anchor.diff:  Title;Speaker;Place;Day;Time;Description
   "Follow the money - Tracking companies&#39; influence on politics (Sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism)";;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Wednesday;12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.;"These days, the business of businesses is often politics, and by understanding the legislative and regulatory priorities of the companies you cover, you can provide your readers with critical information about them. Ron Nixon of The New York Times and Bill Allison of the Sunlight Foundation show you how to follow the political money and influence that&rsquo;s so crucial to the bottom lines of businesses.&nbsp;"
  -Pre-day at IRE Conference;;See printed schedule for room information;Thursday;midnight - midnight;
  +Pre-day at IRE Conference;;See printed schedule for room information;Thursday;midnight - midnight;The optional sessions will cover computer-assisted reporting, Criminal Justice, and more. An additional registration fee applies.
   Uncovering danger with data;;Salon C-D;Thursday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;"Data can help reporters ferret out perilous situations from schools to the environment. Some data can uncover danger to life and limb while other data can create danger of the editorial kind. We&rsquo;ll speak on ways to tell the difference and discuss case studies along the way."
   Overview of the year in CAR;;Arlington-Berkeley;Thursday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;Be inspired and see what your colleagues have been up to with new data and creative analysis.
  -Tableau for Beginners;;Wellesley;Thursday;9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.;
  -The ask: Requesting and negotiating for data;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Thursday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;
  +Tableau for Beginners;;Wellesley;Thursday;9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.;"Learn how to create beautiful, interactive data visualizations on short deadlines. No programming required. You&rsquo;ll learn everything you need to build data visualizations and publish them to your website just like"
  +The ask: Requesting and negotiating for data;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Thursday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;"News, sports and feature journalists will want to attend this session to review old tricks and the latest techniques for access to data and records. We will discuss data requests from beginning to end: how to figure out which records and databases exist; how to deal with difficult public officials; how to get data in the format you want; how to appeal"
   Covering justice in Europe and the U.S.;;Salon E;Thursday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;"In this panel, speakers will examine how journalists find sources and information in these different environments, using such well known cases as the CIA&rsquo;s rendition of Al Qaeda suspect Abu Omar in Italy and the charges of rape against Dominique Strauss Kahn."
   Collaboration: Best practices, successes and pitfalls (Sponsored by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Investigative News Network and IRE);;Salon A-B;Thursday;10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.;"As collaborations between newsrooms flourish, how do you handle serious  journalistic disagreements, such as how a story&rsquo;s findings are described  in the nutgraph? We'll have a brief panel discussion on a case where  that&rsquo;s exactly what happened, hear how the newsrooms handled it, and  hear your questions and opinions on the subject."
   Beef up your spreadsheet with NodeXL and PowerPivot;;Suffolk;Thursday;10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.;"Handle millions of calculations in a flash; join tables from different sources and do some cool network analyses with Excel. Yes, Excel. A demo of free but extremely powerful analytic tools."
  
positive.code: Protect Yourself: Legal and risk-management (Sponsored by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Investigative News Network and IRE);;Salon A-B;Thursday;1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.;"The Digital Media Law Project will lead a session examining the         legal parameters of tax-exempt journalism, including: designing         organizations that qualify for federal tax relief and         tax-deductible donations; keeping a nonprofit organization         afloat while waiting for an IRS determination on tax-exempt         status; operating a journalism organization within the         boundaries of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;         and legal assistance and risk management techniques. The Digital         Media Law Project is based at Harvard University and has         provided valuable assistance to several INN members over the         past year."
  Tableau for Pros;;Wellesley;Thursday;1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.;"Take your data visualization skills to the next level. In this class we&rsquo;ll push Tableau&rsquo;s capabilities further to create more complex visualizations. You&rsquo;ll learn how to: clean and format dirty data, use multiple data sources in the same visualization, build more advanced visualizations and employ advanced interactive elements."
