Investigative Reporters and Editors

Nadia Nadesan & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AI may bode ill for the journalism industry as a whole, but for us data journalists, it opens up a new method for answering important questions in ways readers should trust. LLM classification — and its cousin, extraction — sits in the Venn diagram overlap: an AI tool that helps us do more valuable, credible work, and that we can convince our readers to trust.

Watchdog training is coming to students in the Midwest and Puerto Rico this fall. As higher learning institutions work to hinder, pressure or punish student newspapers over reporting controversial stories, IRE, in partnership with Open Campus, is proud to bring watchdog training to two universities in September.

IRE wants your help to design the blueprint for its future! As investigative journalism continues to evolve, so must our organization. Your feedback will help identify the priorities that should guide IRE over the next several years – from supporting journalists in a rapidly changing media landscape to strengthening IRE for the future. Fill out the online survey here. “The best strategic plans are built by listening to the people they serve,” said IRE Board President Josh Hinkle.

By Katrina Michalak, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, Arizona State University Erin Orr was at the inception of her journalism career in the 1990s, working the business and real estate beat. As she was interviewing a source at an evening business event, the man repeatedly called her “honey,” commented on her dress, and drew her in for a lingering embrace — all in front of his wife.

The staff of Investigative Reporters & Editors is planning the next webinars for the rest of 2026 and we want your help! If you’ve attended any webinars from IRE in the past year, we’d love it if you filled out this short survey that will help us figure out what’s most important to our members. Whether you attended one, watched a recording, or registered and couldn’t attend, we want to hear from you.

By Benét J. Wilson, IRE & NICAR My first introduction to AI was a Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism fellowship presentation by Caitlin Dewey, a writer and occasional essayist based in Buffalo, N.Y. In it, she demonstrated 11 ways journalists could use AI in practical and responsible ways. After Dewey’s presentation, I was hooked. I went down the AI rabbit hole, expanding her premise that evolved into my own presentation, “How journalists can use AI ethically” — with the key word being ethically.

Investigative Reporters and Editors is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Koch Continuum Grant, a program supporting investigative journalists pursuing public health and disability reporting. Marissa Evans and Brian Howey have been selected for their project proposals to investigate the existence and impact of pain policies in U.S. hospitals and measure the scope of torture in the American criminal justice system and examine the mental health impacts on victims, respectively.

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) condemns the recent Department of Justice action to subpoena New York Times journalists following their reporting on security concerns surrounding President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. IRE stands in solidarity with the New York Times and its reporting team, and calls on the Trump Administration to withdraw the subpoenas–some of which were delivered by federal agents to reporters’ homes.

Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) is seeking volunteers to serve on several committees. These groups offer ideas and help us improve member services and governance, expand IRE’s reach and fundraising, plan training events and conferences, organize regional meetups and much more. “The IRE Board is making it a priority to bring in new voices and new perspectives,” said IRE Board President Josh Hinkle.

Columbia, MO (July 6, 2026) – Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) is excited to announce the appointment of Jonathan Kealing as its new Executive Director. He will officially assume his role in late July, bringing extensive experience and a strong commitment to investigative journalism. Kealing has most recently served as Chief Network Officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN).