Investigative Reporters and Editors

Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE) "is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting.

"IRE was formed in 1975 to create a forum in which journalists throughout the world could help each other by sharing story ideas, newsgathering techniques and news sources."

It is a member of the Global Investigative Journalism Network.

In 2001 the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation "awarded Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. a $2 million grant - the largest grant in IRE's 26-year history."

• Brant Houston - former executive director

History

"Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. began in 1975 as the brain child of a small group of reporters from around the country who wanted to share tips about reporting and writing.

"A meeting was organized in Reston, Va., by essentially four people: Myrta Pulliam and Harley Bierce of the Indianapolis Star's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative team; Paul Williams, former managing editor of Sun Newspapers in Omaha, who worked on the Boys Town expose; and Ron Koziol of the Chicago Tribune, who covered police and courts.

"Others at that inaugural get-together were columnists Jack Anderson and Les Whitten; David Burnham of the New York Times; Len Downie of The Washington Post; Robert Peirce of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat; Jack Landau of Newhouse newspapers; Frank Anderson of the Long Beach Independent; John Colburn of Landmark Communications; Indianapolis attorney Edward O. DeLaney and former New Orleans reporter Robert Friedly.

"The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which had passed resolutions supporting freedom of information, helped in the formation of IRE, including the design of the IRE logo we still use. A grant from the Lilly Endowment also helped IRE get started with a $5,278 bank account...

"The conference was significant for two reasons. Not only had a group of reporters and editors struck upon a highly successful model for sharing information, the organization voted to turn down a major grant from a non-journalistic foundation. The new membership was determined to rely upon the support of professional organizations and journalists themselves."

Directors

Accessed February 2008:

• James V. Grimaldi (president)
• Cheryl Phillips
• Dianna Hunt
• Stephen C. Miller
• Lea Thompson
• Wendell Cochran
• Renee Ferguson
• Manny Garcia
• Mark Katches
• Lise Olsen
• Marilyn Thompson
• Duff Wilson
• Young Alison Young

• Investigative Reporters and Editors: Past Board Members

IRE Development Advisory Board

Accessed February 2008:

• Gilbert Bailon, The Dallas Morning News
• Roberta Baskin, Investigative Broadcaster
• Jerry Ceppos, Knight Ridder
• Ruth Ann Harnisch, Harnisch Family Foundation and More Than Money
• Alberto Ibarguen, The Miami Herald
• Pamela Johnson, The Poynter Institute
• David Cay Johnston, The New York Times
• Bill Kovach, Committee of Concerned Journalists
• David Laventhol, Committee to Protect Journalists
• Ann Marie Lipinski, Chicago Tribune
• Geneva Overholser, Missouri School of Journalism
• Myrta Pulliam, The Indianapolis Star
• Eugene Roberts, University of Maryland
• Diane Sawyer, ABC News
• Neal Shapiro, NBC
• Marilyn Thompson, Lexington Herald-Leader
• Karen Wada, Los Angeles magazine
• James Willse, The Star-Ledger

Contact

Web: http://www.ire.org