From cold-pitching to collaborating, and from promoting your work to getting top commissions, being a freelancer brings a whole series of challenges, especially for investigative journalists.
The influence of extremist groups on mainstream politics is on the rise, and journalists need tools to face this threat to healthy democracies.
German investigative journalist Bastian Obermayer – who was leaked the Panama Papers documents – explains the art of finding, using, and safeguarding sources.
This roundtable will conclude the data track of the conference with a discussion on the tools that are coming to the forefront for doing data stories and with predictions for what is ahead. Join us with your ideas for what is next. ———————– The Global Investigative Journalism Network is an international association of journalism organizations […]
Have you been curious about working with data but haven’t taken that first step? Here’s a great opportunity — we have three of the best data trainers in the biz who know how to get you started. In this introductory session, you’ll learn how to use Google Sheets to do some basic analysis — and […]
Pinpoint is a powerful tool for converting unstructured data (text and other forms of messy data) into datasets that can be analyzed and used for stories. ⚠️ Warning for first-time Pinpoint users: In your web browser you need to be logged into a gmail.com account. Open another tab and go to the following site https://journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/about. […]
Cross-border investigative reporting has come far since its early attempts in the 1980s and ’90s by a handful of nonprofits. Today’s projects are multinational efforts involving mainstream media, hundreds of journalists, and tech-savvy data analysis and security systems.
Hundreds of journalists are forced into exile around the world by despots, autocrats, and crime cartels. Exiled editors and émigré media are an old story. But amid the modern backlash against independent media, journalists are taking advantage of a new era in tools and technology. These digital toolkits are proving a game-changer, enabling journalists to better report on their homelands, and their audiences to better access that reporting.
More than $550 billion was spent on digital ads last year — on everything from banners and video ads to sponsored tweets and pop-ups of every sort. What’s behind this mega-business? The systems used to buy and sell digital ads are vast, complicated, poorly understood, and rife with fraud and deception.
Watchdog reporting makes a critical contribution to society by exposing wrongdoing, fighting corruption, and promoting accountability. But how do we measure this, and explain the value of investigative reporting to a skeptical public (and donors)? At a time of unprecedented attacks on the press, a broken financial model, and low public trust, it is critical […]
More than half of the world’s countries have laws that require officials to supply public documents on request. These laws offer valuable windows for reporters, even for those outside of a country’s borders. But there are almost always tricks to targeting and expediting these disclosures, and this panel brings deep experience in how to do […]
Prospecting for donors is the vital process of identifying potential donors for your organization’s programs and projects. In this session, you will learn strategies and tools available to help you find donors with the financial capacity and interest to support your work. ———————– The Global Investigative Journalism Network is an international association of journalism organizations […]
Lightning rounds are among the most popular sessions at our global conferences. The presentations are short — about five minutes — so we fit in as many as a dozen speakers, one after another. Favorite Tools & Techniques showcases investigative methods and apps that may have escaped your notice. It’s impossible to fit all the […]
Crafting an effective proposal starts well before the actual writing process begins. In this session, you will learn how to create a plan that takes into account the timing of the process, the colleagues whose assistance you will need, the problem that your program will address, and how you will address it. You will receive […]
Cryptocurrencies have taken the financial world by storm, yet few people truly understand them. Despite an industry raked by volatility and billion-dollar scandals, they have gained popularity not only among investors and anarchists, but also organized crime figures and cyber thieves looking to avoid the traditional financial system. Experts insist there are ways to investigate […]
Criminal activity tends to thrive where state oversight is weakest. So it’s no wonder that cryptocurrencies are the financial tool of choice for criminals around the world, which makes insightful coverage of them increasingly important for investigative journalists.
Programs to train and teach investigative reporting have spread worldwide, but how effective are different methods and styles? For this panel, we bring together educators and trainers from diverse environments in France, Slovenia, South Korea, and the United States for a look at both traditional and innovative techniques. ———————– The Global Investigative Journalism Network is […]
Uyghur abuse and internment in China. Luxury properties in Austria owned by Belarus’s oil minister. Criminal exploitation of London’s company services industry. These investigations were all possible because of hacked data dumps. As a journalist, how do you negotiate with hackers or hacktivists? What questions do you ask? What are the ethical considerations? What are […]
Once considered merely a form of fact-checking, forensic visual investigation has rapidly become a critical method of journalistic inquiry, thanks to new technologies, innovative skills, and the global ubiquity of social media imagery. In the chaos of dramatic public events, forensic visual reporting teams can now often answer the question: Who did exactly what, and […]
In this global economy, it’s become easy to hide one’s assets overseas, whether you’re a Mexican crime boss or a Russian oligarch. Backgrounding an individual’s holdings is essential, but ferreting out front companies, tax dodges, and hidden assets can be a tough undertaking. Here are two of the best at doing this. ———————– The Global […]
A raft of new tools are helping journalists track shipping and aircraft around the world. The numerous ways to track ships and planes open a whole new range of stories for journalists to investigate, from following billionaires’ private planes to uncovering the details of refugee boats capsizing. ———————– The Global Investigative Journalism Network is an […]
We know that becoming a great investigative reporter can take years. But what about the editors? It’s no secret that great investigative editors are hard to find. What makes a terrific editor for watchdog journalism? How do they keep their reporters sane, focused, and motivated? What do they do to protect them in the newsroom? […]
According to the UN, over 476 million indigenous people are living in 90 countries. Many are on the front lines defending their lands and cultures, and they have become minorities in their own homes. Here are Indigenous journalists from Canada, Taiwan, and the United States who are using investigative skills to expose issues ranging from […]
Satellite images play a crucial role in many investigations. Reporters are using them to analyze battlefields and war crimes. Eyes from above also are invaluable for many kinds of climate change stories, such as to document methane emissions, drought, and sea level rise. Our expert panelists will discuss many possible opportunities for using satellite images. […]
Freelancing is a tough job; investigative freelancing is even harder. But it also brings independence and the ability to pick your projects. Here are tips from journalists from four countries with decades of experience in working on their own. ———————– The Global Investigative Journalism Network is an international association of journalism organizations that support the […]
The recent rise of nakedly autocratic regimes has ballooned the number of independent newsrooms forced to report from exile. These watchdogs-in-exile have shown enterprise and innovation in providing critical news to the homeland. But good journalism is not enough. It’s hard enough to succeed in the media back home, but how do exiled media survive […]
In this presentation, we will methodically guide you through the investigative process and show how to succeed with your project without getting lost along the way. Swedish journalists Emma Johansson and Jessica Ziegerer bring years of experience in investigative projects, both as reporters and editors. They work at the regional newspapers Helsingborgs Dagblad and Sydsvenskan, […]
Did you know that most start-ups fail? That includes well-meaning non-profit news outlets. What’s often missing is a business strategy. Developing a viable and effective business plan is essential for media organizations, a necessary foundation for sustainability and growth — indeed, for an organization’s very survival. Join this workshop to hear how to do it […]
