Investigative work drives documentary films in Oscar spotlight

Top News and Investigations

Our Mission

The Investigative Reporting Workshop, based at the School of Communication at American University, was founded in 2008 by longtime investigative journalist Chuck Lewis, who continues to report and write for the site and national publications.

The mission of the Investigative Reporting Workshop is to hold the powerful accountable through original, data-driven investigative reporting produced by experienced journalists working with the next generation of investigative reporters. IRW is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in investigative reporting.

IRW, an independent, nonprofit news organization, produces investigations on a range of issues, including the environment, national security, immigration, the economy and more. Its staff also provides critical reporting, data analysis and research to partner newsrooms to pursue high-impact accountability journalism.

Student journalists at IRW get unique hands-on investigative experience by working with professional reporters. IRW develops free journalistic tools, including The Accountability Project, a groundbreaking resource for public data, and BankTracker, which chronicles the financial health of the nation’s banks and credit unions.

Director Area

Charles Lewis, IRW’s founder and executive editor, is the co-author of more than six books, including, most recently, “935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity.”

Recent Projects by Charles

Special Projects

The Accountability Project: 1 billion records

1 billion records and counting: The Accountability Project reaches new milestone

Two years after going live, TAP hits a major milestone.

Site showcases powerful stories

Site showcases powerful stories and the reporters behind them

Investigating Power is a history of breakthrough investigations that revealed news and changed the national narrative on many major topics since the 1950s, from war to health to civil rights.

Immigration Under Trump

How Trump is shaping immigration policy

An interactive timeline examines President Trump’s use of executive orders to restrict access to the U.S.

Opiod Epidemic

The Opioid Epidemic

In April 2016, at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, Congress effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets.

Investigative Reporting Workshop
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20016-8017

Our Partners

Special Projects

The Accountability Project: 1 billion records

Site showcases powerful stories

Immigration Under Trump

Opiod Epidemic