Investigative Reporters & Editors

A group of people posing together and smiling at a conference. They stand and kneel in front of a backdrop displaying "NICAR 26," "Indianapolis," "data," and "journalism" repeatedly. Some are wearing name badges.

A person stands at a podium on a stage, giving a presentation. A screen displays a slide with text that reads: "My obsession with data made my career. It almost killed me." The names "Steven Rich" visible on the slide. The room has conference-style décor.

A group of three people stands posing for a photo at the NICAR 26 event. They are holding signs that say "I <heart> Python," "NICAR Nerds," and "Data Wiz." A person is taking their photo with a smartphone. In the background, there is a NICAR 26 sign and a wall with words like "data journalism" and "NICAR 26."

Three people holding an award together.

#NICAR26 is a wrap and what a conference it was.

900+ attendees | 325+ speakers | 225 sessions

Shoutout to every data journalist and investigative reporter who showed up, shared knowledge and made Indianapolis feel like home for a few days.

What did you learn? What stood out?

A man with glasses in a gray blazer and light gray collared shirt stands and poses in front of a softly lit studio.

In IRE President Josh Hinkle's latest email message to members, he highlights why supporting local investigative journalism matters now more than ever. You can also view his video message: https://bit.ly/3Pakf06

It’s Sunday! Check your e-mail inbox for today’s weekly edition of “Local Matters,” an IRE-sponsored newsletter featuring the best local watchdog journalism from across the country.

Subscribe for free: https://bit.ly/4aorGJx. Submit your best work at localmatters@ire.org.

Thank you

Thank you so very much for all of your hard work!

This image features a menu for "Bay Area Bistro." It includes a special for today: Soft Taco Salmon Sisig, described as a popular Filipino dish. The menu highlights All Day Combo Meals priced at $15 and $20, with options like Pancit Bihon, Lumpia, and Filipino Bbq Skewers. Photos of Pork BBQ Skewers, Pancit Bihon Noodles, Classic Lumpia, and Veggie Lumpia are displayed. The menu design includes an illustration of the Golden Gate Bridge and a sun.

Filipino flavors for lunch at #NICAR26 🇵🇭✨
Today’s food truck is Bay Area Bistro! Check out the menu and stop by starting at 11:30 a.m.

📍 Level 1 near Ballroom F. Just follow the signs.

IRE says the detention of journalists is an attack on press freedom and urges the federal government to release Rodríguez and affirm journalists’ First Amendment rights.

The statement says Rodríguez was taken into custody while in a marked news vehicle despite having a pending asylum case and no reported warrant for her arrest.

Alt Text: A graphic with black text on a plain background featuring a statement from Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) calling for the release of journalist Estefany Rodríguez of Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville.

IRE calls for the immediate release of Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, who was taken into custody while in a marked news vehicle, according to reports.

Read the rest of our statement: https://bit.ly/4sto4Mh

#NICAR26 Lightning Talks are happening at 5 p.m. at the White River E-F room on Level 1. Listen to people share a piece of advice or teach a new skill in just 5 minutes! You don't want to miss this!

Need lunch plans at #NICAR26?

Today’s food truck is All American Grub.

Order ahead, explore the conference, then grab your food when you’re ready.

Opens today at Noon until 2:30 p.m.
📍 Level 1: near Ballroom F

Check out the menu + order here:
https://bit.ly/3OS2J0M

Join us for IRE’s monthly virtual office hours on Wed., March 11 at 1 p.m. ET.

Register now: https://bit.ly/4aWHnYI

We will post the latest from the conference on all social media platforms.

For the most up-to-date visuals from the conference, including photos, video highlights and behind-the-scenes moments, follow along on our Instagram.

Did you know that you could pitch a story to the IRE Journal?

If you're at #NICAR26, go say hi to Adam Rhodes @byadamrhodes.bsky.social and tell them about your ideas!

Each day at #NICAR26, we’ll have a different food truck on site and they’ll be fully covered from the rain.

Here’s how to find it:

Head to the first floor, find Ballroom F, and follow the food truck signs. They’ll lead you straight to the exit door that takes you outside to lunch.

Can data storytelling reach audiences who distrust established science?

In this #NICAR26 session, panelists share innovative approaches to presenting data in ways that engage, persuade and build trust.

With: Eva Constantaras, Aaron Mendelson, Max Siegelbaum, Ariana Beedie

Attend the "State secrets: a workflow for using state-level ethics disclosure data in your reporting" session at #NICAR26.

Journalists Audrey Nielsen and Diara Townes will demo two states’ systems, share collaborative datasets + a 2026 tipsheet.

Ready to level up your election data analysis skills?

Join this hands-on #NICAR26 session designed for journalists and data pros who want faster, cleaner workflows.

You’ll learn through real-world data journalism examples from Eade Hemingway and Oliver Hawkins of the Financial Times.

When should journalists use AI and when shouldn’t we?

The #NICAR26 panel “How to Use AI Responsibly” brings together newsroom leaders to discuss ethics, disclosure and combining AI tools with human review.

Complex PDFs slowing you down?

“How to Get Data Out of Complex PDFs Using AI” is a hands-on session at #NICAR26 on extracting key info and vetting AI outputs to power strong reporting.

With:
Disha Raychaudhuri (Reuters)
Duy Nguyen (The New York Times)
Clare Farley (Reuters)

It’s Sunday! Check your e-mail inbox for today’s weekly edition of “Local Matters,” an IRE-sponsored newsletter featuring the best local watchdog journalism from across the country.

Subscribe for free: https://bit.ly/4aorGJx. Submit your best work at localmatters@ire.org.

We’re going LIVE in 15 minutes!

Join us for an Instagram Live AMA!

We’re talking:
✨ How we got into journalism
✨ What we actually do
✨ #NICAR26 + #IRE26
✨ Memberships, programming & projects

🕒 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET
📍 LIVE on IG @ire_nicar + @poynter_institute

In this hands-on #NICAR26 session, you’ll learn how to run large language models like Llama, Mistral, and Gemma.

This session is perfect for beginners.

Led by Aarushi Sahejpal from American University and Dhrumil Mehta from Columbia University. Register for #NICAR26: https://bit.ly/4oDxQJH

Want to build a dynamic, data-driven voter guide for your local elections?

At this hands-on #NICAR26 session, Adam Marton and Jerry Zremski from the University of Maryland will show you how the Local News Network creates its signature online voter guides using SvelteKit + Datasette.

Immigration data can feel overwhelming.

At #NICAR26, “Using Immigration Data to Tell Stories in Your Community” breaks it down and shows you how to turn messy data into meaningful local stories.

Come ready to dig in.

Are you going #NICAR26? Attend "Fun with Hypotheticals: Investigating Your Dubious Data Dilemmas in Real Time".

Bring your silliest data question and watch journalists break down how they’d actually report it using real investigative methods.

Submit your hypothetical:
https://bit.ly/4qTpUoE

Meet the #NICAR26 Fellows!

Sotiris Sideris is an investigative data journalist and educator from Athens, Greece, and a Nieman Fellow at Harvard based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He's looking forward to learning how journalists are actually applying AI in real-world investigative reporting.

Meet the #NICAR26 Fellows!

Bella Davis is an Indigenous affairs reporter at New Mexico In Depth and a proud Yurok tribal member based in Albuquerque. Her reporting focuses on critical issues affecting Native communities across New Mexico.

Meet the #NICAR26 Fellows!

Jordan Gass-Pooré @jgasspoore.bsky.social is a podcast producer & investigative journalist based in NYC

She is looking forward to sharpening her skills in incorporating data into audio investigations & analyzing global environmental datasets for local reporting.