Why I give to IRE | A wealth of information!

Second in a series about the upcoming Gannett Blog IRE Challenge. Please return Friday for details on our campaign's financial goal.

I was missing a basic fact for my story about Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore, newly named principal executive at Gannett, following CEO Craig Dubow's announcement yesterday that he's taking a medical leave of absence. My question: How old is Martore?

Then I remembered a terrific tip I learned at an an Investigative Reporters and Editors conference, where financial investigative reporter Diana B. Henriques (hi!) of The New York Times mentioned that a public document filed annually by publicly traded companies such as Gannett includes a wealth of basic information.

For example, have you ever been stumped for a company's phone number and address? You'll find it at the top of that document, called a Form 10-K. So, this morning, I went to Gannett's investor relations page, which is chock full of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. I clicked on the most recent 10-K, did a quick search, and there it was: Martore is 57.

"Bravo, good story,'' Anonymous@9:40 p.m. wrote last night.

"Don't thank me,'' I replied. "Thank Investigative Reporters and Editors with a contribution!"

Please join me!
Let's retire Gannett Blog on a positive note! I'm lobbying for your $20 gifts, as I offer crucial support to one of our industry's treasures. Here's a quick link to IRE's donations page.

Double your support! The Gannett Foundation will match your contribution 100% -- if you're an eligible active employee or director, and you donate a minimum $50! Just follow the link to the GannettMatch site. From the FAQ:

What is GannettMatch?
GannettMatch is a matching gift program administered by the Gannett Foundation. Our goal is to encourage eligible active employees and directors of Gannett Co., Inc. to contribute to qualifying nonprofit organizations of their choice. It is a way to double your donation to your favorite charity.

How do I participate in GannettMatch?
You make a personal donation between $50 and $10,000 per individual, per calendar year to an eligible institution. GannettMatch will match the eligible donation dollar for dollar. Gifts may be paid by cash, check, credit card or by negotiable securities that have a publicly listed market value. Gifts must be charitable contributions that are deductible under IRS regulations.