breaking news (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Breaking news is when our viewers count on us most. Investigators need to be part of the coverage to provide deeper understanding of what's happening. This session will give you practical tools to use right away. You will leave the hour with at least five things to request this weekend before you leave Denver to prepare for the next breaking news event and a list of questions to ask as soon as it happens. We want you to leave the hour ready to tackle the news at it breaks, but keep breaking news about the event days or weeks later.

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Ashley Graham, WBBH-TV 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Kyle Jones, NBC Connecticut 👇

Kyle grew up in the Maryland suburbs outside of Washington, D.C. Prior to joining NBC Connecticut, Kyle has reported along the East Coast at WMDT in Maryland, WMTW in Maine, and WJCL in Georgia. Before her career in journalism, Kyle spent eight years working in public relations. In her free time, she enjoys trivia nights, craft breweries, trying out local restaurants and visiting beaches across Connecticut.

On Twitter: @KyleJonesNBC

Ted Oberg, ABC13, Houston 👇

Ted recently celebrated 20 years as a reporter at KTRK. He prefers you refer to that as well-aged instead of old. Ted is ABC13's Investigative Reporter splitting time between investigating local government for 13 Investigates and consumer troubleshooting for the stations' Turn to Ted segments.

On Twitter: @tedabc13

panel

Election track: Investigating threats against poll workers and election officials

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Election officials have faced a wave of threats and harassment since the 2020 election and law enforcement has struggled to keep up. Many who have served in their roles for decades, are leaving their jobs. This panel will focus on how to track and investigate these threats and piece together impactful stories.

Speakers

Sam Levine, Guardian 👇

Sam Levine is a senior reporter at the Guardian who covers voting rights across the US

On Twitter: @srl

Linda So, Reuters 👇

Linda So is an award-winning multimedia investigative journalist for Reuters based in Washington, D.C. Her work exposing threats against election workers spurred federal investigations and multiple legislative reforms. Her reporting has won a trove of national honors, including the George Polk, RFK and Sigma Delta Chi awards. Before joining Reuters in 2013, she had an extensive career as a broadcast journalist, reporting and anchoring for various U.S. network affiliates.

On Twitter: @lindasoreports

Jason Szep, Reuters 👇

Jason Szep is international political investigations editor at Reuters and has reported from across Asia and North America on a wide range of subjects. Honors for his work include a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 2014, a Polk, three Awards for editorial excellence by the Society of Publishers in Asia, an Osborn Elliott Prize, two Sigma Delta Chi award and the Edgar A. Poe Award from the White House Correspondents’ Association.

On Twitter: @jasonszep

panel

Using narrative writing in your investigative journalism

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

We're die-hard believers in the investigative narrative, and we've developed ideas on how to write a deeply reported investigative piece that keeps audiences engaged. We bring our reporting, writing, teaching and editing expertise to the table in an interactive session in which we provide tips then open the session up to the group.

Speakers

Thomas Huang, The Dallas Morning News 👇

Tom Huang is assistant managing editor for journalism initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he edits the Sunday front page, directs newsroom talent development and leads The News’ community-funded journalism initiative, which seeks philanthropic funding to support public service journalism. As an adjunct faculty member of The Poynter Institute, he organizes seminars for professional journalists on writing, reporting and editing.

On Twitter: @tomthuang

Terry Greene Sterling, Walter Cronkite J-School/Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting 👇

Terry Greene Sterling is a journalist, author and teacher. Her narrative writing focuses on the people, places and politics of the American southwest. She is an editor at large for the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting and a faculty affiliate at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Reach her at terrygreenesterling.com or @tgsterling.

On Twitter: @tgsterling

Rebecca Woolington, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Rebecca Woolington is the investigative editor at the Tampa Bay Times. Her work there has chronicled discrepancies in the state’s counting of coronavirus deaths and dangerous working conditions inside a Tampa lead factory. The latter earned her and her reporting partners, Corey G. Johnson and Eli Murray, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting and several other national honors. She was previously an investigative and criminal justice reporter at The Oregonian.

On Twitter: @rwoolington

Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. MT

panel

Investigating judges and the courts

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Judges wield enormous power and often can only be removed for crimes and extreme wrongdoing and therefore are beholden to few if anyone. Most are not required to respond to public records requests. Federal jurists in particular operate in a world shrouded in secrecy - and many are appointed for life. Panelists reveal how to pierce the veil of judicial secrecy by uncovering corruption, abuse, harassment and hidden financial interests with data, documents, sources, strategies and little-known archives for both state and federal courts. These tips and story ideas will be useful for both beat and investigative reporters.

Speakers

James Grimaldi, Wall Street Journal 👇

James V. Grimaldi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal based in Washington. In 2021-22, his work with two WSJ colleagues found that 152 federal judges violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing 1,076 court cases involving companies in which they or their family owned stock. In response, the U.S. Congress passed a new ethics law that requires judges to post their financial disclosure reports on an online database.

On Twitter: @jamesvgrimaldi

Lise Olsen, The Texas Observer 👇

Lise Olsen is the author of CODE OF SILENCE, which won the IRE Book award in 2022 and examines major flaws in the federal judicial misconduct system. Her book reveals how a federal judge got away with sexually assaulting his own employees for years before finally being prosecuted and impeached. Now senior editor and reporter at the Texas Observer, Olsen is a former IRE board member whose work has also appeared in documentaries on CNN and A & E and in other publications.

On Twitter: @lisedigger

Andrew Pantazi, The Tributary 👇

Andrew Pantazi is the founder and editor of The Tributary, a nonprofit investigative newsroom in Jacksonville, Fla. He was previously an enterprise reporter at The Florida Times-Union for eight years.

On Twitter: @APantazi

panel

Election track: Tracking dark money in the midterm elections

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Secret spending can contort elections up and down the ballot. This panel will provide an overview of what you need to know to uncover dark money activity and try to find out who is behind it. Learn how to follow the money trails with tools and techniques to track secretive groups, piece together opaque spending networks, and uncover donors through political ad records, corporate records, and campaign finance data as well as filings with the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, Congress, and more.

Speakers

Michael Beckel, Issue One 👇

Michael is the research director at Issue One, a bipartisan political reform group based in DC. He previously worked as a reporter for more than 10 years at the Center for Public Integrity, OpenSecrets.org, Mother Jones and other outlets. Since September 2020, he has resided in Colorado and loves hiking in the mountains. Michael is happy to talk with reporters, on the record or on background, especially about campaign finance and election issues.

On Twitter: @mjbeckel

Robert Maguire, CREW 👇

Robert Maguire is the Research Director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. He has been tracking dark money groups for a decade, since founding the Political Nonprofit Tracking Project at OpenSecrets.org, where he produced award-winning reporting on dark money networks.

On Twitter: @RobertMaguire_

Anna Massoglia, OpenSecrets 👇

Anna Massoglia is OpenSecrets’ Editorial and Investigations Manager. Her research also includes "dark money," political ads and foreign influence. She holds degrees in political science and psychology from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia School of Law. Anna previously worked as a research analyst, writer and editor at Bloomberg BNA.

On Twitter: @annalecta

panel

Biggest hurdles to accessing state and local public records (Sponsored by the TEGNA Foundation)

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Panelists discuss the most frequently-cited exemptions to disclosure, including "personnel files," "deliberative process privilege," "ongoing investigation" and FERPA/HIPAA, and discuss what are the best ways to overcome these hurdles.

This session is sponsored by the TEGNA Foundation. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Susan Greene, The Colorado Independent 👇

Susan Greene reported in California, Nevada and D.C. before her 13 years as a reporter and columnist at The Denver Post. She went on run the nonprofit Colorado Independent before its 2020 merger with COLab. “Trashing the Truth,” a series she reported with Miles Moffeit, was a finalist for the Pulitzer in investigative journalism. She coaches while co-reporting with journalists and currently is leading a multi-outlet investigation of Colorado’s mental health care system.

On Twitter: @greeneindenver

Mary Hudetz, ProPublica 👇

Mary Hudetz is a reporter for ProPublica's Southwest unit. Before joining ProPublica, she worked for The Seattle Times and Associated Press. A member of the Crow Tribe in Montana, she is a former president of the Native American Journalists Association. She is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On Twitter: @marymhudetz

Dan Schwartz, independent journalist 👇

Dan Schwartz is an independent journalist who writes about the environment and outdoors for national publications such as The Atlantic and Outside Magazine. He is also a producer on an investigative podcast for iHeartRadio that'll be out this fall.

Steven Zansberg, Law Office of Steven D. Zansberg, LLC 👇

Steve Zansberg is a media and First Amendment lawyer in Denver, Colorado. For 26 years, Steve has represented reporters, editors, publishers and broadcasters in defending lawsuits, pre-publication review, newsroom counseling, fighting subpoenas and seeking access to government proceedings and records. Steve is president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

On Twitter: @DenverSteve

Sessions starting at 2:30 p.m. MT

panel

Police accountability: From data to narrative

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

In order to report on police accountability with authority, you often need data. But where do you get data? And what do you do if it doesn't exist? Once you have it, how do you identify sources and then build a narrative? This panel will explore the challenges — and solutions — in three policing projects: Broken Doors, Mauled and Law Enforcement Accountability Network. Attendees will also be given tips and ideas to take back to their own newsrooms.

Speakers

Ryan Martin, The Indianapolis Star 👇

Ryan Martin is an investigative reporter at The Indianapolis Star, where he writes about the criminal justice system and local government. He is a 2021 IRE Award winner for an investigation into Indiana's jail deaths crisis. He also was part of a team of journalists from four newsrooms that examined K-9 units and the damage inflicted by police dogs. The team won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.

On Twitter: @ryanmartin

Cheryl Phillips, Stanford University 👇

Cheryl Phillips teaches at Stanford and is founder of Big Local News. Previously, Phillips worked at The Seattle Times for 12 years. She has twice worked on breaking news which received Pulitzer Prizes and has twice been on teams that were Pulitzer finalists. Phillips has worked in journalism so long that she used to file stories with a TRS-80. She served for 10 years on the IRE board and is a former board president.

On Twitter: @cephillips

panel

Management track: Project management that works for reporters AND editors

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Often reporters and editors have a dream list of what major investigative projects they would like to see, but it can be overwhelming and confusing where to start. Join reporters and the editors in talking about the investigative process in great detail: The kernel of a story idea, how to vet it, how the story changes sometimes while reporting it out, managing the project over a long period, drilling down to the findings, deciding on a structure, and finally seeing it off to publication. The details matter so let's dig into them.

Speakers

Matt Drange, Business Insider 👇

Matt Drange is a journalist at Business Insider. He's previously reported for Protocol, The Information, Forbes magazine and The Center for Investigative Reporting. Matt joined IRE in 2010 as part of the inaugural Campus Coverage Project and is a proud Humboldt State University alum. He teaches journalists how to get the most out of public records. Matt’s most recent investigation uncovered decades of sexual abuse at the hands of his own high school journalism teacher.

On Twitter: @mattdrange

Leslie Eaton, The Marshall Project 👇

Leslie Eaton is a senior editor for investigations at The Marshall Project. She was previously investigative editor of The Dallas Morning News, Texas bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and a reporter at The New York Times. Projects she edited have won awards including the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, and the Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism.

On Twitter: @lesliepeaton

Manny Garcia, Austin American-Statesman 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

panel

Misinformation: How do you know what to believe?

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Leave your assumptions about misinformation at home for this conversation, which will challenge common wisdom about the ways lies and conspiracy theories spread – and how they can seep into our coverage. How did California farmworkers become convinced that the COVID-19 vaccine came from aborted fetuses? How can you evaluate sources and edit stories to make sure they're on solid ground? Does absolute truth even exist? Expect to leave with new ideas of how to cover misinformation in America and how to avoid getting spun.

Speakers

Sewell Chan, Texas Tribune 👇

Sewell Chan joined The Texas Tribune as editor in chief in October 2021. Previously he was a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. From 2004 to 2018, he was a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy Op-Ed editor and international news editor at The New York Times. He began his career in 2000 at The Washington Post.

On Twitter: @sewellchan

Amy Pyle, USA TODAY 👇

Amy Pyle is national investigations editor at USA TODAY. This year, she oversaw investigations into why adoptions fail and which nursing home chain had the highest COVID death rate. Previously, Amy was editor in chief at The Center for Investigative Reporting, helping launch Reveal and establishing a fellowship for investigative journalists of color. Previously, she was AME/investigations at The Sacramento Bee and an ACE and reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

On Twitter: @amy_pyle

Jose del Real, The Washington Post 👇

Jose A. Del Real is a reporter for The Washington Post. He travels the country to write in-depth feature stories about American life and politics.

On Twitter: @jdelreal

Sessions starting at 3:45 p.m. MT

panel

Broadcast track: How to get people to talk and the art of the interview (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

One of our most popular panels every year - we give step by step techniques to persuade reluctant subjects to go on camera. And then when you have them in the hot seat, there is, indeed, an art to your questioning. Learn from the best here.

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Morgan Loew, CBS 5, 3TV and azfamily.com 👇

Morgan Loew is an investigative reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. He teaches media law at Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the president of the Arizona First Amendment Coalition and has won multiple awards for his reporting on the US-Mexico border, politics and crime. Morgan also works as a consultant for the CBS News program 48 Hours.

On Twitter: @morganloewcbs5

Nicole Vap, CBS News 👇

Nicole just started her new gig as Executive Producer of Content Development at CBS News & Stations. She is leading a team of investigative journalists who will tell important national stories, along with reporters from CBS affiliates across the country. Nicole lives in Denver with her husband and cute dogs. Nicole's best productions to date are her two incredible daughters -- who are out making the world a better place to be.

On Twitter: @nicolevap

Scott Zamost, CNBC 👇

When CNBC Senior Investigative Producer Scott Zamost speaks at conferences around the world, he often finishes with words of encouragement: If you can't get in the front, go around the side. If that doesn't work, try the back. You will eventually find your way and get the story. Scott, who has won more than 75 reporting awards, joined CNBC in 2017 after nine years at CNN and previously CBS News, WTVJ and WPLG.

On Twitter: @scottzamost

panel

Watchdog stories ideas

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Learn new and old tricks from stories and reporters featured in the Local Matters newsletter, which spotlights a selection of great local watchdog journalism every Sunday. By showcasing a year of great work by radio, TV and newspaper reporters, we'll share tactics and tips for digging deep into stories at your local media outlet.

Speakers

Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Bethany Barnes is the deputy investigative editor at the Tampa Bay Times. Barnes is also one of four journalists who put together Local Matters, a weekly newsletter of the nation’s best local investigative reporting. Barnes previously worked at The Oregonian, where her coverage of Portland Public Schools prompted the Education Writers Association to name her the nation’s best education beat reporter in 2018. Before that, she was a reporter in Las Vegas.

On Twitter: @betsbarnes

Lulu Ramadan, The Seattle Times 👇

Lulu Ramadan is an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times and a distinguished fellow at ProPublica's Local Reporting Network. She co-curates the weekly newsletter Local Matters, which spotlights excellent investigative stories by local reporters.

On Twitter: @luluramadan

panel

Covering trauma

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

What is trauma-informed reporting and why is it important for journalists to practice it? In this panel, Dr. Elana Newman, a clinical psychologist and a journalist ally, unpacks the impact of trauma on survivors, explains the concept of trauma-informed journalism and how it can keep journalists healthy. LA Times health reporter Marissa Evans shares how to incorporate media literacy with trauma informed reporting, how to understand and put community trauma into context during the reporting process and how to navigate the interviewing process. Bring your questions, whether they're about reporting on trauma or how to manage the way your work is affecting your mental health.

Speakers

Marissa Evans, Los Angeles Times 👇

Marissa Evans is a health reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2021, she worked for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, where she covered housing, Black community trauma after George Floyd’s death, how communities of color have been affected by COVID-19 and how Minnesota allows private hospitals to seize tax refunds from consumers with unpaid medical bills. She previously reported for the Texas Tribune, CQ Roll Call and Kaiser Health News.

On Twitter: @marissaaevans

Naseem Miller, The Journalist's Resource 👇

Naseem Miller is a senior health editor at The Journalist's Resource. Previously, she was a health reporter in local newspapers and national medical publications for nearly two decades. She covered the Pulse nightclub mass shooting at the Orlando Sentinel and later helped start the Journalists Covering Trauma Facebook group as a gathering space for reporters who cover tragic events.

On Twitter: @NaseemMiller

Elana Newman, Dart Center 👇

Elana Newman, McFarlin Professor of Psychology at the University of Tulsa and research director at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, is a journalist ally and PTSD/traumatic stress expert. Her research examines journalists’ occupational health. She provides training about trauma science, interviewing survivors, self-care, resilience, interpersonal violence, disaster mental health, occupational health, online harassment and trauma-related newsroom practices.

On Twitter: @elananewman DartCenter

Sessions starting at 5 p.m. MT

networking

Virtual networking

🕙 Thursday (6/23) • 5 – 5:30 p.m. MT (30m)

🚪 Room: Zoom

🙅 This session will neither be livestreamed nor recorded.

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Description

Mix and mingle, meet friends old and new, and build your professional community in this fun and informal networking session.

This session is for people attending IRE 2022 virtually.

Speakers

Carolyn Jarvis, Global News (Canada) 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Josh McGhee, Injustice Watch 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Friday, 6/24

Sessions starting at 9 a.m. MT

panel

Broadcast track: Going long(form) (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

So you're ready to take your on-air investigations to the web in multi-part forms or to streaming for a long - or short - doc. How do you pitch that so the bosses say yes? What if I have no extra money or resources for it? These panelists will have best practices to make your longform project shine.

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Mark Greenblatt, Scripps Washington Bureau 👇

Mark Greenblatt is senior national investigative correspondent for Scripps Washington Bureau, reporting for Newsy, Scripps local stations and podcasts. Mark is the lead reporter for "Verified: The Next Threat," an investigative podcast on globally linked white supremacy. He is a three-time Peabody winner and has earned the IRE Medal, duPont, Emmy, Murrow, Sigma Delta Chi and Livingston Award and has twice been a finalist for Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize. He also gardens and brews his own beer.

On Twitter: @greenblattmark

Adrienne Mayfield, WAVY-TV 10 👇

Adrienne Mayfield is the executive producer of investigations and special projects at WAVY-TV 10. She leads an investigative team of five, including two reporters, a photographer, and an associate producer. Adrienne is an Emmy-nominated broadcast journalist, and her team won a 2022 AP award for best documentary for WAVY-TV's investigative docuseries, "The Patients v. Perwaiz."

On Twitter: @Adrienne_WAVY

Cho Park, ABC News 👇

Cho Park is an investigative producer at ABC News who specializes in long form reports. Park has covered everything from mass shootings to racial inequalities, including long term coverage of 'race-norming' in the NFL concussion settlement which the NFL pledged to stop last year. One of Park's favorite projects that she lead produced on was an hour documentary for Hulu called The Informant with George Stephanopoulos.

On Twitter: @clpark722

panel

Behind the story: Poisoned (Sponsored by Bloomberg)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

The Tampa Bay Times reporters deconstruct how to overcome corporate and government secrecy to piece together the safety problems facing employees.

This session is sponsored by Bloomberg. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Bethany Barnes is the deputy investigative editor at the Tampa Bay Times. Barnes is also one of four journalists who put together Local Matters, a weekly newsletter of the nation’s best local investigative reporting. Barnes previously worked at The Oregonian, where her coverage of Portland Public Schools prompted the Education Writers Association to name her the nation’s best education beat reporter in 2018. Before that, she was a reporter in Las Vegas.

On Twitter: @betsbarnes

Corey Johnson, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Corey G. Johnson had been an investigative reporter at the Tampa Bay Times. Before that, his expose of illegal sterilization surgeries in California women’s prisons led to sweeping reforms, including a statewide ban and a groundbreaking reparations program. In 2011, his work uncovered deficient earthquake protections in thousands of public schools. The series was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won the IRE Gold Medal among other honors.

On Twitter: @CoreyGJohnson

Eli Murray, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Eli Murray is an investigative reporter at the Tampa Bay Times. He's a self-taught programmer who uses code to create graphics and crunch numbers on local and national investigations.

On Twitter: @eli_mur

Rebecca Woolington, Tampa Bay Times 👇

Rebecca Woolington is the investigative editor at the Tampa Bay Times. Her work there has chronicled discrepancies in the state’s counting of coronavirus deaths and dangerous working conditions inside a Tampa lead factory. The latter earned her and her reporting partners, Corey G. Johnson and Eli Murray, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting and several other national honors. She was previously an investigative and criminal justice reporter at The Oregonian.

On Twitter: @rwoolington

panel

Cracking open statehouses

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Join statehouse reporters who've used public records and data analysis to break news, reveal injustices and dig into hard-to-crack governmental agencies at the state level.

Speakers

Bente Birkland, Colorado Public Radio 👇

Bente is an award-winning journalist for Colorado Public Radio who has spent more than a decade reporting on the Colorado state capitol. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later. She co-hosts CPR's politics podcast Purplish. She enjoys the variety, depth and challenge of covering the statehouse beat.

On Twitter: @BenteBirkeland

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR's The Texas Newsroom 👇

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reports on Texas politics and government for NPR's The Texas Newsroom. Prior to moving to Texas, Sergio worked for Bridge Michigan, where he reported extensively on the state’s inaugural redistricting commission, campaign finance and state government. He’s won multiple accolades, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award while covering politics for Nashville Public Radio. Sergio is a Puerto Rico native and a Michigan State University alum.

On Twitter: @SergioMarBel

Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press 👇

Marina Villeneuve is The Associated Press' sole state government and politics reporter in Albany, N.Y. She's focused on developing her investigative reporting skills with accountability stories about New York's reporting of COVID-19 deaths and the sluggish roll-out of rental relief.

On Twitter: @ReporterMarina

Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. MT

panel

Using data to tell compelling stories for radio

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Audio is a compelling medium for storytelling because of the power of the human voice. So, how do we keep the storytelling compelling when we have reams of data and documents that are also key elements of our investigative reporting? Three experienced data reporters and audio storytellers will provide tips on how to incorporate data and documents in audio stories, including how to select which details to include, how to highlight the key data/documents findings, how to summarize findings without rendering them inaccurate, and how to make data/documents a compelling story element.

Speakers

Robert Benincasa, NPR 👇

Robert Benincasa reports and analyzes data for NPR’s investigations team. Recent work includes data-driven investigations of the inequities of federal disaster aid, coal miners' exposures to deadly silica dust and heat-related worker deaths. Benincasa has also served as the database editor for Gannett News Service and on the faculty of Georgetown University's Master of Professional Studies program in journalism.

On Twitter: @robertbenincasa

Michael De Yoanna, The War Horse 👇

Michael de Yoanna is an investigative reporter with The War Horse. He got his start two decades ago as a newspaper reporter before moving to NPR affiliates in Colorado, serving as a news director and investigative reporter. He has earned three dozen honors, including a duPont-Columbia silver baton (co-reporting with NPR), two national Edward R Murrows and a Sigma Delta Chi (as editor) for investigations.

On Twitter: @mdy1

Huo Jingnan, NPR 👇

Huo Jingnan is an associate producer on NPR's investigations team. She works with journalists in the organization and in member stations to produce original, in-depth reporting. Her work has prompted the introduction of a senate bill, won some awards, and got a Jeopardy mention. Huo learned journalism in Northwestern University’s Medill School and studied law in China, Canada and France.

On Twitter: @Jingnan_Huo

panel

⛺️ Rocky Mountain (research) High

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Williams and Gray round up the latest in public records research and advanced search techniques.

Speakers

Barbara Gray, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY 👇

Barb is chief librarian and associate professor of investigative research methods at Newmark J-School at City University New York. She is the former director of news research at The New York Times.

On Twitter: @barbgray

Margot Williams, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists 👇

Margot Williams is a researcher at The Intercept and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, where she has contributed to the Pandora Papers, Implant Files and FinCEN Files. She has reported on the Guantanamo detainees since 2002 for the Washington Post, New York Times, NPR and The Intercept.

On Twitter: @MargotWilliams

panel

Public records track: 7 things you didn’t know about getting documents and records (Sponsored by The Wall Street Journal)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

From where to look for records that might be public -- court filings -- to how to get documents unsealed -- ask! -- this session will cover tips and tricks for reporters seeking access to information and data for their stories.

The public records track is sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Susan Greene, The Colorado Independent 👇

Susan Greene reported in California, Nevada and D.C. before her 13 years as a reporter and columnist at The Denver Post. She went on run the nonprofit Colorado Independent before its 2020 merger with COLab. “Trashing the Truth,” a series she reported with Miles Moffeit, was a finalist for the Pulitzer in investigative journalism. She coaches while co-reporting with journalists and currently is leading a multi-outlet investigation of Colorado’s mental health care system.

On Twitter: @greeneindenver

Adam Marshall, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 👇

Adam A. Marshall is a senior staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. His work includes litigation in federal and state courts and training journalists on government transparency. In 2017, he was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30: Media” list for his work promoting government transparency, including the development of the FOIA Wiki. Adam is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School.

On Twitter: @a_marshall_plan

Evan Wyloge, Denver Gazette 👇

Evan Wyloge is a data and investigative reporter at The Colorado Springs Gazette.

On Twitter: @evanwyloge

Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. MT

panel

The year in international investigations

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Come hear how your colleagues abroad are fighting back with extraordinary stories, holding power to account despite the worst kinds of corruption, crime and outright deceit. The panel will give a rapid-fire tour of inspired muckraking from the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

This session was planned in collaboration with Global Investigative Journalism Network. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Andrea Arzaba, Global Investigative Journalism Network 👇

Andrea Arzaba is GIJN's Spanish editor. As a reporter and a media professional, she has dedicated her life to documenting the stories of people in Latin America and Latinx communities in the US. Her work focuses on issues around freedom of expression, migration, and women’s leadership. Andrea holds a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University in Washington DC and a BA in Communications/Journalism from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

On Twitter: @andrea_arzaba

John Bones, SKUP 👇

John Bones is managing director at SKUP, the Norwegian Foundation for Investigative Reporting. He is one of the Nordic data journalism pioneers and has led trainings at NICAR, IRE, GIJC and multiple national conferences. For more than 20 years he was journalist and editor at VG, the most read Norwegian newspaper.

On Twitter: @vgbones

David Kaplan, Global Investigative Journalism Network 👇

David E. Kaplan is executive director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, an association of 227 groups in 88 countries. He has won or shared more than 25 awards, including four IRE awards. He has managed nonprofit newsrooms, investigative teams and numerous cross-border projects. He is a former director of ICIJ and chief investigative correspondent for US News & World Report.

On Twitter: @kaplandave

Jenny Lam, 👇

Jenny Lam is a senior lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, where she teaches investigative journalism and broadcasting. She was a broadcast journalist for more than 20 years in Hong Kong and the UK.

On Twitter: @jennycklam

Rana Sabbagh, OCCRP 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

panel

Showcase: Kicking glass

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

A powerhouse panel of women who are in command of some of the most successful newsrooms, brands and investigative teams today. What were their paths up the ladder to get here, and what are the biggest challenges they face today? How do these accomplished journalists of color guide their teams as they cover reckonings outside the building – while examining reckonings inside it? And how do you encourage culture shift among teams without inviting the criticism that you’re more activist than journalist? A compelling conversation moderated by Dawn E. Garcia at Stanford University.

Speakers

Marsha Cooke, ESPN 👇

Marsha Cooke is an award-winning news and media veteran with a career spanning over three decades. She currently serves as vice president & executive producer for ESPN Films and 30 for 30.

On Twitter: @marshacooke

Dawn E. Garcia, Stanford University 👇

Dawn Garcia is the director. Garcia helped transform the JSK Fellowships from a sabbatical model to one that coaches and challenges fellows to become innovative leaders and change agents to reinvent journalism.

She began her career as a reporter and editor at West Coast newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle, where she wrote about politics, immigration and legal affairs. She is a past president of the Journalism & Women Symposium, a national nonprofit organization that supports the professional empowerment and personal growth of women in journalism and works toward a more accurate portrayal of society. She has served on nonprofit boards championing First Amendment rights, social justice and quality journalism training and education.

She earned a master’s degree in liberal arts at Stanford, writing her dissertation on the evolution of Spanish-language media in California and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Oregon. She has taught journalism at Bay Area universities and is a lecturer in Stanford’s Journalism Program. She was a 1991-92 JSK Fellow, where she studied U.S.-Mexico relations.

On Twitter: @degarciaknight

Erica Henry, CNN 👇

Erica Henry is the vice president, news, for CNN U.S. In this role, she oversees management of the newsgathering southeast regional team of field producers and talent who are covering and breaking news for CNN. She has contributed to the network's coverage including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Georgia Senate race and the 2020 summer of protests following the death of George Floyd.

On Twitter: @ericahenry

panel

Finding legal cover as an investigative freelancer

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

When outlets don't extend legal liability protections to the freelancers they work with, investigations are abandoned — or avoided altogether — because independent journalists can't risk their financial futures to a potential libel suit. That's bad for freelancers, but they can find other, safer work. The real loss is to the newsrooms, which miss out on impactful reporting, and more importantly the public that remains in the dark without crucial information.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Many newsrooms *do* protect freelancers, and many more can join their ranks. This panel is for editors, publishers, broadcasters and freelance reporters alike. Learn the language of contracts and legal risks, and tap into the resources to help you sign contracts with fair and secure provisions that enable freelancers to help bring the truth to light.

Speakers

Brant Houston, University of Illinois 👇

Brant Houston is Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois. He served as IRE's executive director from 1997 through 2007. Before that, he was an award-winning investigative reporter at daily newsrooms. He is author of “Computer-Assisted Reporting" and co-author of “The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook,” and co-founder of the Global Investigative Journalism Network.

On Twitter: @branthouston

Helen Santoro, Independent journalist 👇

Helen Santoro is a science and investigative journalist based out of rural Colorado where she covers health and LGBTQ communities with a focus on health disparities and inequities. This year, she received a Fund for Investigative Journalism grant and a FIRE Consultancy for contract-related legal assistance for an investigative story into the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

On Twitter: @helenwsantoro

Sessions starting at 2:30 p.m. MT

demo

Backgrounding like a boss: Perfecting your 15-minute background check and why you should do it every time

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

How are you sure that great source with the perfect quote isn't too good to be true? Even great reporters can get tricked by fake names or sketchy backgrounds. We'll walk through some websites and strategies you can use to create a routine and spot potential red flags before you get burned. This session is great for new reporters or anyone who wants to background people more thoroughly.

Speaker

Kate Howard, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting 👇

Kate Howard (she/her) is an investigative editor for Reveal. Previously, she was managing editor at the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. She spent nearly 14 years as a reporter, including stints at The Tennessean, The Florida Times-Union and the Omaha World-Herald. Her work has been the recipient of three national Investigative Reporters & Editors Awards and a Peabody nomination. Howard is based in Louisville, Kentucky.

On Twitter: @JournoKateH

panel

Nailing the accountability interview

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Investigative journalists have their strengths: battling with officials for public records, digging through documents, analyzing Excel spreadsheets. But navigating tough interviews? Well, that can be tricky without preparation and some guidance, taking into account the context of who you are interviewing and for what in the investigative reporting process. Come find out how to improve your skills on this front.

Speakers

Rebecca Aguilar, independent journalist 👇

Rebecca Aguilar is a freelance reporter based in Dallas. She has been recognized with 50 awards and nominations for her work in journalism, including investigations that uncovered a corrupt Texas school district, and she busted US Mail carriers who are registered sex offenders. Rebecca is also the first Latina and woman of color to be elected President of The Society of Professional Journalists in its 113-year history.

On Twitter: @RebeccaAguilar

Cary Aspinwall, The Marshall Project 👇

Cary Aspinwall is a staff writer for The Marshall Project. Previously, her work at The Dallas Morning News won the Gerald Loeb Award for reporting on a Texas company's history of deadly natural gas explosions. She was a Pulitzer finalist for her work exposing flaws in Oklahoma's execution process and co-founded The Frontier, a nonprofit devoted to investigative journalism in Oklahoma.

On Twitter: @caryaspinwall

Jennifer Gollan, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting 👇

Jennifer Gollan is a reporter for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian and Al Jazeera's Fault Lines program. Her reporting has spurred new laws and oversight. Gollan’s investigation exposing how scores of people are killed by abusers carrying illegal weapons won the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award. Her other honors include an Emmy Award and the Hillman Prize for web journalism.

On Twitter: @jennifergollan

Robert Lopez, Los Angeles Times 👇

Robert J. Lopez is a senior accountability reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He was part of a team of Times journalists awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for public service for stories that uncovered corruption in the small city of Bell, near Los Angeles. He has investigated issues involving immigration, crime and corruption across the U.S. and in Mexico and Central America.

On Twitter: @LAJourno

panel

Public records track: FOIA barriers and how to overcome them (Sponsored by The Wall Street Journal)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Public records can be a powerful tool to receive exclusive information but it’s not as easy as filing a request and receiving records. This panel looks at the most common barriers in FOI and how you can solve them — from contesting denials to modeling your public records requests after successful ones from the past.

The public records track is sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Lexi Churchill, ProPublica 👇

Lexi Churchill is a research reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative team, where she navigates state and federal FOIA laws to tell records-driven accountability stories. Most recently, Churchill worked on an investigation into the systematic failures that led to the worst carbon monoxide poisoning event in recent history, which was named the best investigation of 2021 by the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Headliners Foundation of Texas.

On Twitter: @LChurchilll

Marisa Kwiatkowski, USA TODAY 👇

Marisa Kwiatkowski is an investigative reporter at USA TODAY and an IRE Board member. Her work has spurred multiagency investigations, criminal charges, resignations and changes to federal law and state policy. Marisa has earned more than 50 journalism awards throughout her career. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University.

On Twitter: @byMarisaK

Lam Thuy Vo, Type Investigations/CUNY 👇

Lam Thuy Vo is a journalist who marries data analysis with on-the-ground reporting to examine how systems and policies affect individuals. She is currently a Soros Justice Fellow and a data-journalist-in-residence at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she worked for BuzzFeed News, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera America and NPR's Planet Money.

On Twitter: @lamthuyvo

Sessions starting at 3:45 p.m. MT

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Building and maintaining a source diversity tracker (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

The Stanford Computational Policy Lab, Big Local News and the BBC have partnered to build an app to track source diversity. The BBC has rolled it out company-wide and we are now building an open-source version that any news organization will be able to implement.

The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Joe Nudell, Stanford University 👇

Joe is a researcher at the Computational Policy Lab at Stanford University with a background in software engineering. He builds tools to quantify disparities and intervene to help remediate them. While most of his projects focus on racial and economic disparities in the criminal justice system, he has a broad interest in inequitable policies in media, technology, housing and other domains. His work has appeared in the Washington Post and PNAS.

Cheryl Phillips, Stanford University 👇

Cheryl Phillips teaches at Stanford and is founder of Big Local News. Previously, Phillips worked at The Seattle Times for 12 years. She has twice worked on breaking news which received Pulitzer Prizes and has twice been on teams that were Pulitzer finalists. Phillips has worked in journalism so long that she used to file stories with a TRS-80. She served for 10 years on the IRE board and is a former board president.

On Twitter: @cephillips

panel

Management track: Creating a pipeline to management

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

A newsroom can't meet that diversity threshold until middle and top management is well represented. But how do you accomplish this? In this session, we'll discuss how newsrooms can build an inclusive pipeline to train, mentor and support journalists who are good candidates to move into leadership roles.

Speakers

Andy Alford, The Texas Tribune 👇

Andy Alford joined The Texas Tribune as director of editorial recruitment, training and career development in March 2022 after a 24-year run at the Austin American-Statesman, where she rose from reporter to managing editor. In her new role, Andy also manages the Tribune’s fellowship program, which employs student fellows to work not just in the newsroom, but in all areas of the organization, including events, product development and marketing.

On Twitter: @aalford

Adeshina Emmanuel, KyCIR/Louisville Public Media 👇

Ade is the managing editor for The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, part of Louisville Public Media. He came to KyCIR in June from Injustice Watch, an investigative newsroom in Chicago where he served as a reporter and then co-editor before his promotion to editor-in-chief in Fall 2020. He's worked as a reporter at Chalkbeat, the Chicago Reporter, The Chicago Sun-Times, and DNAinfo. Ade is also a 2022 Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program fellow.

On Twitter: @public_ade

Mc Nelly Torres, Center for Public Integrity 👇

Mc Nelly Torres is an award-winning journalist and editor at The Center for Public Integrity. She’s also a former investigative producer for NBC6 in Miami. In 2010, Torres co-founded FCIR.org. Throughout her career, Torres has worked for numerous newspapers across the country, including the Sun-Sentinel and the San Antonio Express-News. Torres was the first Latina to be elected to the IRE board of directors.

On Twitter: @WatchdogDiva

panel

How to transition from daily reporting to writing a book

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Book writing is one of the last bastions left of good investigative reporting, and it’s a great way to make use of all that research you did for your project (and to make some money to boot!). These published authors and journalists share their best advice, lessons learned and cautionary tales.

Speakers

Keri Blakinger, THe Marshall Project 👇

Keri Blakinger is an investigative reporter at The Marshall Project. Previously she worked for the Houston Chronicle and the New York Daily News. Before becoming a reporter she spent time in prison and her memoir, Corrections in Ink, publishes in June 2022.

On Twitter: @keribla

Walt Bogdanich, The New York Times 👇

New York Times investigative reporter. Awarded three Pulitzers and four George Polk Awards. Co-author, "When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm," which tells the story of power without accountability and how consultants became enablers of opioid makers, autocrats and predatory corporations. Formerly with 60 Minutes and The Wall Street Journal.

On Twitter: @waltbogdanich1

J. David McSwane, ProPublica 👇

"Not funny," says Anita Hassan. "Laugh-out-loud funny," says The Washington Post. Probably droll at best. Author, "Pandemic, Inc." Reporter, ProPublica. Coping in Washington, D.C. by way of Texas, Florida and Colorado.

On Twitter: @davidmcswane

Josh Meyer, USA TODAY Network 👇

Josh has spent 35 years reporting on law enforcement and intelligence issues, including terrorism and trafficking in drugs, weapons and humans. Prior to joining USA Today in 2021, he was a senior investigative reporter at Politico, NBC News, and for 20 years, a national security reporter for the Los Angeles Times. His coverage of al-Qaeda later became "The Hunt For KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed."

On Twitter: @JoshMeyerDC

Sessions starting at 5 p.m. MT

panel

Showcase: Banding together for truth (Sponsored by ABC News)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 5 – 6:15 p.m. MT (75m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

In the coverage that followed the riots at the Capitol last year, 16 media organizations -- usually competitors on major stories -- banded together to fight for access to videos that would ultimately piece together the most vivid and factual picture of what transpired on January 6th. How did the media coalition that sued the government come to be and has it set a precedent for future First Amendment battles?

Hear from these esteemed panelists who took up the cause as they discuss the power of video to combat the denial of fact and to answer the question: Are we better together?

A compelling conversation moderated by Pierre Thomas, ABC News' chief justice correspondent.

This session is sponsored by ABC News. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Josh Margolin, ABC 👇

Josh helps to coordinate crime and terrorism coverage for all programs and platforms of ABC News. He also produces longform investigative pieces for GMA, World News Tonight, 20/20, Nightline, This Week and ABC News Live.

On Twitter: @JoshMargolin

Katelyn Polantz, CNN 👇

Katelyn Polantz is a senior reporter for CNN in Washington, D.C., specializing in legal coverage. She writes about courts, politically sensitive investigations and the separation of powers, and she won an Emmy in 2020 for reporting on the arrest of Roger Stone. Coupling source reporting with public records efforts, Katelyn’s work has led to the release of thousands of government documents. She previously was a reporter at the National Law Journal, PBS NewsHour and the Roanoke Times.

On Twitter: @kpolantz

Elyse Samuels, The Washington Post 👇

Speaker bio coming soon!

Pierre Thomas, ABC News 👇

Pierre Thomas is the Chief Justice Correspondent for ABC News. He joined the network in November 2000 and reports for “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and all platforms including ABC News Radio and Digital.

Chuck Tobin, Ballard Spahr 👇

Chuck Tobin is a litigator, former journalist and the practice leader of Ballard Spahr's 40-lawyer Media and Entertainment Law Group. He defends the media in libel and privacy lawsuits throughout the country. Chuck is past chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law and the D.C. Bar and Florida Bar Media & Communications Law Committees, and the Media Law Resource Center's Defense Counsel Section. He is based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

panel

Broadcast track: Covering our communities (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 5 – 6:15 p.m. MT (75m)

🚪 Room: Juniper B/C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Creative ways to cover our communities that need and deserve attention, especially the hardest hit by COVID. We shouldn't have to convince the bosses to do these stories - but how do you pitch them effectively so they support them? How do you humanize statistics and find the best voices?

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Samah Assad, CBS Chicago 👇

Samah Assad is a Peabody and IRE Award-winning investigative producer and data journalist with CBS Chicago. Her work focuses on uncovering inequities and systemic failures in policing, sexual assault cases and more. She aims to provide a platform to voices in historically disenfranchised communities.

On Twitter: @sassadnews

Shay McAlister, WHAS-11 👇

Shay McAlister is an anchor and investigative journalist at WHAS11 in Louisville, Kentucky. She is the host of the chart-topping true crime podcast "Bardstown" and was featured in the Netflix series "Tiger King." Shay graduated with a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Missouri and has focused on crime and community since starting in the business as a weekend general assignment reporter.

On Twitter: @shaymcalisterTV

prabjot Randhawa, KING-5 News, Seattle 👇

PJ Randhawa is an award winning investigative reporter with a decade of experience across four TV news markets. Currently she heads up KING5's Facing Race unit, as Tegna's first Investigative Race & Equity Reporter

On Twitter: @pj_ontv

Dorothy Tucker, CBS Chicago 👇

Dorothy Tucker is a Chicago native, raised in Chicago's Lawndale and Austin communities. She has been a reporter for CBS2 Chicago since 1984. Currently, she is a reporter on the station's 2 Investigator team and is also President of the National Association of Black Journalists.

On Twitter: @dorothyTV2

panel

How to find the best investigative story ideas and pitch them successfully

🕙 Friday (6/24) • 5 – 6:15 p.m. MT (75m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

We'll discuss how to assess the potential of a story idea, how to choose which story ideas are likely to have the biggest impact, how to pre-report and write a story memo pitching the idea to your editors, and cover what distinguishes a good investigative story idea from other types of ideas. We’ll also discuss strategies for developing ideas, including alerts and other strategies to spot investigative ideas before your competition.

Speakers

Simon Boazman, Al Jazeera 👇

Snr Investigative Reporter with Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit, I have held this position for the last 10 years, prior to that I spent over 10 years as a Reporter for the BBC's flagship current affairs and investigative program "Panorama." During this time I have won and been nominated for numerous awards, including awards from BAFTA, Royal Television Society, AIB's, DIG Awards and others.

On Twitter: @Simonboazman

Emily Hopkins, ProPublica 👇

Emily Hopkins is an Abrams Reporting Fellow at ProPublica, where they have reported on inequities in Chicago's speed and red-light ticketing and medical exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine among nursing home workers. Before joining ProPublica, Hopkins was an investigative reporter for The Indianapolis Star.

On Twitter: @indyemapolis

Gloria Liu, independent journalist 👇

Gloria Liu is a freelance journalist. Previously, she was the features editor at Outside Magazine.

On Twitter: @thats_my_line

Jodi Upton, Syracuse University 👇

Jodi Upton is the Knight Chair in Data and Explanatory Journalism at Syracuse University. She has won numerous awards for her previous work leading the USA TODAY data team and her students have won awards for investigative and data stories published in USA TODAY Network, CNN and other outlets. She was a Stanford University JSK Fellow and has nearly $1M in grants. She is currently a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics consultant and IRE Board Treasurer.

On Twitter: @jodiupton

Saturday, 6/25

Sessions starting at 9 a.m. MT

commons

How legal support helped make a story possible

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Behind many great investigative stories are the attorneys that helped navigate legal roadblocks. Join Reporters Committee attorneys and reporters they’ve worked with to understand how free legal support helped bring important stories to light and how you can.

Speakers

Rachael Johnson, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 👇

Rachael Johnson is a Local Legal Initiative attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press based in Colorado. Previously, Rachael practiced complex commercial litigation, and worked in business affairs at CBS/Paramount. Rachael is a former journalist; and producer at Starz in Colorado. She is a graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Hampton University. She is a native Coloradan.

On Twitter: @rcj7

Azmat Khan, New York Times Magazine 👇

Azmat Khan is a Pulitzer-prize winning investigative reporter with the New York Times Magazine and an Asst. Professor at Columbia Journalism School, where she leads the Li Center for Global Journalism. Khan's investigations have exposed major myths of war and their human costs, prompting policy impact from Washington to Kabul and winning more than a dozen awards, including two National Magazine Awards, two Overseas Press Club awards, and the Polk Award, among others.

On Twitter: @AzmatZahra

Adam Marshall, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 👇

Adam A. Marshall is a senior staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. His work includes litigation in federal and state courts and training journalists on government transparency. In 2017, he was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30: Media” list for his work promoting government transparency, including the development of the FOIA Wiki. Adam is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School.

On Twitter: @a_marshall_plan

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Investigating inequality on any beat (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

From housing to criminal justice, to healthcare and education, inequality is baked into the fabric of American life, and this panel will focus on uncovering inequality no matter your beat. The panelists will share how to recognize and report on inequality in its many forms, how to hold local and national institutions accountable, and how to build relationships with sources who may distrust the media and your motivations.

The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project 👇

Maurice Chammah is a staff writer at The Marshall Project and the author of "Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty," which won the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Work-In-Progress Book Award. He was on a team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. He lives in Austin, Texas.

On Twitter: @MauriceChammah

Adam Rhodes, IRE & NICAR 👇

Adam M. Rhodes is a nobinary, first-generation, Cuban American journalist whose work primarily focuses on queer people and the criminal justice system. Their recent work has examined HIV treatment access in Puerto Rico, HIV criminalization in Illinois, and a homophobic capital murder trial. Rhodes was most recently a staff writer and social justice reporter at the Chicago Reader, and they have been published in outlets including BuzzFeed News and The Washington Post.

On Twitter: @byadamrhodes

Mc Nelly Torres, Center for Public Integrity 👇

Mc Nelly Torres is an award-winning journalist and editor at The Center for Public Integrity. She’s also a former investigative producer for NBC6 in Miami. In 2010, Torres co-founded FCIR.org. Throughout her career, Torres has worked for numerous newspapers across the country, including the Sun-Sentinel and the San Antonio Express-News. Torres was the first Latina to be elected to the IRE board of directors.

On Twitter: @WatchdogDiva

Robyn Vincent, KUNC 👇

Robyn Vincent is an investigative reporter for the NPR member station KUNC in Northern Colorado. Before this role, she was KUNC's Mountain West News Bureau reporter. She built the bureau's first inequality beat and directed projects with reporters across the West that examined the region's appetite for equity. She also built and launched a news department at a small public radio station in Wyoming and was editor in chief of an alternative weekly newspaper there.

On Twitter: @TheNomadicHeart

panel

Piercing the veil: Reporting on businesses that want nothing to do with you (Sponsored by Bloomberg)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 9 – 10 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Many great investigative stories examine companies that don't want their name in the news — often for good reason. But even with uncooperative subjects, reporters and editors can dig up a wealth of information on newsworthy businesses. This panel will examine how records, data, sources and more can help power that reporting.

This session is sponsored by Bloomberg. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Nicole Einbinder, Insider 👇

Nicole is an investigative reporter at Insider. She has investigated misconduct at major Wall Street firms, a MLM essential oil company, and the “Judge Judy” show. A 2021 investigation revealed that top California education officials helped sell access to state public schools to elite Chinese students. She recently received a grant for criminal justice reporting from Columbia University's Lipman Center, and her work has been recognized by SABEW and the LA Press Club.

On Twitter: @NicoleEinbinder

Aaron Mendelson, The Center For Public Integrity 👇

Mendelson is a reporter focusing on threats to democracy at The Center For Public Integrity, which he joined in June 2022. Previously, he worked at Southern California Radio for more than seven years as a data and investigative reporter. His work there included investigations into an empire of slum housing, a troubled nursing home chain and a sheriff's deputy who shot at four people in seven months. His work has been recognized with a Loeb Award and an IRE Award.

On Twitter: @a_mendelson

Bowdeya Tweh, The Wall Street Journal 👇

Bow serves as a deputy bureau chief for WSJ’s corporate news team. He previously was a technology news editor and spot news editor at the Journal. Before joining WSJ in 2017, he was business editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer. He also worked in roles at the Northwest Indiana Times, Sun-Sentinel, Detroit Free Press, Crain's Detroit Business and Automotive News. He earned a journalism degree from Wayne State University and a MBA from Miami (OH) University.

On Twitter: @BowKnowsBiz

Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. MT

panel

Broadcast track: The art of accountability (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

The granddaddy of broadcast panels. You don't want to miss your colleagues sharing their skill for unscheduled interviews, tough sit-downs and good-old "let me show you this document here ..." Holding the powerful accountable - on camera - is truly an art. Body language, camera position, strategy of questioning - it's all important and these panelists have honed it for you to watch and learn.

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Jeremy Finley, WSMV-TV 👇

Jeremy Finley is a two-time IRE award recipient. A twenty-time regional Emmy winner, he is also the recipient of a national Edward R. Murrow award, a national Headliner award, and four regional Edward R. Murrow awards. A published novelist, his debut novel was named one of the best books of 2018 by People Magazine and a must-read by the New York Post. He is the chief investigative reporter at WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tennesee, where he lives with his wife and daughters.

On Twitter: @jfinleyreports

Duane Pohlman, WKRC 👇

Duane Pohlman is chief investigative reporter and Anchor at WKRC-TV and a national investigative reporter for “Spotlight on America.” He has been honored with hundreds of awards, including being named Best Reporter 19 times in five states. Pohlman is the co-founder and president of the Ohio Center for Journalism (Eye On Ohio), chair of SPJ’s Professional Standards & Ethics Committee, and chair of the Journalism Advisory Board at BGSU. He is a past IRE Vice President.

On Twitter: @DUANELOCAL12

Sarah Rafique, KTRK-TV, Houston, TX 👇

Sarah Rafique is an investigative producer at ABC13 in Houston, where she specializes in data reporting, government accountability and solutions for viewers.

On Twitter: @SarahRafique

panel

Real, fake, or deepfake? Visual fact-checking strategies for now and the future

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

This panel discusses the risks and rewards of investigating visual evidence in local, national and international contexts. The audience will learn about general strategies and the current and future state of deepfake detection.

Speakers

Andrea Hickerson, University of Mississippi 👇

Andrea Hickerson, Ph.D., is incoming Dean and Professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi. Previously she was the Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina and Director of the School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology. Hickerson is part of an interdisciplinary team building a deepfake detection tool for journalists.

On Twitter: @aehickerson

Christoph Koettl, The New York Times 👇

Christoph Koettl is a Visual Investigations journalist with the New York Times video team, specializing in the analysis of satellite imagery, video and other visual evidence. He was part of a team that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for coverage of the civilian toll of U.S. air and drone strikes.

On Twitter: @ckoettl

Matt Wright, Rochester Institute of Technology 👇

Matt Wright, PhD, is a professor of computing security and director of research for the ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Wright earned his PhD in computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2005 and is the winner of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including numerous works appearing in the top venues in computer and network security and privacy.

On Twitter: @wrightmk

panel

Pre-publication red flags for editors

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

This super practical legal workshop will provide editors with all the tips they need to spot red flags when reviewing a story to help them better assess when to seek legal assistance. Pre-publication review is, indeed, crucial to newsrooms’ viability and editors strongly equipped can better protect their newsroom from legal liability. The participants will leave the session with takeaways and educational materials such as checklists.

Speaker

Katie Townsend, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 👇

Katie Townsend is the deputy executive director and legal director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (www.rcfp.org), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. She oversees the litigation, amicus and other legal work of Reporters Committee attorneys, and she represents the Reporters Committee, news organizations and individual journalists in court access, freedom of information and other First Amendment and press freedom matters.

On Twitter: @katie_rcfp

Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. MT

demo

Video production for print, digital and audio folks

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Whether you’re a one-person-band or just trying to add a visual element to your reporting, this session will walk you through some tried and true methods that will make your videos look professional. No fancy video camera? No problem! We’ll show you how to make great videos even if you're only working with your smartphone.

Speakers

Leah Dunn, WSB-TV-Atlanta 👇

Leah Dunn is an investigative photographer and producer at WSBTV in Atlanta where she focuses on consumer issues. She also produces daily content for Consumer Adviser, Clark Howard. Nothing pleases her more than putting crummy people on blast for doing crummy things.

On Twitter: @LeahdunnWSB

Jason Solowski, NBC 10 Boston 👇

Jason Solowski is a multi award-winning investigative producer based out of Boston. He's also a skilled videographer and non-linear editor with two decades of experience in broadcast news.

On Twitter: @jasonsolowski

panel

Broadcast track: Juggling investigations and GA (Sponsored by Cox Media Group)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Learn how to balance being an investigative journalist who also needs to contribute daily to the news cycle. You can do both effectively! Hear from reporters about both quick-turn investigations in just a few days and larger investigation stragegies. We'll also discuss the tools and strategies used to manage ourselves, record requests and story ideas.

The broadcast track is sponsored by Cox Media Group. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Erica Byfield, NBC4, NYC 👇

Erica Byfield is an multi award-winning journalist who is currently a general assignment reporter for WNBC in New York City. Originally from California she’s also worked for KMOU, KFVS, KMOV and WSB. Prior to her time in NY she served as an investigative reporter for WSB. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree from Gonzaga University.

On Twitter: @EricaByfield4NY

Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group 👇

Jodie Fleischer is the Managing Editor of Investigative Content for Cox Media Group where she builds national collaborations and works to elevate daily investigative content for ten television stations. She previously spent 20+ years as an investigative reporter for NBC4 in Washington, WSB-TV in Atlanta and WFTV in Orlando. She’s been honored with an IRE Award, duPont Award, and numerous Murrow and Emmy Awards. She has served on IRE’s Board of Directors since 2019.

On Twitter: @jodieTVnews

Christopher Heath, WFTV 👇

Christopher has been an investigative and political reporter at WFTV in Orlando, Florida, since 2013. His previous assignments have included covering Hurricane Katrina with the 1st Cavalry Division, the war in Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division and telling the story of a haunted couch.

On Twitter: @CHeathWFTV

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Words matter (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

The speakers will talk about how to examine and choose language to tell accurate stories affecting underserved communities and avoid stereotyping or re-victimizing them. They will drill down on how to report to produce stories and investigations that meet the informative needs of these communities, put under the microscope the status quo and challenge the language that authorities, companies and others may use to obfuscate and elude responsibility.

The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Sewell Chan, Texas Tribune 👇

Sewell Chan joined The Texas Tribune as editor in chief in October 2021. Previously he was a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. From 2004 to 2018, he was a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy Op-Ed editor and international news editor at The New York Times. He began his career in 2000 at The Washington Post.

On Twitter: @sewellchan

Danielle Ohl, Spotlight PA 👇

Danielle Ohl is a justice reporter for Spotlight PA. She previously covered the Pennsylvania General Assembly for Spotlight. She spent four years covering Annapolis for the Capital Gazette, where she earned a Pulitzer Prize special citation with her newsroom for covering the mass shooting of her own colleagues. She is mom to a very devilish cat named Wednesday.

On Twitter: @DTOhl

Maria Perez, USA TODAY 👇

Maria Perez is an investigative reporter with USA Today. She has covered issues affecting immigrant communities for nearly a decade. She investigated Florida companies that profited from undocumented workers and reported them to law enforcement when they got hurt on the job. She has also written about corporate failures that led to one of the deathliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. food processing industry and about labor violations suffered by foreign farmworkers.

On Twitter: @mariajpsl

Sessions starting at 12:30 p.m. MT

special

IRE Awards luncheon (co-sponsored by NBC News/NBCUniversal Local)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 12:30 – 3 p.m. MT (150m)

🚪 Room: Adams Ballroom – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Journalist Gina Chua will deliver the keynote address at the IRE Awards luncheon.

The awards luncheon is co-sponsored by NBC News/NBCUniversal Local. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speaker

Gina Chua, Semafor 👇

Gina Chua is Executive Editor at Semafor, a new news startup. She was previously Executive Editor at Reuters, and has been Editor-in-Chief of the South China Morning Post and The Asian Wall Street Journal. She has worked as a journalist in New York, Singapore, Manila, Hanoi and Hong Kong. GIna transitioned in 2020, making her one of the most senior transgender journalists in the industry.

On Twitter: @GinaSKChua

Sessions starting at 3 p.m. MT

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Hidden costs and racial inequality in economic development (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 3 – 4 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Promising jobs, jobs and more jobs, state and local governments give away as much as $95 billion in taxpayer-funded economic development incentives per year. This panel will explore how overspending on incentives can exacerbate inequality in schools and neighborhoods, propelling racial and income disparities. Reporters will gain new tools for documenting the costs of economic development incentives – including tax increment financing (TIF), Opportunity Zones, film subsidies and others - through publicly available documents including Annual Financial Reports, tax expenditure budgets, and other public records. With heightened public awareness since Amazon’s HQ2 search, public service journalism at its best is telling the full cost-benefit story behind taxpayer-funded incentives.

The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Greg LeRoy, Good Jobs First 👇

Dubbed “the leading [U.S.] national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies,” Greg directs Good Jobs First, a research center promoting accountability in economic development. His books include The Great American Jobs Scam, which Publishers Weekly called “...a parade of damning case studies showing why communities should not woo corporations with subsidies.” GJF is home to Subsidy Tracker, Tax Break Tracker, Violation Tracker, and Covid Stimulus Watch.

