Investigative Reporters and Editors
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a 1975-founded nonprofit membership association serving nearly 5,000 journalists worldwide with training, conferences (IRE, NICAR, AccessFest), a Resource Center of tipsheets, data journalism programs, and investigative reporting awards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Investigative Reporters and Editors does
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a grassroots nonprofit membership association founded in 1975 and headquartered at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. It serves nearly 5,000 journalists worldwide by providing training, an online Resource Center of thousands of reporting tipsheets, three annual conferences (IRE Conference, NICAR Conference, and the virtual AccessFest), bootcamps, workshops, mentorship, listservs, and a portfolio of industry awards including the Don Bolles Medal, Golden Padlock Award, IRE Awards, and Philip Meyer Journalism Award. Its NICAR program, a long-running collaboration with the Missouri School of Journalism, delivers data journalism training and curates the NICAR Data Library of government datasets.
IRE operates a hybrid revenue model combining recurring membership dues, conference and training registration fees, foundation grants (notably a $1 million, two-year Press Forward grant awarded in 2025 for the 'Today's News for Tomorrow' news-preservation program), individual donations, fellowship sponsorships (e.g., Koch Continuum Grants), and merchandise sales. Distribution is membership-gated online and in person, with global reach supported by virtual programming and in-person events held across multiple U.S. cities annually.
In 2025–2026 IRE extended its mission into digital preservation infrastructure through the TNT initiative with Internet Archive and Poynter Institute, piloted Student Chapters for academic audiences, and navigated an unexpected leadership transition following the March 2026 death of Executive Director Diana R. Fuentes. The organization is governed by a member-elected 13-member Board of Directors and is structured as an independent nonprofit without a parent company.
Investigative Reporters and Editors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Investigative Reporters and Editors
- Legal name
- Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.
- Website
- https://ire.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a 1975-founded nonprofit membership association serving nearly 5,000 journalists worldwide with training, conferences (IRE, NICAR, AccessFest), a Resource Center of tipsheets, data journalism programs, and investigative reporting awards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Investigative Reporters and Editors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Journalism Training & Professional Association Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Investigative Reporters and Editors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Investigative Reporters and Editors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Membership dues: Journalists, educators and students pay membership fees to join IRE and access resources, training, and community benefits
- Conference and training fees: Revenue from annual conferences (IRE, NICAR, AccessFest), workshops, bootcamps, and training sessions with varying registration fees
- Grants and donations: Funding from foundations like Press Forward ($1 million grant in 2025), individual donors, and special fundraising campaigns for fellowships and programs
- Merchandise sales: Sales of IRE Journal merchandise including t-shirts ($20), crewneck sweaters ($28), and hats ($20)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | AccessFest Conference - Early Bird / Limited Time |
| Subscription | Annual | AccessFest Conference - Student Rate |
| Subscription | Annual | AccessFest26 (2026) - Professional Rate |
| Subscription | Annual | AccessFest26 (2026) - Student Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | IRE Journal Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Investigative Reporters and Editors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a nonprofit professional association that provides training, resources, and networking for investigative journalists. Its core offerings include individual and organizational memberships, national and regional conferences, hands-on bootcamps, a Resource Center of investigative tipsheets and records, the NICAR Data Library, an awards program, and a mentor matching service, all aimed at strengthening investigative and data journalism practice across newsrooms and independent journalists.
Product overview
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a grassroots nonprofit organization operating as a membership-based association for investigative journalists. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of products and services centered on journalism training and resources. Its core offerings include the IRE and NICAR (National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting) conferences, the IRE Journal publication, the IRE Resource Center with tipsheets, and various awards programs (IRE Awards, Don Bolles Medal, Philip Meyer Journalism Award, Golden Padlock Award). Training is delivered through bootcamps, workshops, and the AccessFest virtual conference. Additional offerings include a Virtual Mentor Program, student chapters, the SLAPP Back Initiative for legal support, the TNT news preservation program with Internet Archive, and the NICAR Data Library providing access to government datasets. IRE serves nearly 5,000 journalists worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IRE/NICAR Individual Membership Annual membership tier for individual professional journalists, students, and educators that unlocks access to the Resource Center, members-only Listservs, the quarterly IRE Journal, the member directory, and discounted conference rates.
- IRE/NICAR Newsroom Membership
Companies that use Investigative Reporters and Editors
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Investigative Reporters and Editors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Investigative Reporters and Editors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Internet ArchivecoreIRE is partnering with Internet Archive and Poynter Institute on the 'Today\'s News for Tomorrow' program, a two-year initiative to archive and preserve local news. Internet Archive is taking the lead on the project which will provide infrastructure, preservation services and training for 300 newsrooms and journalists across the country.
- Poynter InstitutecoreIRE is partnering with Internet Archive and Poynter Institute on the 'Today\'s News for Tomorrow' program. Poynter will work with IRE to develop curriculum and training for the program focused on digital archiving and perpetual access to publications.
- Missouri School of JournalismcoreIRE programs include the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), a collaboration between IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism. IRE headquarters is located at the Missouri School of Journalism at 109 Lee Hills Hall.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Investigative Reporters and Editors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Poynter Institute: A nonprofit journalism school and training organization that runs seminars, e-learning, and resources for working journalists, including the ongoing 'Today's News for Tomorrow' partnership with IRE.
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): The largest U.S. journalism-advocacy and professional-development association, offering membership, training, and awards that overlap closely with IRE's mission to improve journalism practice.
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: A nonprofit that provides legal resources and advocacy to investigative journalists, including SLAPP defense, an adjacent mission that overlaps with IRE's SLAPP Back initiative.
- American Press Institute: A nonprofit that conducts research and training for journalists and newsrooms, providing e-learning and strategy support comparable to IRE's bootcamps and Resource Center.
- Online News Association (ONA): A membership organization for digital journalists, providing training, conferences, and awards with a model and target audience that closely parallel IRE's.
- International Center for Journalists (ICFJ): A global nonprofit that trains journalists and supports investigative reporting worldwide, overlapping with IRE's international reach and fellowship offerings.
- Columbia Journalism Review (CJR): A Columbia University-affiliated publication and forum that analyzes the journalism industry and runs training programs aimed at improving reporting standards, overlapping with IRE's editorial mission.
- Nieman Foundation for Journalism: Harvard-based journalism fellowship and education organization that supports working journalists through training and convenings, with a comparable mission to elevate the craft.
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): An international press-freedom advocacy organization that supports reporters globally through training, grants, and emergency assistance, comparable to IRE's broader support ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- News/Media Alliance: A broader trade association representing news publishers on legal, policy, and business issues; not investigative-journalism-specialist like IRE, but serves an overlapping member base of news organizations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Investigative Reporters and Editors social profiles
Digital presenceInvestigative Reporters and Editors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Investigative Reporters and Editors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Investigative Reporters and Editors subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Investigative Reporters and Editors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Investigative Reporters and Editors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Investigative Reporters and Editors
What does Investigative Reporters and Editors do?
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is a nonprofit professional association that provides training, resources, and networking for investigative journalists. Its core offerings include individual and organizational memberships, national and regional conferences, hands-on bootcamps, a Resource Center of investigative tipsheets and records, the NICAR Data Library, an awards program, and a mentor matching service, all aimed at strengthening investigative and data journalism practice across newsrooms and independent journalists.
Is Investigative Reporters and Editors a public or private company?
Investigative Reporters and Editors is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Investigative Reporters and Editors founded?
Investigative Reporters and Editors was founded in 1975. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Investigative Reporters and Editors based?
Investigative Reporters and Editors is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Investigative Reporters and Editors make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership dues are the primary driver. The others are conference and training fees, grants and donations and merchandise sales.
Who are Investigative Reporters and Editors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Poynter Institute, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, American Press Institute, Online News Association (ONA), International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Nieman Foundation for Journalism and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). News/Media Alliance is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Investigative Reporters and Editors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Investigative Reporters and Editors.
What industry is Investigative Reporters and Editors in?
Investigative Reporters and Editors's product category is Journalism Training & Professional Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations.