Editor & Publisher has selected UC Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) as one of its “Media That Matters” honorees for 2025. The IRP is featured alongside the other winning organizations in the July/August issue of Editor & Publisher magazine.
The annual award, formerly known as “10 That Do It Right,” recognizes the changemakers redefining journalism’s future and that inspire with innovation in audience engagement, revenue, technology and journalism.
“IRP is catapulting students into careers as investigative journalists who are winning awards, holding those in authority to account and changing policies through their investigations,” judges commented.
Judges noted that IRP exemplifies “Media That Matters” because of the program’s emphasis on quickly training and developing a new generation of investigative reporters — with 50 graduate students working on 15-20 investigative projects at any given time.
“The IRP is pleased to be recognized for the training and mentorship we offer to emerging reporters as they produce impactful journalism at a moment when we need them most,” said David Barstow, the Reva and David Logan Distinguished Chair in Investigative Journalism and the chair of the Investigative Reporting Program.
The IRP’s faculty and staff from left to right: Kate Raphael (’24) , Lisa Pickoff-White (‘09), Sasha Schell (’24), Garrett Therolf, Aysha Pettigrew, David Barstow, Yasmin Rafiei, Katey Rusch (’20), Kathryn Hurd (’21) and Bernice Yeung. Not pictured: Christine Schiavo. Photo: Marlena Telvick
The Developing Your Blockbuster Investigative Story class pictured in 2025 in the newsroom of the IRP from top left: Fernando Andrade Paez, Jariel Arvin, Chelsea Long, Erika Zaro, Luiz Monticelli, Matthew Mitchell, Daniel Hennessy, Veronique Eshaya, Professor David Barstow,
Julian Wray, Taylor Barton, Julia Haney, Elizabeth Santos, Marion Apio, Lili Cortes and Holly McDede. Photo: Marlena Telvick