Five Post-Gazette staffers attended this year’s Investigative Reporters & Editors conference, which took place in San Francisco from Thursday through Sunday. About 1,600 journalists from all over the world — and from print, broadcast, radio and online — flooded the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in the city’s downtown to listen to the best of the best, including our own Liz Navratil, explain how they do what they do.

With literally dozens of sessions run by the elite of American journalism, there was something for everyone. Star speakers included a who’s who of Pulitzer winners and other American journalism luminaries, such as Lowell Bergman, Daniel Ellsberg, Jill Abramson, Matt Apuzzo and Walt Bogdanich.

The PG contingent was rounded out by Andrew McGill, Jon Silver, Lillian Thomas and Mark Rochester. Also on hand was PG alum Sadie Gurman, who is now a reporter for the AP in Denver. A large group from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, where Lillian spent much of the past year, flew out for the conference. One of them, Pulitzer winner Raquel Rutledge, mentored Liz as part of a series of one-on-one mentor sessions arranged through IRE.

Speaking of Liz, she participated as a panelist on “Breaking the Silence: Getting the story when officials, agencies won’t talk.” Brian Ross of ABC News moderated the well-attended session, which also included as speakers Kathleen Johnston, a senior investigative producer for CNN, and Corey Johnson, a reporter for the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Liz and Jon were thrilled that their work last year on the death of Ka’Sandra Wade — a series of stories that revealed significant problems and questionable decisions concerning the police response to a Pittsburgh woman’s disconnected 911 call — was recognized during the IRE luncheon as a finalist in the category of Investigations Triggered by Breaking News.

For more photos from this weekends event go to Facebook!