The Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship

The year-long program is intended to prepare and support a journalist of color for a solid career in investigative reporting. The program also provides an opportunity for the fellow’s news outlets to benefit from the fellow’s investigative skill-building. An underlying goal of the program is to increase the range of backgrounds, experiences and interests within the field of investigative journalism, where diverse perspectives are critically important. The fellowship is made possible by the generosity of IRE members and news organization sponsors.

Who is eligible?

U.S. journalists of color who want to improve their investigative skills.
Applicants should have at least three years of post-college work experience.
Applicants should be currently working with a supportive news organization or working as an independent journalist.
Applicants who can propose a well-developed project which would benefit from the training and mentoring the fellow would receive.
Students are not eligible.

What would the fellow do? The fellow would:

Obtain employer support
Create an investigative reporting project that benefits his/her community
Attend an IRE boot camp
Attend the NICAR conference
Attend the IRE conference
Receive IRE data services
Receive a one-year IRE membership/renewal
Initiate contact and work with a mentor network made up of IRE members
Set up monthly video calls with his/her mentor network for one year, or until the project is complete, whichever comes first, to discuss the project’s progress

What does the fellowship provide?

One-year IRE membership/renewal ($70 value)
Complimentary bootcamp registration (up to $1,100 value)
Bootcamp travel stipend ($1,000)
Complimentary NICAR conference registration ($300 value)
Complimentary NICAR conference hotel nights (up to 4 nights) ($1,240 value)
NICAR conference travel stipend ($500)
Complimentary IRE conference registration ($325 value)
Complimentary IRE conference hotel nights (up to 4 nights) ($920 value)
IRE conference travel stipend ($500)
Complimentary IRE Data Services (up to 12 hours) ($1,200 value)

The fellowship was started with generous donations from IRE members Mike Gruss, Meghan Hoyer, Megan Luther and Mike Tahani. The funding for the program has grown through continued funding from Gruss, Hoyer, Luther and Tahani as well as from many other individual donors. At the 2019 IRE Conference, the conference fundraiser was dedicated to the IRE JOC Fellowship. At the 2023 IRE Conference, the fellowship was renamed in honor of murdered journalist Chauncey Bailey.