IRE 2025 will run from Thursday, June 19, to Sunday, June 22 in New Orleans, at the New Orleans Marriott (555 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130).
Click here to register. More details will be added to this schedule as they are confirmed.
Start typing to filter the results below. You can search by session title or speaker name.
Showing 156 of 156 sessions
Thursday
Sessions starting at 8 a.m. CT
Welcome to IRE25 + first-timers networking
Time: Thursday, June 19, 8 – 8:45 a.m. (45m)
Location: Carondelet (3rd floor)
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
Broadcast track: 30 story ideas that work in any market
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Excel 1: Getting started with spreadsheets
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Finding the story: Police accountability data
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Harnessing records to find and develop innovative climate stories
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Jennifer Hijazi, Bloomberg Law
Investigative reporting in rural america
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Molly Parker, Southern Illinois University/Capitol News Illinois/ProPublica LRN
Master Class: Writing the investigative narrative (pre-registered attendees only)
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon A-C (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Learn how to make your investigative writing compelling and powerful. We cover everything from defining an investigative narrative to how to report, organize, write and self-edit your own! Topics include:
- Understanding the investigative narrative
- How to pitch
- Turning sources into characters
- Writing a scene
- Self-editing tips and techniques
- Organizing and writing a deeply reported investigative narrative
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speakers
- Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times
- Rebecca Woolington, Tampa Bay Times
Records for covering education, and overcoming FERPA denials
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- David Cuillier, Brechner FOI Project
David Cuillier directs the Brechner FOI Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. He was a data journalist before earning his doctorate from Washington State University in 2006. He co-authored The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records, is former president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and Society of Professional Journalists, and a member of the National Archivist's FOIA Advisory Committee.
- Sydney Sims, Brechner FOI Project
- Matt Topic, Loevy & Loevy
- Patrick Wall, The Advocate
The internet is forever: How to uncover hidden information
Time: Thursday, June 19, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Anna Massoglia, Influence Brief
Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. CT
Broadcast Track: Making the jump: How to get the investigative title (or do the job without one!)
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: "I don't watch TV news" How to get your content in front of the next generation of viewers
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Excel 2: Formulas & sorting
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Extracting data from PDFs
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Filing a better FOIA request
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
This workshop will show you how to increase your chances of receiving records that reveal significant new information to help advance your story.
What can help identify the records you should ask for in the first place? And how can you make it more likely that you’ll receive a useful response? We will look at strategies for formulating public records requests — treating them as a distinct reporting task, often requiring interviews and other digging to help pinpoint what records could be most helpful to ask for. We will also examine how to make the most of records that you receive to help identify potential sources and future story ideas.
Speaker information coming soon.
Finding the story: Crime stats
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
From the outside, looking in: Covering communities and topics you are not part of
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Natalia Alamdari, Flatwater Free Press
Natalia Alamdari is a senior reporter at the Flatwater Free Press covering rural communities in Nebraska. She's reported from cornfields, one-student classrooms, small-town quinceañera dress shops and even a hotel of Ukrainian refugees and Nebraskan volunteers in Poland. Her reporting on Nebraska prisons won a 2023 Great Plains Journalism Award. Previously, Alamdari worked at newspapers in Missouri, Texas and Delaware.
- Albert Serna, Los Angeles Center for Investigative Journalism
Albert Serna Jr. is the executive editor and founder of the Los Angeles Center for Investigative Journalism based in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley. Serna has covered cops, Crime, national politics, FOIA and extremism at the national and local level. He has a passion for community-centered investigations that serve under-reported communities and people.
- Omar Waheed, Madison365
Omar Waheed is a business and investigative reporter at Madison365. His work is centered on marginalized communities, equity, accountability, labor and workforce development.
Connect: X
Investigations following breaking news
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Organizing your investigation
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Practical, ethical use of AI in the newsroom: Research, reporting and fact-checking
Time: Thursday, June 19, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Juliana Castro-Varón, The New York Times
- Dylan Freedman, The New York Times
Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. CT
Broadcast track: Collaborating for survival and survivng your collaboration
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Covering the Indigenous community
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Mary Hudetz, ProPublica
Excel 3: Filtering & pivot tables
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
How nonprofit foundations are funding local investigative journalism
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Vanessa Bechtel, Ventura County Community Foundation
Ventura County Community Foundation
- Tony Biasotti, Ventura County Star
Tony Biasotti is an investigative reporter with the Ventura County Star, a position funded by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation. He has been with The Star since 2022 and was also a reporter there from 2005 to 2010; in between, he spent a decade freelancing and a few years as executive editor of the Pacific Coast Business Times. He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a product of its student newspaper.
- Mauricio Palma, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mauricio Palma has been with Silicon Valley Community Foundation since 2005. As director of community partnerships, he leads grant programs in arts and culture, faith and neighborhoods, local journalism and the Portraits of Community Action initiative. He also facilitates SVCF’s Community Advisory Council, a group of leaders advising the foundation’s president and CEO.
Connect: LinkedIn
- Tracie Powell, The Pivot Fund
Tracie Powell is a leading voice in advancing racial equity in journalism and the founder of The Pivot Fund, which invests in independent hyperlocal community news organizations. A former Shorenstein Fellow, Powell served as the founding fund manager of the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. She is the immediate past board chair of LION Publishers and holds degrees from Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Georgia.
Connect: LinkedIn
How to land your first job: Roundtable for early-career journalists
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
Investigating for-profit health care systems and hospitals
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Mary Fricker, RepoWatch
Investigating war crimes in an active, sealed-off war zone
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Kavitha Chekaru, independent journalist and documentary filmmaker
- Maryam Saleh, Rest of World
Turning documents into data using AI
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
When government data disappears: How to cross-check, preserve, and investigate
Time: Thursday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Anna Massoglia, Influence Brief
Sessions starting at 2:30 p.m. CT
Broadcast track: Make it memorable! Storytelling in investigations
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Excel: Importing and data prep
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Finding the right solutions angle for your investigation
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
Following the anti-trans federal actions
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Integrating data into your curriculum: A workshop for educators teaching data - pre-registered attendees only
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 6 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructors
- Laura Kurtzberg, IRE & NICAR
Laura Jael Kurtzberg is a data visualization specialist, cartographer and news applications developer with a particular interest in environmental stories. Laura has worked at the intersection of data journalism and design with organizations like InfoAmazonia, Ambiental Media, WLRN Public Media and Mongabay.
Connect: Bluesky
- Laura Moscoso, IRE & NICAR
Master Class: Outlining and structure: The writer's missing manual (pre-registered attendees only)
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 6 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon F,G,H (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Outlining might be the single best thing you can do to make you a better, faster writer. This isn't the roman numeral outlining your middle school teacher taught you. We'll take a story from the ground up, showing how early considerations about structure and framing develop into a draft.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speaker
- Matt Apuzzo, The New York Times
Navigating record requests within the criminal legal system
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Laura Bennett , The Center for Just Journalism
Somehow I Manage: A conversation about making the leap from reporting to editing
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
You wondered what they did all day. You swore you'd never do it. Then, a crazy thought occurred: What if you became an editor? We'll have a conversation with investigative and data editors who made the transition from reporting in the last few years. They'll discuss why they went to the dark side, what they love about it (the red lightsabers), how they feel about managing reporters, what surprised them, whether they'd go back to reporting and — the million dollar question — if they ever miss writing. This panel is best suited for reporters and other journalists who are curious about one day moving into management, as well as new-ish editors who want to talk shop.
Speakers
- Ryan Gabrielson, San Francisco Chronicle
- Lisa Gartner, The Washington Post
- Yoohyun Jung, Boston Globe
Yoohyun Jung is the data editor at the Boston Globe, leading a team of computational journalists. She was previously the deputy data editor and data reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle. Jung began her career in Arizona as a cops reporter, then developed as a data journalist with the help of IRE and NICAR.
Connect: LinkedIn
- Kathleen McGrory, The New York Times
The top higher ed stories you should be covering
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Using open source tools to localize national data
Time: Thursday, June 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Nicole Lewis, The Marshall Project
- Aaron Mendelson, The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub
- Cheryl Phillips, Big Local News
- Samantha Sunne, MuckRock
Sessions starting at 3:45 p.m. CT
Audio track: Bringing data and public records to life in audio
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Jess Clark, KyCIR, Louisville Public Media
- Huo Jingnan, NPR
Broadcast track: From boring to blockbuster: Tricks and tools
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Covering serial murder, cold cases and missing and unidentified persons
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Lise Olsen, Texas Observer
Deep dive: Cultivating sources
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of five different "Deep Dive" sessions, where the country’s top journalists will have in-depth, candid conversations on the biggest topics in investigative journalism today. No PowerPoints. No frills. Just talking.
Speakers
- Olivia Carville, Bloomberg News
- Corey Johnson, ProPublica
Finding a needle in a haystack: Managing document-heavy investigations
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Free, easy data viz
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Investigating hunger
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Ayurella Horn-Muller, Grist
Ayurella Horn-Muller is a staff food and agriculture writer at Grist and the author of "Devoured: The Extraordinary Story of Kudzu, the Vine That Ate the South." Prior to that, she reported for Axios and Climate Central. Her work can also be found in CNN, National Geographic, El País, the Associated Press, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, The Guardian and WIRED. She has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Green Eyeshade Awards.
- Brett Murphy, ProPublica
- Deborah Nelson, University of Maryland
Deborah Nelson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former IRE president on faculty at the University of Maryland, home of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Most recently, she has co-authored Reuters series on the environmental drivers of disease and on the global hunger-relief crisis.
- Thin Lei Win, Lighthouse Reports
Thin Lei Win is an award-winning multimedia journalist specialising in food and climate issues. She is lead reporter for the Food Systems Newsroom of Lighthouse Reports, a nonprofit collaborative news outlet focusing on public interest investigations, curates her own newsletter Thin Ink, and also writes for various international media. She previously worked as an international correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Thomson Reuters.
Real estate investigations: Covering the government, private sector and private equity sectors
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Understanding your legal rights when reporting on immigration and deportation
Time: Thursday, June 19, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 5 p.m. CT
60 opioid settlement (and other public health) stories in 60 minutes!
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Ed Mahon, Spotlight PA
Ed Mahon reports on addiction treatment, the opioid epidemic, medical marijuana, and other public health issues for Spotlight PA. His reporting has earned national recognition, including a 2018 finalist slot for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists and a 2021 investigative award from the Institute for Nonprofit News. He serves as president of the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents' Association, representing journalists reporting from the state Capitol.
- Aneri Pattani, KFF Health News
Aneri Pattani is a senior correspondent at KFF Health News, covering mental health and substance use. Her multi-year series tracking opioid settlement funds made her a finalist for the Livingston Award and was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Her audio stories have been heard on NPR and Science Friday. Pattani received a bachelors in journalism from Northeastern University and a masters in public health from Johns Hopkins University.
Broadcast track: Sourcing in this new "off the record" world
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Covering corporate behavior: What they do (not what they say) and their big plans for the future
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Arlene Martinez, Good Jobs First
Arlene Martínez joined Good Jobs First, a nonprofit corporate and government watchdog, in 2020. Before joining GJF, (which maintains the Subsidy, Violation, and Tax Break Tracker databases), she was a reporter with the USA TODAY Network/Ventura County Star, The Morning Call, the LA Times and Hispanic Link News Service, where her work focused on the choices people in power make when it comes to who and what gets prioritized.
Finding the story: Taking a deeper dive into the housing and homelessness crisis
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Freelancers: Create entrepreneurship systems that work for you
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Ann Marie Awad, Institute for Independent Journalists
Ann Marie Awad is the editorial director for the Institute for Independent Journalists and a freelance audio journalist based in Denver, Colorado. Awad created and hosted the award-winning podcast "On Something," and they sit on the board of directors for the Association of Independents in Radio. They have produced podcasts for Audible, WAMU, and Sonos, among others.
- Rita Harper, Freelance Photojournalist
- Carolina Murriel, Freelance Writer and Journalist
Networking for radio and audio journalists
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Responsibly and thoughtfully reporting on children and teens
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Jenn Abelson, The Washington Post
- Jessica Contrera, The Washington Post
Jessica Contrera reports in-depth stories about systemic issues and the people impacted by them. She is a part of The Post's narrative accountability team. With Jenn Abelson, John Harden and a team of Post journalists, she reported "Abused by the Badge," a series exposing how hundreds of U.S. police officers have sexually abused children while officials have failed to take basic steps to stop predatory cops.
- Bennett Haeberle, NBC Chicago, WMAQ-TV
Bennett Haeberle is an investigative reporter with NBC Chicago, WMAQ-TV. He has 22 years of experience as a reporter - including more than a decade in an investigative journalism. He's been an IRE member since 2014. His work has been honored with multiple awards including National Headliners Awards, 13 regional Emmys and Murrows. His investigations cover a broad array of topics from government policies; to acts of injustice and stories that impact vulnerable populations.
- Eli Hager, ProPublica
Eli Hager is a reporter for ProPublica who covers social safety net programs and issues affecting lower-income families and children. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2022 for his investigation of foster care agencies in Alaska and elsewhere that pocket the Social Security benefits of orphaned and disabled children. Previously, he was a staff writer for The Marshall Project.
Using court records to break stories
Time: Thursday, June 19, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Seamus Hughes, Court Watch
Friday
Sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
Bridging the newsroom and the classroom: Tackling big projects with student journalists
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: Consumer confidential
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Disclosing AI: What audiences want and how newsrooms can respond
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
News consumers want transparency when journalists use artificial intelligence in reporting. Recent survey and interview data from Trusting News shows audiences not only expect AI disclosure but also prefer detailed explanations about how AI was used and which tools were involved. This research also showed audiences are particularly uneasy about AI’s role in data analysis. This session will explore how investigative journalists can meet audience expectations while maintaining trust and credibility. Trusting News will share best practices, newsroom-tested disclosure strategies, and real-world examples of AI transparency in investigative reporting. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how to effectively communicate AI use, address audience concerns, and ensure human oversight remains central in AI-assisted investigations.
Speaker
- Lynn Walsh, Trusting News
Document crowd competition: 40 ideas in 40 minutes
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- David Cuillier, Brechner FOI Project
David Cuillier directs the Brechner FOI Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. He was a data journalist before earning his doctorate from Washington State University in 2006. He co-authored The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records, is former president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and Society of Professional Journalists, and a member of the National Archivist's FOIA Advisory Committee.
- Sydney Sims, Brechner FOI Project
Google Sheets 1: Getting started with spreadsheets
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Income inequality: The upsurge of extreme wealth
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Mary Fricker, RepoWatch
- James Steele, Reporter and Author
Master Class: Reporting and writing for scene (pre-registered attendees only)
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon A-C (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
When it comes to crafting scenes, we can learn a lot from people who write fiction and screenplays. But our challenges begin long before the writing. Our scenes have to be true not just emotionally, but factually. This class will look at ways to gather dialogue, the telling detail and other threads that we can then weave into a scene people will remember (all, of course, without sacrificing the element of accountability — because, that’s what we do). We’ll dissect song lyrics; chat about creating dread; read a scene on the page, then watch it dramatized on screen. Plus, the fabulous Pam Colloff will drop in and talk shop.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speakers
- Ken Armstrong, Bloomberg News
- Pamela Colloff, ProPublica
Master Class: So you wanna make a podcast? - pre-registered attendees only
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon F,G,H (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
This workshop is designed for the audio-curious who feel like they don't know where to start. What staffing do you need? How much might it cost? How long might it take? How can you make something that people will actually hear? How do you approach storyboarding, getting comfortable with the gear, scripting, voicing/tracking, storytelling? We'll cover enough of the basics that attendees will feel equipped to pitch and begin developing their ideas.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speakers
- Fernanda Echavarri, Futuro Media
- Alison MacAdam,
- Brendan McCarthy, The Boston Globe
- Kristin Nelson, The Boston Globe
Reporting on the 'War on Terror'
Time: Friday, June 20, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Nausheen Husain, Syracuse University
- Aly Panjwani, freelance journalist
Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. CT
Covering housing authoritatively: How to expose the unseen challenges of renters
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Alejandra Cancino, Injustice Watch
- Juan Pablo Garnham, Eviction Lab
- Cecilia Reyes, Business Insider
Covering the courts in turbulent times: Free tools for powerful legal reporting
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Frank G. Runyeon, Law360
- Jenifer Whiston, Free Law Project
Deep dive: Storytelling
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of five different "Deep Dive" sessions, where the country’s top journalists will have in-depth, candid conversations on the biggest topics in investigative journalism today. No PowerPoints. No frills. Just talking.
Speakers
- Daniel Alarcón, Radio Ambulante
- Brian Rosenthal, The New York Times
Exploring the intersection of incarceration and the climate crisis
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Hannah Riley, The Center for Just Journalism
Google Sheets 2: Formulas & sorting
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
How to investigate digital threats
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Web scraping with Python
Time: Friday, June 20, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. CT
Beyond the investigation: Managing stress, safety & mental wellness
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Let’s be honest, investigative journalism can take a serious toll. Long hours, emotionally difficult topics, graphic content, public scrutiny, and even safety threats — both online and in person — can contribute to burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. And for newsroom leaders, managers, and editors, the responsibility extends beyond just the stories, it includes caring for the people who report them. Join this candid conversation to learn more about practical strategies for managing stress, setting healthy boundaries, supporting team members, and building safer, more sustainable newsroom cultures.
NOTE: This session will not be recorded, so participants may engage freely (but respectfully) regarding personal situations.
Speaker information coming soon.
Bolstering local reporting through collaborations with large newsrooms
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Data analysis with Python
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
In this session, you'll learn how to analyze data using the popular Python data analysis library pandas. You'll learn about the benefits of scripting your data projects and enough syntax to load, sort, filter and group a data set.
This class is good for: People who are comfortable working with data in spreadsheets or SQL and want to make the leap to programming.
Instructor
- Sandra Fish, Independent journallist
Exemption redemption: How to overcome public records exemptions
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- David Cuillier, Brechner FOI Project
David Cuillier directs the Brechner FOI Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. He was a data journalist before earning his doctorate from Washington State University in 2006. He co-authored The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records, is former president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and Society of Professional Journalists, and a member of the National Archivist's FOIA Advisory Committee.
- Gunita Singh, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Matt Topic, Loevy & Loevy
Finding the story: Climate data
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Google Sheets 3: Filtering & pivot tables
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
How to pivot from the newsroom: Reinventing yourself without losing your investigative edge
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Elaine Aradillas, Independent journalist
The art of the business investigation
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Scott Zamost, CNBC
Tracking right-wing influencers and movements
Time: Friday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- David Armiak, Center for Media and Democracy
David Armiak is research director and an investigative journalist with the Center for Media and Democracy. David joined CMD in 2015, has conducted extensive investigations on dark money, corporate corruption, and right-wing networks, and is responsible for filing and analyzing hundreds of public records requests every year.
Connect: Bluesky
- Robert Downen, Texas Monthly
Robert Downen is a Texas Monthly senior writer who focuses on the far right, Christian nationalism and the billionaires who fund them. He previously covered threats to democracy at The Texas Tribune and, before that, was part of the Houston Chronicle team that uncovered widespread sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention -- leading to historic reforms and a Department of Justice investigation.
- Kyle Spencer, Reporting Right/The Pro-Democracy Information Lab
Sessions starting at 2:30 p.m. CT
Audio track: The middle road: Journalism in the liminal space between hard-hitting and hopeful
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: The 10 most important lessons I've learned
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Deep dive: Two reporters talk writing
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of five different "Deep Dive" sessions, where the country’s top journalists will have in-depth, candid conversations on the biggest topics in investigative journalism today. No PowerPoints. No frills. Just talking.
Speakers
- Pamela Colloff, ProPublica
- Hannah Dreier, The New York Times
Extracting public records from secretive government agencies
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Parker Yesko, The New Yorker
Federal decisions impacting your K-12 schools
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Andy Pierrotti, WANF-TV, CBS ATLANTA
Andy Pierrotti is a national award-winning investigative reporter with WANF-TV, CBS in Atlanta recognized with the duPont Columbia Award, George Foster Peabody, multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards.
- Marina Villeneuve, The Hechinger Report
Google Pinpoint for research and investigations
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructors
- Yuval Shukroon, Google
Yuval Shukroon is a product manager at Google News. He leads the development of Pinpoint and has contributed to other reporter-facing tools including Google Trends. Prior to joining Google News, Yuval worked on monetization for the popular navigation app Waze and also as a solution engineer consulting Google’s largest advertisers. Yuval holds a B.Sc in Computer Science and B.A (cum lauda) in Political Science.
Connect: LinkedIn
- Shlomo Urbach, Google
Shlomo Urbach is a senior software engineer with a diverse technological background who has been at Google for 17 years. In the past few years, he has been working on tools for investigative journalists, most recently using Generative AI. Urbach was the technical lead for the Pinpoint extract structured data tool, and he is a huge fan of investigative journalism.
Connect: LinkedIn
Google Sheets: Using string functions to manipulate data
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Master Class: "I don't watch TV news" - How to get your content in front of the next generation of viewers - pre-registered attendees only
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 6 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon F,G,H (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Master class: Art of the investigative interview (pre-registered attendees only)
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 6 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon A-C (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
You need one final confirmation to run your story. It's the key piece of a months-long project, only one person can provide it, and you've got one shot to get it.
The entire story comes down to The Interview. Will you be ready?
We can help. Sign up for this half-day Master Class in interviewing and get a playbook for getting the information you need.
We'll cover all the crucial steps, from preparation to the conversation, confrontational interviews, talking with survivors, getting the most from witnesses, convincing those who don't want to talk with you and much more.
So the next time you dial that number, knock on that door or corner an official who’s been avoiding you, you’ll be ready.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speakers
- Mark Horvit, University of Missouri
- Cheryl W. Thompson, NPR
- Scott Zamost, CNBC
Networking: Journalists of color
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
R 1: Intro to R and RStudio
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Tools and techniques to investigate civilian war casualties from afar
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
This panel will describe new or newly expanded open source tools such as Airwars, OSMP, and Vantage that can measure civilian deaths and identify accountable parties, while avoiding high costs and safety risks. The panel will also highlight how on-the-ground field reporting in hostile environments can power OSINT-led investigations back in the newsroom, with examples from Ukraine and Gaza.
Speakers
- Yousur Al-Hlou, The New York Times
- Rowan Philp, GIJN
Turning your investigation into a book
Time: Friday, June 20, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 3:45 p.m. CT
AI 101: Coaching ChatGPT to help you with your coding and data tasks
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Audio track: Juggling print and audio investigations (and how to do both, very different things at the same time)
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: PIVOT! How to start over in a new market, on a new beat, in a new role
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Google Sheets: Importing and data prep
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
How to report on anti-competitive behavior
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Patience Haggin, The Wall Street Journal
Katrina: 20 years of lessons
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Halle Parker, Verite News
R 2: Data analysis and plotting
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
War journal: How to report on gun violence in the era of Trump
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Time to get real: Media over the last 30 years is failing, "best practices" have lost us jobs, public trust, and have led us to the very darkest pit of our existence in journalism. Meanwhile Americans die in the dark. It's time to break the cycle.
Gun violence coverage on our best days can often be reactive—dominated by mass shootings, political cycles, or other fleeting news moments. But as policies shift, sources disappear, and federal oversight weakens, journalists, particularly the editorial class, need to rethink how they cover guns and the communities affected by them.This panel will explore how to find on-the-ground sources when traditional ones disappear, how federal rollbacks affect domestic violence, community safety, and policing, and how to avoid amplifying misinformation in fast-moving coverage. With media sometimes struggling to get gun reporting right in so-called “peace times,” the stakes are even higher in times of increased political instability.
Speaker
- Alain Stephens, Independent journalist
Working with whistleblowers: Past, present and future
Time: Friday, June 20, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Len Downie Jr., Arizona State University
Sessions starting at 5 p.m. CT
Audio track: Pitching national radio shows
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: Me myself and I-team: Low staffing and budget, high production
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Acadia (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Covering mass shootings responsibly
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Natalia Martinez, GRAY TV
Natalia Martinez is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and Executive Producer for WAVE Originals. For 15 years her work has focused on corruption, law enforcement and violence. She produces documentary films and special content at WAVE News and Gray Media, pioneering a new approach to in-depth story-telling. Her latest released documentary, 23 Seconds: A Louisville Mass Shooting received praise for its approach to reporting on a mass shooter.
Connect: LinkedIn
Finding stories hidden in your local government’s meeting agenda
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Google Sheets: Advanced pivot tables
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 7 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
R 3: Gathering and cleaning data
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Reporting on stigmatized public health issues
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
SHOWCASE: REPORTERS IN PERIL OVER THE DECADES
Time: Friday, June 20, 5 – 6 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Daniela Ibarra, KSAT 12
Saturday
Sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
Audio track: Evolving narratives in audio storytelling about crime
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: Visual data on deadline
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Ethically covering the impact of abortion bans
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Ziva Branstetter, ProPublica
- Cassandra Jaramillo, ProPublica
- Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune
Eleanor Klibanoff is the women’s health reporter at The Texas Tribune, where she covers abortion, maternal health care, gender-based violence and LGBTQ issues, among other topics. She also cohosts the weekly politics podcast, TribCast. She started with the Tribune in 2021, and was previously with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting in Louisville, where she reported, produced and hosted the Peabody-nominated podcast, “Dig.”
Connect: X
- Shefali Luthra, The 19th*
From text to TV (and everything in between): How investigative journalists can transfer from one medium to another
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 4 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
How to interview people on sensitive topics and in challenging settings
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Lauren Caruba, The Dallas Morning News
Lauren Caruba is an investigative reporter for The Dallas Morning News. She previously covered health, medicine and the COVID-19 pandemic at the San Antonio Express-News. Her 2023 series on a nationwide epidemic of preventable bleeding deaths was recognized by IRE, the Philip Meyer Awards, the Online News Association and the National Association of Science Writers. She is a three-time finalist for the Livingston Awards.
- Greg Fisher, CBS News 48 Hours
Greg Fisher is a west coast producer for CBS News 48 Hours. Greg has been a network broadcast producer for more than 30 years, and a supervisor at 48 Hours. Greg spent 16 years as an investigative producer for ABC News 20/20 and PrimeTime. Greg has won the National Press Club Award, an Emmy Award for Investigative Reporting and Breaking News, a duPont-Columbia Award and others. He began his career as a radio and newspaper reporter.
Connect: LinkedIn
Investigating the impact of alternative energy
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- B. Toastie Oaster, High Country News
- Sheridan Prasso, Bloomberg
Sheridan Prasso is a senior writer for investigations at Bloomberg. Her reporting has traced aluminum in the Ford F-150EV to deforestation and pollution in the Amazon rainforest. As a long-time China specialist, she has also explored the environmental impact of China's quest for iron ore in Africa; exposed forced labor in US solar supply chains, including polysilicon from Xinjiang; and linked fast-fashion retailer Shein to forced-labor cotton using laboratory testing.
Master Class: Managing investigators… or how to lead journalists born to challenge authority (50th Anniversary Edition)
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon A-C (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
You asked for it! More training for investigative managers! Since 2022, IRE has held seven master class sessions and trained more than 250 members on this exact topic. And the session at IRE25 will be BIG! We're throwing in some new, exciting features for our organization's 50th anniversary!
Here's why: We know managing investigative journalists comes with an extra layer of challenges because their very job (and likely their personality) makes them hyper-alert to authority figures. This course is designed to give you some tools and tactics to lead individuals and entire teams of investigators more effectively. Learn from five investigative managers from different media at different stages of their leadership careers. How did they launch into their roles, and what experience have they gained along the way?
This course is for current investigative managers and anyone aspiring to step into such a position in the future. Topics will include: managing compassionately, hiring challenges, transitioning to management, forging partnerships, building relationships, handling resource cuts, organization/structure, tough decisions/conversations, in-house training/growth, delivering feedback, creating inclusive opportunities, and juggling responsibilities/projects/work.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speakers
- Josh Hinkle, KXAN
Josh Hinkle is KXAN’s director of investigations and innovation, leading the station’s duPont and IRE Award-winning investigative team on multiple platforms. He also leads KXAN’s political coverage as executive producer and host of “State of Texas,” a weekly statewide program focused on the Texas Legislature and elections. In 2021, he was elected to the IRE Board of Directors and currently serves as its vice president.
- Dianna Hunt, ICT
- Katrease Stafford, Reuters
Kat Stafford is the global race and justice editor for Reuters. She has received several awards for her work, including the National Press Club Journalism Institute's 2023 Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism and the 2024 Spirit of Diversity Award from Wayne State University's Journalism Institute for Media Diversity. She was a 2022 University of Michigan Knight-Wallace fellow.
- Mc Nelly Torres, Independent Investigative Reporter and Editor
Mc Nelly Torres is an award-winning investigative journalist and former editor at the Center for Public Integrity where she led a team investigating inequality. Before, Torres worked as an investigative producer for NBC6 in Miami and co-founded FCIR.org. She is a product of newspapers including the Sun-Sentinel and the San Antonio Express-News. Torres was the first Latina elected to the IRE board of directors. In 2022, Torres was a recipient of the Gwen Ifill Award.
- Nicole Vap, CBS News
Master class: It’s just video… Until a storyteller creates an experience
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (3h 30m)
Location: Salon F,G,H (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Tried and true drivers of the narrative: focus, surprise, suspense, and character are powerful tools. It’s time to put them to work in your stories. Together, let’s answer the questions, why do we laugh, why do we cry, why do we care — and how can we make it happen for our viewers more often? Boyd Huppert will open wide the toolbox that’s helped him earn an unprecedented 26 National Edward R. Murrow Awards in both hard news and feature reporting.