  Excel mini boot camp;;Suffolk;Thursday;2:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.;"If you want to really dig deep, you need to know your way around data and electronic records. &nbsp;This hands-on session introduces data analysis with spreadsheets. &nbsp;In one afternoon you'll learn to sort, select, summarize and graphically display data. &nbsp;With Excel's powerful formulas, filtering and pivot tables, you'll turn data into a tipsheet to help guide your reporting and mine data for stories. &nbsp;Unleash the power of spreadsheets to help you ask smarter questions, work more effciently and produce more watchdog reporting. &nbsp;Attendees must bring your own laptops loaded with Microsoft Excel 2007 or 2010. &nbsp;Pre-registration is required, you must be registered for the pre-day and pay an additional $20. &nbsp;"
  New ways to package for online, mobile and tablet;;Salon E;Thursday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;
  Crime trends and statistics (Sponsored by Criminal Justice Journalists);;Arlington-Berkeley;Thursday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;"How to get the real story out of confusing crime data. Journalists, a policecommissioner and a criminologist discuss hot topics, including which crime trends are real and which aren&rsquo;t and how some police departments may be downgrading crimes and skewing statistics."
  Catching the wind: Visualizing and repurposing public data;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Thursday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;"The leaders of Google&rsquo;s &ldquo;Big Picture&rdquo; visualization research group will go through a case study, taking public data and making something new from it."
  There be dragons: Pitfalls of statistical analysis;;Salon C-D;Thursday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;Statistical analysis can be a powerful investigative tool. But for the unwary, it can be dangerous territory. In this panel, Jennifer LaFleur of ProPublica and John Perry of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will talk about how to avoid embarrassing mistakes, how to find the expert help you need and how to explain your analysis so both readers and experts can understand it.
  Best practices  speed presentations (Sponsored by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Investigative News Network and IRE);;Salon A-B;Thursday;3:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.;
  Finding stories within maps;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Thursday;3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.;"Your data tells a story &ndash; but you might miss it if you can&rsquo;t put it on a map. We&rsquo;ll talk about services available to visualize the geographic pieces of your story, creative ways to join freely available data sets to your information, and how to read &ndash; or misread &ndash; the results. Add some simple geographic operations, and you&rsquo;re ready to go."
  Free tools;;Salon E;Thursday;3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.;"On a budget? Who isn&rsquo;t these days? But you don&rsquo;t have to spend a penny to own a bunch of powerful and easy-to-use tools for gathering, analyzing and presenting data. We&rsquo;ll tell you about some of the most popular free stuff available, from tools for wrangling, analyzing and mapping data to basics such as free spreadsheets, text editors and photo editing software."
  Campaign 2012: Following the money (Sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund);;Salon C-D;Thursday;3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.;"From the White House to statehouses, here&rsquo;s how to get the information you need to find out who&rsquo;s pouring money into the process, how it&rsquo;s being spent, and what do with the data once you&rsquo;ve gotten it."
  Illegal immigration and the police (Sponsored by Criminal Justice Journalists);;Arlington-Berkeley;Thursday;3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.;
  IRE Board of Directors Meeting;;Regis;Thursday;4 p.m. - 7 p.m.;"The IRE Board of Directors will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday in Boston as part of the annual conference. &nbsp;The meeting is open to all IRE members.&nbsp;"
  Gag orders and Whitey Bulger: What to do when your sources are silenced (Sponsored by Criminal Justice Journalists);;Arlington-Berkeley;Thursday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;Reporting on sensitive criminal investigations can be a challenge when your best sources have been ordered not to talk. Hear from reporters who covered the long disappearance of mob figure Whitey Bulger on how they broke the story and how to get hard-to-get information on crime stories you are pursuing.
  CAR under pressure;;Salon E;Thursday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;
  Demystifying Web scraping;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Thursday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"Some of the most useful datasets are on the Web, and while they don&rsquo;t require FOIAs, you might need to do some work to get them into your spreadsheets. We&rsquo;ll explain what it means to Web scrape and we&rsquo;ll show you some tools to get you started with fetching your own data."
  Going international: Digging up information from other countries;;Salon C-D;Thursday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;As cost-cutting has forced more news organizations to close foreign bureaus and cut back staff, how are international reporters leveraging investigative tools to dig up information in and about foreign countries? Panelists will share insights into some of the unique challenges they have encountered while reporting in Haiti, Pakistan, Egypt and Mexico, and tips and best practices for journalists looking to leverage new technologies in international reporting.
  Party with your data! (Hosted by Tableau Public);;Salon F;Thursday;6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.;Join us for free drinks and T-shirts at the Party with Your Data Happy Hour! First come, first serve - while supplies last!
  Blues Bash (Additional ticket);;See printed schedule for room information;Thursday;7 p.m. - 11:59 p.m.;Please select if you would like to purchase an additional Blues Bash ticket.
  Blues Bash;;See printed schedule for room information;Thursday;7 p.m. - 11:59 p.m.;"&nbsp;"
  What managers really want;;Tremont;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Excel 1;;Wellesley;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;Performing simple calculations and sorting.
  Navigating the federal FOIA maze;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Uncovering violence and abuse in sports (Sponsored by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and The Dart Society);;Boylston;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;Whether violence is part of the game or a hidden dimension off the field, reporters can use a variety of techniques to expose cultures that tolerate crimes by coaches or players or foster conditions that traumatize players. Veteran newspaper and TV reporters share some of their secrets.
  Video: What you need to know to get quality vIdeo for your project;;Arlington-Berkley;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;"If you&rsquo;ve suddenly found yourself behind the camera, this panel is for you. We&rsquo;ll cover the basics, from framing to lighting, what equipment to use, techniques to get those great shots, and even how to take it to the next level with hidden cameras. Join us for &ldquo;Shooting 101.&rdquo;"
  Investigating slavery in the supply chain;;Salon E;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Incentives and subsidies: Investigating economic development claims (Sponsored by Bloomberg);;Salon C-D;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;"State and local governments give billions of dollars each year to private companies in the hopes of creating jobs, but these deals often deliver fewer jobs than expected at a large cost to the public treasury. In this session, you&rsquo;ll learn how companies play cities and states against one another to get bigger subsidies, how to analyze the costs of subsidy deals and the studies used to justify them, and the resources available to investigate projects."
  Broadcast: The investigative newsroom;;Salons A-B;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Gathering Internet intelligence;;Suffolk;Friday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  IRE one day rate professional, academic, associate, retiree;;See printed schedule for room information;Friday;9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.;"
  "
  LinkedIn;;Suffolk;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"The LinkedIn for Journalists tutorial takes journalists through the various features of LinkedIn and offers valuable tips on finding story ideas, sources, tracking down executives for interviews, promoting stories and doing quick and efficient research. The tutorial and a free one year upgrade to a premium membership on LinkedIn is available to all professional journalists (including journalism students and professors) and it&rsquo;s an offer we extend across the board to all members of the media."
  Excel 2;;Wellesley;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;Calculating ratios and rates.
  Broadcast: How to get the impossible: People, paper passion;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"Your boss wants the impossible. People who refuse to go on camera. Documents the government won&rsquo;t hand over. Passion, emotion and honesty caught on-camera. Get tips on how to get what you really need when you think you&rsquo;ve run out of options."
  The game plan: Deciding when to do what during an investigation;;Tremont;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"Connecting the dots is the building block to any investigative piece whether print or broadcast. But navigating obstacles requires a blueprint. Discover proven techniques to unearth unique stories. Drill deeper with interview strategies &ndash; who to call first, how much information to disclose? Bulletproof your work. We examine the anatomy of great stories and the steps to maximize impact."
  Investigating public pensions (Sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism);;Arlington-Berkeley;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"&nbsp;"
  Non-profit/For-profit collaborations: Navigating the terrain;;Boylston;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Sue me: Dealing with the threat of legal action;;Salon C-D;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Ignored and abused: Investigating caregivers;;Salon A-B;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Covering immigration;;Salon E;Friday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"Whether you work in a rural area, big city or a border town like El Paso, immigration is a hot-button issue that requires shoe-leather reporting and document digging from journalists. In this panel, we&rsquo;ll show you where to look for big-picture problems with policies and procedures and give you tips on how to ethically and accurately cover the human side of this controversial topic."
  Paying for investigative journalism;;Tremont;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"Serving as society&rsquo;s watchdog can be an expensive proposition. Journalists at nonprofit investigative centers are on the cutting edge of the exploration of methods, techniques and tools to bring in revenue and support for their work. Learn what they&rsquo;ve tried and hear about their successes, failures and what&rsquo;s next."
  What are they looking for? Inside tips on getting a book or movie deal;;Arlington-Berkeley;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"Literary agents are always looking for the story that the reader simply can&rsquo;t put down. This session will describe how to package your story into a proposal that will give editors and producers the incentive to turn your proposal into a book, and your book into a film."
  Getting data into Excel;;Wellesley;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"In the real world, your key dataset probably isn&rsquo;t going to come in an easy-to-use package. This hands-on session will cover how to import data into Excel from a variety of formats."
  Managers: Building a watchdog culture in your newsroom;;Tremont;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;
  Talking your way to the truth: The art of the interview;;Salon A-B;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;What does it take to get the key information in an interview that will make your investigation successful? This panel will bring together veteran reporters to give you tips on how to prepare, how to listen for essential facts and statements in the interview, and how to ask the questions that will illicit the information you need. And there will be discussion of how timing of questions in a TV interview will bring the audience to a clear understanding of the main points of the story.
  Broadcast: Consumer investigations;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"You don&rsquo;t have to be a consumer reporter to turn out compelling reports of high viewer value and interest on pocketbook issues. This panel will take you through best practices to organize, wade through and distill consumer investigations. We&rsquo;ll talk inspection records and laws, where to find experts, and how to background and approach businesses. You&rsquo;ll walk away with links to follow and story ideas to pursue."
  Google Fusion Tables;;Suffolk;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;Google Fusion Tables allows you to easily publish relatively large data sets. Learn how this free tool can help journalists create maps, graphs and timelines, mash-up different data sets and collaborate on data.
  Anatomy of an investigation: The Jack Abramoff scandal;;Boylston;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;
  Fighting for records and access (Sponsored by Sunlight Foundation);;Salon C-D;Friday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;The panel explores public records practices across the U.S., with special attention to emerging trends in privatization, electronic documents, privacy claims of corporations and commonly requested records.
  Broadcast: Doing it for free;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;noon - 1 p.m.;
  Investigating disability issues;;Salon A-B;Friday;noon - 1 p.m.;"Navigating disability regulations can be a challenge, but once you do, you&rsquo;ll likely discover fodder for investigative stories in your community. Get tips on reporting about disability issues from reporters who have done it and from the head of Boston&rsquo;s ADA commission."
  Pitch Your Book;;Arlington-Berkeley;Friday;noon - 1 p.m.;"IRE has lined up leading New York and Boston-based literary agents who have agreed to see journalists for a limited number of 10-minute appointments. &nbsp;Bring your resume and your best pitch. &nbsp;Sign-up sheets for available time slots will be available near the registration desk.&nbsp;"
  Showcase Panel: Investigating power;;Salon E;Friday;noon - 1 p.m.;"In the spirit of the recently released multimedia presentation Investigating Power, which celebrates the great &ldquo;moments of truth&rdquo; in contemporary U.S. history and the journalists behind them, these award-winning journalists will discuss the ways in which they have exposed abuses of power in government, in the nonprofit sector and in corporations &ndash; and explore how things have changed in recent decades."
  Getting out of the bubble: Beyond traditional search engines;;Suffolk;Friday;noon - 1 p.m.;"Google&rsquo;s not the only search game in town. Learn about search sites that provide different pools of information and unique search features. Hear about resources to help with both targeted and serendipitous searching in the surface and the deep Web. Veteran researchers Margot Williams and Nora Paul will share tips about finding and evaluating new search tools."
  Media Lawyers Brown Bag (Sponsored by Smallman Law PLLC and IRE);;Salon A-B;Friday;1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.;"Here&rsquo;s a chance for informal Q&amp;A about legal issues. Bring your hypotheticals and your own lunch."
  Getting things done with DocumentCloud;;Suffolk;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;
  Broadcast: Going undercover;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;"Three seasoned investigative producers from ABC, CBS, and NBC share their best tips for a successful undercover story: how to use hidden cameras in innovative ways to expand and strengthen a piece; the pros &amp; cons of different types of equipment, and which situations work best for each; and the legal/ethical issues: when not to use hidden cams, and how to turn the &ldquo;tourist camera&rdquo; into a great alternative."
  Managers: Bulletproofing the story;;Tremont;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;"Detailed tips and strong anecdotes on how to avoid mistakes in the editing process, including pushing reporters to challenge key assertions and acknowledging what you don&rsquo;t know or what might mitigate the central premise of a story. We&rsquo;ll talk about meticulous fact-checking, footnoting and sharing key findings and assertions with targets and sources, and common warning flags. We&rsquo;ll discuss identifying errors of nuance and tone, and all the traps associated with failing to use precise language."
  Shadow banking (Sponsored by Bloomberg);;Boylston;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;"Shadow banking was the epicenter of the financial crisis. It hasn&rsquo;t been fixed. Great stories lie ahead. Yet few reporters understand it. While it probably provides half the credit in this country, we&rsquo;ve seen how dangerous it can be. Experienced reporters will tell you what it is, where to find good stories, and how to tell them in plain English."
  Are you ready? Digging into breaking news;;Arlington-Berkeley;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;Tips and strategies for bringing an investigative edge to breaking-news stories, including how to develop a story in real time while using documents, databases, readers, and innovative tools to own the story in print and online.
  Building the digital newsroom;;Salon A-B;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;News organizations that succeed online understand that they must remake the newsroom to create something new. This involves everything from organization to incorporating the right digital tools. Our panelists talk about successes, failures and ways to keep up with the latest technological developments.
  International roundtable: Working across borders and networking;;Salon C-D;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;
  Advanced Google search methods for investigative reporting;;Salon E;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;
  Google Fusion Tables (hands-on);;Wellesley;Friday;2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.;"Google Fusion Tables allows you to easily publish relatively large data sets. In this class, you&rsquo;ll learn how to create maps and more."
  Campaign 2012: Backgrounding candidates and truth-testing claims (Sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund);;Boylston;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;Learn how to use records to dig into the background of political candidates, from financial contributions to criminal histories and questionable business interests. Tips on the potential and pitfalls of fact-checking efforts, including how to identify good information from neutral sources.
  Paying for political favor;;Arlington-Berkeley;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;
  In-Depth Data Analysis at Your Fingertips: Esri Community and Business Analyst;;Suffolk;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;"Paul Overberg of USA Today and Esri Analyst Brenda Wolfe will demonstrate how Esri&rsquo;s Community and Business Analyst offerings can provide quick and easy access to demographic, spending, business and health data for any location. Editors and reporters will gain insight into how both Community and Business Analyst can make them more effective and efficient in gathering data for a story or verifying facts. Real news examples will be explored using the product."
  Managers: Making the investigative commitment and building the team;;Salon E;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;It starts with a firm vision at the top and unwavering courage to pursue watchdog stories in the face of declining profits, heavy criticism, and competing news priorities. How do you keep the watchdog commitment firm and strong (and actually build something) when financial pressures are forcing newsroom cutbacks in most places. Newsroom leaders share their experiences, success stories and survival tips.
  Investigating sacred cows;;Salon A-B;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;"Investigative reporting is on especially sensitive ground when it takes on beloved local heroes and the most revered institutions. Courageous journalism can provoke fierce public reaction and even internal friction. News organizations&rsquo; commercial interests might be at stake. Panelists, who have had sports icons and even the Boy Scouts in their investigative sights, will discuss precautionary measures they took before the first word was printed or broadcast, how they faced a gathering storm of criticism, and how they managed delicate issues within their own organizations."
  Guilty until proven innocent;;Salon C-D;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;
  Google Refine;;Wellesley;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;Learn to take filthy, horrible, no-good, stinking, messy data from an unaccommodating government agency and transform it into something useful with the help of Google Refine.