On Twitter: @GoodJobsFirst

Arlene Martinez, Good Jobs First 👇

Arlene Martinez, a former journalist who spent most of her career watchdogging local government, is communications director for Good Jobs First, a national non-profit resource center focused on government and corporate accountability in economic development. Arlene worked at Hispanic Link News Service, the LA Times, the (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call, Ventura County Star and wrote the California newsletter for the USA TODAY Network.

On Twitter: @avmartinez

panel

Tanks and banks: Russian oligarchs and dirty European banks

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 3 – 4 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

After the invasion of Ukraine western nations started to seize assets of Russian oligarchs all over the world. From billion dollar football teams to yachts and mansions. This showed the importance of “tanks and banks” in modern warfare and how money laundering and tax havens is a vital part of the conflict, also how Putin’s power structure have been built during decades.

Panelists will show concrete examples on how to track oligarch assets and expose massive money laundering.

Speakers

Roman Badanin, Proekt/Agetstvo 👇

Roman Badanin is founder and editor-in-chief of Agentstvo (The Agency, in English), a collaboration of journalists who have been targeted by the Russian government for their investigative reporting into the most powerful forces in their country.

Axel Gordh Humlesjö, Swdish Television 👇

Axel Gordh Humlesjö (b. 1986) is an internationally acclaimed and Emmy-winning investigative reporter at the Swedish public broadcaster - SVT. He specializes in corruption, money laundering and cross border-reporting. His latest project “Bribes and Brothels - scandal at the headquarters of the world's leading security firm” (2022) revealed dirty secrets inside security giant Securitas. In 2019 he won IRE Awards for the documentary “Deceptive Diplomacy”

On Twitter: @axelhumlesjo

panel

Election track: Watchdogging lawmakers' leadership PACs

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 3 – 4 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

In addition to their official campaign committees, nearly every member of Congress also operates a fund known as a leadership PAC. Ostensibly, leadership PAC funds should be used to help like-minded candidates, but far too often, politicians in both parties use leadership PACs as “slush funds,” using money from special interest donors to subsidize lavish lifestyles, including trips to luxurious resorts, meals at fancy restaurants, and tickets to highly coveted sporting events and concerts. At this panel, experts will share tips about how to follow the money flowing into and out of leadership PACs, and why you should keep a close eye on these little-known PACs.

Speakers

Michael Beckel, Issue One 👇

Michael is the research director at Issue One, a bipartisan political reform group based in DC. He previously worked as a reporter for more than 10 years at the Center for Public Integrity, OpenSecrets.org, Mother Jones and other outlets. Since September 2020, he has resided in Colorado and loves hiking in the mountains. Michael is happy to talk with reporters, on the record or on background, especially about campaign finance and election issues.

On Twitter: @mjbeckel

Sandra Fish, Independent journalist 👇

Sandra Fish is a data journalist focused on politics with the Colorado Sun.

On Twitter: @fishnette

Soorin Kim, ABC News 👇

Soorin Kim is a data reporter for ABC News’ Investigative Unit, specializing in the influence of money in politics, campaigns and lobbying. She also covers a wide range of other accountability stories using data and documents, from the personal finances of Biden administration officials to uncovering structural inequalities affecting marginalized communities across the country.

On Twitter: @SooRinKimm

Sessions starting at 4:15 p.m. MT

panel

Exposing health threats at home, at work and all around us

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Juniper C – Level 1

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted shortcomings and outright failures in the nation’s public health systems, which not only care for people, but are supposed to protect them from diseases, environmental hazards, and workplace threats to health and safety.

What investigative reporting is necessary to expose threats to public, environmental and occupational health? How does race play a role in public health policy? And how do journalists hold government agencies accountable for regulatory failures?

Speakers

Howard Berkes, retired 👇

Howard Berkes is a former investigations correspondent for NPR whose reporting on workplace safety, worker’s compensation, coal mine safety and the resurgence of black lung disease have garnered four IRE awards, including an IRE Medal. Berkes earned three dozen other journalism awards for business, health, sports, breaking news, science and feature reporting, and a Nieman Journalism Fellowship at Harvard University.

On Twitter: @hberkes

Rae Ellen Bichell, Kaiser Health News 👇

Rae Ellen Bichell is a Colorado Correspondent for KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. She has been covering health & science for a decade, primarily in public radio.

On Twitter: @raelnb

Jim Morris, Public Health Watch 👇

Jim Morris is executive director and editor-in-chief of Public Health Watch. A journalist since 1978, he has received more than 80 awards for his work, including the George Polk award, the Sidney Hillman award, three National Association of Science Writers awards, two national Edward R. Murrow awards, two IRE awards and five Texas Headliners awards. Morris spent more than 13 years with the Center for Public Integrity as managing editor, acting CEO and executive editor.

On Twitter: @pubhealthwatch

April Simpson, Center for Public Integrity 👇

April Simpson joined the Center for Public Integrity in October 2020 as a senior reporter covering racial equity. She was previously the rural issues reporter at Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Before joining Pew, April was associate editor of Current, where she covered public media and won recognition for her #MeToo investigation of a veteran reporter. April is a graduate of Smith College and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

On Twitter: @aprilleticia

panel

Diversity, equity & inclusion track: Reporting on the homicides of Black women and girls (Sponsored by CNN)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Red Rock 2-3 – Level 3

📼 This session will not be livestreamed for real-time participation, but it will be recorded for later viewing.

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Description

In 2020 there was a significant increase in homicides among Black women and girls. Reporting on the increase comes with many challenges, including the limited accessibility of national data, the lack of detailed information on the circumstances of many killings and the ingrained racism and misogyny that drive this violence and the public response.

In a conversation moderated by Cheryl W. Thompson at NPR, two of the Guardian’s longtime gun violence reporters will guide attendees through the best sources of national data on the murders of Black women and girls, share findings from their in-depth analysis and series of stories on 2020 FBI murder data and discuss how to report on violence against Black women in a way that centers the communities that these killings affect.

The diversity, equity & inclusion track is sponsored by CNN. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Lois Beckett, The Guardian U.S. 👇

Lois Beckett is a senior reporter at The Guardian, based in Los Angeles. She has reported on gun violence in America since 2013.

On Twitter: @loisbeckett

Abené Clayton, The Guardian U.S. 👇

Abené Clayton is the lead reporter of the Guardian US series “Guns & Lies in America,” which launched in 2019. She started covering community gun violence in her hometown of Richmond, California, and is now based in Los Angeles.

On Twitter: @abene_writes

Cheryl W. Thompson, NPR 👇

Cheryl W. Thompson is an investigative correspondent and senior editor for investigations at NPR, overseeing investigations for member stations. Before joining NPR in 2019, she spent 22 years as an investigative and beat reporter with The Washington Post, where she wrote about guns, police, immigration, and politics. Her stories have won myriad awards, including an Emmy, two IRE and National Headliner awards, and three NABJ awards. She also was on the team that won two Pulitzer Prizes for national reporting: in 2002 for 9/11, and 2016 for police shootings. She received NPR’s 2021 public service journalism award given annually to one journalist, and was the reporting coach on the network’s podcast, “No Compromise,” which won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting. In 2018, Cheryl was elected IRE’s first Black president, and served three terms in that role.

panel

Public records track: 50+ records to request right now (Sponsored by The Wall Street Journal)

🕙 Saturday (6/25) • 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. MT (60m)

🚪 Room: Colorado B – Level 3

📹 This session will be livestreamed for real-time participation and recorded for later viewing.

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Description

Get your FOI templates ready to roll. In this quick-paced, lightning-round style session, two investigative reporters and public records geeks will cover their favorite, most unique, overlooked and under-appreciated records to request from all levels of government. They'll also give examples of how these records were used to produce stories in newsrooms around the country.

The public records track is sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. IRE retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.

Speakers

Sarah Rafique, KTRK-TV, Houston, TX 👇

Sarah Rafique is an investigative producer at ABC13 in Houston, where she specializes in data reporting, government accountability and solutions for viewers.

On Twitter: @SarahRafique

Todd Wallack, WBUR 👇

Todd Wallack is deputy managing editor of WBUR, an NPR affiliate in Boston. He previously spent eight years as an investigative reporter and data journalist on the Boston Globe's Spotlight team. Wallack was a Nieman fellow in 2019 and has won national awards for his articles on public records. He has worked on five projects that were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

On Twitter: @twallack