Topics will include:
* Creating interactive – not passive – viewing experiences
* The first :30 -- hooking viewers with powerful opens
* How to avoid emotion-draining clichés
* Unlocking the hidden power in sentences
* Literary devices that will breathe life in your writing
* Creating moment-driven stories viewers will remember long after the newscast ends
Bring your notepad. This session will be loaded with practical tips to bring back to your newsroom and your next story.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $45 to participate.
Speaker
- Boyd Huppert, KARE
During his 41-year career in television news, Boyd Huppert has become widely known as a video storyteller and teacher. Boyd is marking his 29th year at KARE TV in Minneapolis. Boyd also serves as National Storytelling Coach for the 49 newsrooms of TEGNA. Boyd's work has earned 26 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, multiple National Headliner and Sigma Delta Chi Awards, the Scripps Howard Award, a national Emmy, and 168 regional Emmys.
Connect: X
Unsung documents
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Veteran investigative reporters reprise a classic panel and list obscure but powerful documents that anyone can use to turbocharge a project or bulk-up daily beat coverage. They also provide practical guidelines for unearthing, scrutinizing, managing and cross-referencing routine documents to unleash their full investigative power.
Speakers
- James Grimaldi, National Catholic Reporter
A multiple Pulitzer Prize winner, Grimaldi is executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter, one of the oldest independent nonprofit news organizations in the country. Grimaldi is a seasoned investigative reporter who has worked for six newspapers, including The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. A frequent college lecturer, he is on the steering committee of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and is past president of IRE.
- Cheryl W. Thompson, NPR
Using OpenRefine, a power tool for cleaning data
Time: Saturday, June 21, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. CT
A year in local investigations: Watchdog story ideas
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Bethany Barnes, Tampa Bay Times
Audio track: The NPR embedded approach
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
You’ve been crunching the numbers and following the paper trail for the last two years. You’re confident that your investigation is going to reveal something new, and you’re wondering whether podcasting is the best way to reach your audience. How do you bring your investigation alive in audio? And in a crowded industry, how do you catch the ear of the people who can help you do it? NPR’s Embedded team will walk you through the essential elements we look for in serialized, narrative podcast pitches and give tips on how to create scene-rich, character-driven audio documentaries that stick with listeners long after the credits roll. Will include next steps for pitching NPR Embedded for those interested.
Speakers
- Addie Lancianese, NPR
- Katie Simon, NPR
- Luis Trelles, NPR
Broadcast track: Art of the interview
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Leveraging AI to enhance political accountability
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Matt DeFour, Wisconsin Watch
- Robyn Sundlee, Gigafact
Me Too isn’t over: Lessons from eight years of sexual harassment and violence investigations (to get us through the next four)
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Leslie Rangel, The Barbed Wire
Web scraping with R
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 9 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Writing character-driven features
Time: Saturday, June 21, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- John Thomason, Grist
Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. CT
Audio track: Driveway moments: Crafting stories that stop listeners in their tracks
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Julieta Martinelli, Futuro Media Group
- Paige Pfleger, WPLN News
Broadcast track: Anatomy of an invesitgiation
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Deep dive: 40 years in journalism
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of five different "Deep Dive" sessions, where the country’s top journalists will have in-depth, candid conversations on the biggest topics in investigative journalism today. No PowerPoints. No frills. Just talking.
Speakers
- Ken Armstrong, Bloomberg News
- Ginger Thompson, ProPublica
How student journalists are leading real-world investigative reporting across the U.S.
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Sarah Gamard, Center for Community News
How to background people in an hour
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Using WhatsApp and other tools to crowdsource data
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Cassandra Garibay, ProPublica
- Sergio Olmos, CalMatters
- Leon Yin, Bloomberg
Writing short: Narratives don't have to be long!
Time: Saturday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 3 p.m. CT
Audio track: Editing the investigative podcast
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: AI AI AI, Three fakes and a real
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Covering economic development incentives: What it really means to give companies public dollars
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Arlene Martinez, Good Jobs First
Arlene Martínez joined Good Jobs First, a nonprofit corporate and government watchdog, in 2020. Before joining GJF, (which maintains the Subsidy, Violation, and Tax Break Tracker databases), she was a reporter with the USA TODAY Network/Ventura County Star, The Morning Call, the LA Times and Hispanic Link News Service, where her work focused on the choices people in power make when it comes to who and what gets prioritized.
Covering science in the political spotlight
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon E (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Jen Christensen, CNN and NLGJA
Jen Christensen is a Peabody-award-winning writer/producer with CNN.com/CNN's where she currently works with the medical unit. She also serves as the Vice President for Broadcast with NLGJA the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and is NLGJA's long-time national convention co-chair.
- Elena Renken, SciLine
- Lisa Song, ProPublica
Lisa Song is a reporter at ProPublica who covers how environmental regulations (or the lack thereof) affect communities, human health and the natural world. She's currently focused on the EPA and related agencies that oversee science and the environment.