  On the beat: Businesses and corporations (Sponsored by Bloomberg);;Tremont;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;Corporations raise and spend trillions of dollars, build and tear down property, file for patents and copyrights, set up complex partnerships, sue and get sued, and otherwise file reams of documents every year. With all that activity, they leave plenty of marks for investigative journalists to follow. Take your stories beyond the usual sources and learn how to dig through bankruptcy documents, regulatory filings, lawsuits, and other helpful records.
  The year in investigative reporting;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.;"Pick up some story ideas and be inspired with the highlights of some of the year&rsquo;s best investigations."
  Analyzing the past, present and future with U.S. Census data;;Salon C-D;Friday;4:35 p.m. - 6 p.m.;"From poverty to wealth, high school dropouts to graduate degrees, census data offers the best measure of your community. It also gives you basic tools of social justice reporting &ndash; ways to measure discrimination, inequality, segregation, overcrowding, diversity, walkability, assimilation and more. We&rsquo;ll walk you through these measures, showing how you can use them to add depth to your stories."
  Investigating poverty;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Friday;4:35 p.m. - 6 p.m.;
  Showcase panel: After News Corp.: How far is too far in investigative reporting;;Salon E;Friday;4:35 p.m. - 6 p.m.;
  American FactFinder2;;Suffolk;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;"American FactFinder: Satan&rsquo;s spawn or psychotic nightmare? Take a friendly guided tour through the census website that journalists love to hate."
  Pieces of the past: Building your stories from archives and historical documents;;Salon E;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Turning your investigation into a book;;Salon C-D;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Broadcast: Top investigations of 2012;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  On the beat: Environment;;Arlington-Berkeley;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;Veteran journalists will offer tips on investigating pollution and its health impacts in the U.S. and abroad. Topics will include: covering tough environmental issues even when you have no background in that area, deciphering chemical jargon, researching public records on toxic sites and piecing together narratives from documents and interviews.
  Mexodus: Student-Professional collaborations in two languages;;Salon A-B;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;Learn to produce a student reported and professionally edited multimedia investigative project on immigration topics in two languages, and get it published by media outlets to boot.
  Access 1;;Wellesley;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;The purifying experience of filtering your data. Learn to select and sort data items you choose.
  Identifying the next big investigation;;Tremont;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;
  Juvenile justice: Is the system working?;;Boylston;Saturday;8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.;Finding stories in the juvenile justice system: What to look for when kids are arrested, locked up and sentenced. The panel explores ways of exposing dangerous lapses in information sharing when children are arrested, quantifying the harm that can befall kids in juvenile jails and assessing the fairness of harsh sentences for underage offenders.
  From community colleges to universities: Investigating higher ed (Sponsored by Lumina Foundation);;Boylston;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Campaign 2012: How healthcare and the other key issues are shaping the race (Sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund);;Salon C-D;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;A key component of understanding how campaigns are won or lost is understanding the role of special interests PACS and lobbies. This year healthcare and a few other key topics are playing a crucial role in who gets financial support and who gets opposition.
  Access 2;;Wellesley;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;Summarizing databases with counting and summing.
  The art of source development;;Salon A-B;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Investigating racial disparities;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;From traffic stops to jury composition, examining racial disparities can be tricky. Learn what you need to know to analyze race in your community. Panelists include a social psychologist who is an expert on race and social perceptions and journalists who have reported on racial disparities.
  Policing the police;;Arlington-Berkeley;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;"Police officers are supposed to uphold the law, but sometimes they break it &ndash; and get away with it. Learn how to uncover criminal conduct among law enforcement using data analysis, open records laws and shoe-leather reporting."
  Uncovering the private parts of public officials;;Suffolk;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Managers: Managing the multimedia project;;Tremont;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;Strategies and ideas for how to tell stories and deliver high-impact investigations on air and online, using multi-media tools including video interviews, data and interactive maps and graphics. Session will also share tips for how to orchestrate and deliver a multi- platform project and how to manage the collaborative relationships between partners.
  On the beat: Government;;Salon E;Saturday;9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.;
  Broadcast: The confrontation;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"This panel of broadcast journalists will explore the justifications, techniques, and possible consequences of confrontational interviews, both scheduled and non-scheduled. Is it &ldquo;confrotainment&rdquo; or real accountability?"
  Social media for journalists;;Boylston;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"You know the basics of Tweeting and posting Facebook status updates. Now it&rsquo;s time to take it to the next level as a social media sleuth &ndash; harnessing the power of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, plus geolocation and analytic tools. Learn new ways to find sources, background people and companies, and break stories before the competition."
  Resources for journalists to leverage academic  research;;Suffolk;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;
  Access 3;;Wellesley;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;How to join tables, matching information from one file to another.
  Digging into housing scandals;;Salon A-B;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;
  Truthiness and investigative reporting;;Arlington-Berkeley;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;
  Investigative reporting in China;;Tremont;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"As stories around the world increasingly lead to China, that nation&rsquo;s investigative press is growing and breaking news on corruption, crime, the environment, business, and more. Join some of China&rsquo;s top investigative journalists as they talk about how they practice their craft in the world&rsquo;s most populous country."
  Follow the money: The boom in toll roads;;Salon C-D;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;For a century, building and operating U.S. roads has mostly been a government monopoly. Taxes have mostly paid the bill. No longer. Now roads are often built, run and even owned outright by investors. That means tolls. It also means that governments have to sift through a maze of ways to finance, build and operate a highway while still protecting the public interest. Find out how to follow the money in the booming world of toll roads.
  Promoting your investigation;;Salon E;Saturday;10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.;"In a world of information abundance, how do you call attention to your investigation? Is community engagement only &ldquo;promotion&rdquo; or &ldquo;marketing,&rdquo; or can journalists effectively use new channels and new collaboratives to inspire debate about or action on stories? In this panel, we look at journalistic ways to involve the audience and build community around news organizations."
  IRE Awards Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Jill Abramson, The New York Times;;Salon F-K;Saturday;noon - 2 p.m.;"
  "
  Investigating prison abuse (Sponsored by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and The Dart Society);;Salon A-B;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;The American prison system is under unprecedented pressures, with the legacies of overcrowding and tough-on-crime policies of past decades colliding with state budget crises. Panelists will discuss hidden and undercovered stories in the state and federal prison system, from solitary confinement to the impact of budget cuts to children of incarcerated parents.
  Broadcast: The paper chase;;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;From uncovering key documents to tracking down elusive interviews, we combine successful broadcast investigations with useful tips from both traditional and non- traditional methods including the role social media can play in enhancing your reporting.
  "Campaign 2012: What&#39;s so super about PACS? (Sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund)";;Boylston;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;
  Intro to Excel for elections;;Wellesley;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;Learn basic but powerful functions using spreadsheets to help you navigate election and campaign data. Come away with new data skills and story ideas for election coverage.
  Muse: A tool to mine and visualize large email archives;;Suffolk;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;
  Anatomy of an investigation: Behind the story with two IRE Medal winners;;Salon E;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;"Get a detailed look at how this year&rsquo;s IRE Medal winners got their stories. We&rsquo;ll go behind the scenes with California Watch&rsquo;s multi-media &ldquo;On Shaky Ground&rdquo; project, which looked at the lack of earthquake preparedness in the state&rsquo;s schools, and KTRK-Houston&rsquo;s expose on corruption in a local law enforcement agency. Get tips and how-to advice on doing similar work in your community."
  Getting what you want;;Salon C-D;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;
  America: What went wrong 2012;;Arlington-Berkeley;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;"Twenty years ago, Philadelphia Inquirer reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele wrote the iconic series and book, &ldquo;America: What Went Wrong?&rdquo; Now, in online, multimedia collaboration with the Investigative Reporting Workshop, the Inquirer and many others, they have continued their investigation into how public acts and private greed in Washington and Wall Street have devastated millions of Americans."
  Managers: Picking projects that will have impact;;Tremont;Saturday;2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.;"What kind of story is worth working on for a year? Three veteran editors talk about how to find compelling and revelatory investigative project ideas, how to refine them and make sure they demand readers&rsquo; attention and, ultimately, how to get them published in print or online with engaging visuals and other storytelling tools. And making lemonade out of lemons, or what to do when a story goes bust."
  Campaign 2012: Online tools for digging into campaign cash (Sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund);;Suffolk;Saturday;3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.;Plenty of tools are readily available to help you obtain and make sense of campaign finance data. This session will help you understand how to put those tools to use.
  
negative.code: Using Weave to provide interactive data visualizations to the public;;Suffolk;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"Version 1.0 of the open source Weave (Web-based Analysis and Visualization Environment) has been released. It is not just a visual analytic tool but an extremely powerful tool for the dissemination of interactive visualizations. In this presentation we&rsquo;ll describe Weave and run though a number of example websites."
  Advanced functions in Excel;;Wellesley;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"Dirty, disorganized databases getting you down? Electronic records rarely come the way you want them &ndash; especially when dealing with government agencies. But Excel has some very powerful, easy-to-use tools to give you back control over how you want your spreadsheet to look. Never spend hours cutting and pasting again, or haggling with a PIO. We&rsquo;ll show you some great tricks that will forever change the way you deal with data."
  Not-your-sob sisters: Three women who broke barriers;;Salon E;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"IRE launches an oral history project on women investigative reporters. The first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting and the first two to win IRE awards will share the best of what they&rsquo;ve learned about breaking barriers while breaking big stories."
  Spanish-language investigations;;Salon C-D;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;Hispanics are the largest growing demographic in the country. This poses a great opportunity for reporters working in Spanish-language media and communities to combine shoe-leather reporting with document digging and produce investigations about topics that impact their
  The legacy of Watergate 40 years later: A conversation with Leonard Downie Jr.;;Boylston;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"One of the editors who worked on The Washington Post&rsquo;s Watergate investigation talks and answers questions about what happened and its importance and impact on American journalism during the past four decades."
  Covering veterans issues;;Tremont;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;Three seasoned journalists will share their work and experiences regarding the hidden costs of war and issues facing a growing number of veterans as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down. From suicides to a frightening
  "Let&#39;s get critical";;Clarendon-Dartmouth;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"Critical (not cynical) thinking is the hardest part of journalism and the mother&rsquo;s milk of investigative work. We will take a high energy interactive romp through tons of real examples of lies, fabrications, photo alterations and video trickery that are out there waiting for you. You will"
  Lifting the veil: Digging into national security investigations;;Arlington-Berkeley;Saturday;4:50 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.;"President Obama has expanded the number of covert CIA operations abroad and FBI terrorism investigation at home. But significant questions exist about the propriety of the CIA&rsquo;s activity and the accuracy of the FBI&rsquo;s intelligence on terrorism. For these reasons, it has never been more important for journalists to cover the U.S. intelligence and"
  Membership meeting and IRE Board of Directors elections;;Salon E;Saturday;6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.;6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
  Closing reception (Sponsored by Boston University College of Communication and IRE);;See printed schedule for room information;Saturday;7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.;7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  Building your career: A roundtable discussion;;Arlington-Berkeley;Sunday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;Looking for advice on how to take the next step in your career? Get practical tips from panelists who will talk about their own experiences and discuss what employers are looking for.
  Cool web tools;;Salon A-B;Sunday;9 a.m. - 10 a.m.;"The Web is full of useful tricks and applications to help you do your job faster and better. Learn how data and free online tools can boost your journalism and set you apart from the pack. We&rsquo;ll show you some simple tools that will allow you to tell stories visually and more."
  Storyboarding;;Salon A-B;Sunday;10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.;"Don&rsquo;t leave the IRE conference without a battle plan for putting your new knowledge and skills to work back home. In this free-wheeling group session, we&rsquo;ll discuss your story ideas, flesh them out, and develop strategies for doing them amid the daily demands of every newsroom. We&rsquo;ll talk about navigating office politics and help you develop a personal action plan."
  