Mark Horvit

Mark Horvit is the executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors. He oversees training, conferences and services for more than 5,000 members worldwide, and for programs including the National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) and DocumentCloud.

Horvit also is an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, where he teaches investigative reporting. He serves as a member of the board of directors of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. A longtime IRE member, Horvit most recently served as projects editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He worked as a reporter, editor, and on the projects teams at newspapers in Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, and Florida. Email: mhorvit@ire.org

As a candidate for the new board in GIJN, he says:

This is a vitally important time for the mission of the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Great work is being done in all corners of the world. I see it first-hand in my travels as executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) and the National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR). I have the privilege of working with, and providing training for, reporters, editors, producers and data analysts who have dedicated their lives to the search for truth. Often, those journalists work alone and face daunting challenges.

Today it’s more possible than ever before to bring journalists on multiple continents together, and no organization is better positioned to take a leading role in fostering those connections than GIJN. The network already plays a key role in bringing journalists together, providing best practices and distributing resources. With an excellent executive director and staff, and dedicated volunteers, GIJN is ready to take the next step, and the creation of a formal Board of Directors is an important part of that evolution.

For the past six years I have worked to build on the great history at IRE, strengthening our global reach and building the services we offer to journalists everywhere. I would like to take the lessons and best practices I have learned through my work at IRE to help build on the successes GIJN has achieved.