Connect: Bluesky
- Alison Young, Independent journalist
Deep dive: Dealing with pushback
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of five different "Deep Dive" sessions, where the country’s top journalists will have in-depth, candid conversations on the biggest topics in investigative journalism today. No PowerPoints. No frills. Just talking.
Speakers
- Lauren Chooljian, New Hampshire Public Radio
Lauren Chooljian is a senior reporter/producer on NHPR's Document team, a narrative-driven, longform reporting project. She is the host and reporter behind The 13th Step, a podcast about sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment industry, which was a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting. Before joining NHPR in 2017, Lauren spent nearly six years as a reporter, producer and fill-in host for WBEZ in Chicago.
- David Enrich, The New York Times
Digging into the DOGE
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Master class: Under pressure: Real life in real time with breaking news - pre-registered attendees only
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 5:15 p.m. (2h 15m)
Location: Salon A-C (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
One of the hottest sessions at every IRE Conference! How would you and your newsroom fare in digging out little-known facts and information under the pressure of a breaking news deadline? One of the best ways to get better is to practice.
This is a real-life scenario where you can learn to break news without leaving your computer. The skills learned in this session can also be used for turning daily general assignment stories when there’s not breaking news. This session regularly fills up and the tipsheet that comes with it is in high demand. If you're interested, get there early to get a seat.
Preregistration is required and seating is limited.
⚠️ This session requires pre-registration and an additional fee of $30 to participate.
Speaker
- Stephen Stock, WVUE Gray TV
Stephen Stock is chief investigative reporter at WVUE Fox8 New Orleans and contributing correspondent for Gray’s InvestigateTV. Specializing in public corruption, safety and transportation, Stock was a founding member of CBS News and Stations Innovation Lab and helped build investigative teams in San Francisco, Miami and Orlando. He teaches at IRE, newsrooms and universities around the US. He’s won a Peabody, du-Pont, national SPJ, three Murrows, six AP awards and 18 Emmys.
Methods and techniques to investigate oligarchs: Lessons learned from around the world
Time: Saturday, June 21, 3 – 4 p.m. (1h)
Location: Salon D (3rd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 4:15 p.m. CT
Arrested by AI: Reporting on the intersection of AI and policing
Time: Saturday, June 21, 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Doug MacMillan, The Washington Post
Audio track: The honest mic: Navigating Truth and Transparency in Audio Storytelling
Time: Saturday, June 21, 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony L,M,N (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Broadcast track: Lightning Talks
Time: Saturday, June 21, 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. (1h)
Location: Balcony I,J,K (4th floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Finding and using historical documents in investigative stories
Time: Saturday, June 21, 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Steve Eder, The New York Times
- Mc Nelly Torres, Independent Investigative Reporter and Editor
Mc Nelly Torres is an award-winning investigative journalist and former editor at the Center for Public Integrity where she led a team investigating inequality. Before, Torres worked as an investigative producer for NBC6 in Miami and co-founded FCIR.org. She is a product of newspapers including the Sun-Sentinel and the San Antonio Express-News. Torres was the first Latina elected to the IRE board of directors. In 2022, Torres was a recipient of the Gwen Ifill Award.
Reporting on corporate-driven health crises
Time: Saturday, June 21, 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Sharon Lerner, ProPublica
Sharon Lerner covers the EPA and environmental issues at ProPublica. She has written about threats posed by pesticides, plastic-based fuels and other chemicals and have reported extensively on PFAS, a family of industrial pollutants linked to cancer, infertility, developmental harm and immune dysfunction. She is based in New York.
Connect: Bluesky
Sunday
Sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
Google Sheets 1: Getting started with spreadsheets (repeat)
Time: Sunday, June 22, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
International collaborations for global investigative impact
Time: Sunday, June 22, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Amruta Byatnal, Thomson Reuters Foundation
The art of fact checking
Time: Sunday, June 22, 9 – 10 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speakers
- Aviva Shen, Type Investigations
- Nina Zweig, Type Investigations
Sessions starting at 10:15 a.m. CT
Everything you want to know about tracking political influence and money in politics
Time: Sunday, June 22, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 4-5 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker
- Soorin Kim, ABC News
Soorin Kim in an investigative data reporter at ABC News covering the second Trump presidency. She specializes in following money in politics -- how political contributions, lobbying and other influence operations move those in power. During the 2024 election, she covered President Donald Trump's reelection campaign as a campaign embed reporter.
Connect: X
Google Sheets 2: Formulas & sorting (repeat)
Time: Sunday, June 22, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Investigating climate change
Time: Sunday, June 22, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
Sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. CT
Google Sheets 3: Filtering & pivot tables (repeat)
Time: Sunday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Studio 2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Instructor information coming soon.
Legal protections for international journalists working in the U.S.
Time: Sunday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 1-2 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.
The lasting effects of extreme weather
Time: Sunday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1h)
Location: Galerie 3 (2nd floor)
Session audio will be recorded.
Description coming soon.
Speaker information coming soon.