Day to day agenda of the Fourth Summer School, with all scheduled activities and lectures.
BIRN Summer School
August 25 – 31, 2013
Arrival: Sunday, August 25, 2013
Venue: Hotel Savica, Bled Lake, Slovenia
21:00 Welcome and Introductory Dinner – David Leigh lead trainer, Christian Spahr director for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Media Program South East Europe, Fabrice de Kerchove, Project manager King Baudouin Foundation and Gordana Igric, BIRN Regional Director.
Monday, 26 August
DAY 1: Thinking like an investigative reporter
- 9:00 - 9:30Opening and Introduction with Outline of The Training Programme - Lead trainer David Leigh
Introduction of trainers and participants; Presenting training agenda; What participants should expect and what is expected of them
- 9:30 – 10:30What is investigative reporting? How do investigative reporters think? – David Leigh
Investigative journalism from Watergate to Wikileaks
- 10: 30 - 11:00Coffee
- 11:00 – 12:00Session contiues: Bribery by an international arms company – David Leigh
How a classic investigation unfolded
- 12:00 – 13:15 Online profile: Using the WEB to search for personal data – Marcus Lindemann
Finding information online by linking real names to online identities; Looking for hidden information in the documents; Using social media to find private information
- 13:15 - 15:00Lunch
- 15:00 - 16:30How to investigate and cover human trafficking? – Ruth Rosenberg
Reporting on the crime of human trafficking and how to establish contact and trust with victims and service providers by applying international standards for safely interviewing victims of trafficking
- 16:45 – 18:15Round table: The role and responsibilities of governments in the Western Balkans in providing social services to prevent human trafficking
Participants: Marija Andjelkovic, NGO ASTRA, Serbia; Katrin Adams, GIZ; Katjusa Popovic, NGO Kljuc, Slovenia and Savica Pureber, Slovenian state procesutor office; Moderator: Ana Petruseva
Role of the West Balkan governments in prevention, prosecution of human trafficking cases and protection of victims; Cooperation with NGOs and regional organisations
- 18:15 – 18:45Participants work on story ideas within the group
- 20:00Dinner at Hotel
Tuesday, 27 August
DAY 2: Data journalism
- 9:00 - 9:30Basic types of public records in Europe/UK/USA – David Leigh
- 9:30 - 10:30Case studies in cross border data journalism: Wikileaks and Secret offshore companies – David Leigh
- 10:30 – 11:00Coffee
- 11: 00 – 13:00Using Freedom of Information Laws in Europe – Helen Darbishire, Access Info Europe
Applying FOI laws for EU institutions; how to make requests for information in the EU
- 13:00 - 14:30Lunch
- 14:30 - 16:00 Using public records– Tracking companies Paul Radu, OCCRP and Investigative Dashboard
Offshore doesn't necessarily needs to be an island, offshore type of company can be established in countries like Austria, Delaware in the US or somewhere else; How to get information from offshore havens
- 16:00 - 16:15
Coffee
- 16:15-17:45Online strategies: Going beyond Google's advanced search – Marcus Lindemann
Systemically working to find solutions for unsolved web searches; How to build search macros and customize Google into one's own search engine; The seminar will also cover learning how to save and organise information found online
- 17:45-18:30 The importance of data visualization - Laura Ranca
- 18:30 – 19:00Participants work on story ideas within the group
- 20:00Dinner at Hotel
Wednesday, 28 August
DAY 3: How to conduct an investigation
- 9:30 - 10:00Intro session: "Everything starts with sources" – David Leigh
- 10:00 – 11:30Presentation: The art of the investigative interview – Eric Nalder
Investigative interviewing – getting information from reluctant sources – is an art; But it can be learned. What are the most effective questions? How can you get sources to talk?
- 11:30 – 11:45Coffee
- 11:45 – 12.45Exercise: Getting reluctant sources to talk – Eric Nalder
- 12:45- 14:15How to conduct the investigation on drug smuggling - Stevan Dojcinovic
Darko Saric Montenegrin businessman charged in Serbia for his involvement in smuggling over five tons of cocaine, manage to connect drug smugglers all over the world. Tracking organised crime in three continents is not easy, but it is not impossible as well.
Case study: Darko Saric investigation
- 14:15 – 15:30Lunch
- 15:30 - 17:00Online strategies: Finding traces online & introduction to Excel – Marcus Lindemann
Where to pick up and how to follow traces. How to Monitor websites (and the web) and access sites that have been deleted or changed; Examine data by using simple functions in Excel; Help participants work on strategies for their research
- 17:00 – 17:15Coffee
- 17:15 – 18:45Investigating international drug smuggling - Darko Saric case
Special guest lecturer: Luigi Rinella
- 20:00Dinner at Hotel
Thursday, 29 August
DAY 4:
- 9:30 - 11:00The enemies of successful investigative journalism: lawyers, spies, bosses and conspiracy theories - David Leigh
- 11:00 - 11:30Coffee
- 11:30 - 13:00Putting the story together – David Leigh
How can journalists make investigative reports more interesting and easier to understand? What kind of narrative structures are effective? Does effective story-telling help ensure that stories have an impact?
- 13:00 - 15:00Lunch
- 15:00 – 16:30Session: Undercover journalism
Who should be undercover journalist? How far can journalist go?
Special guest lecturer: Stephen Salmieri
- 16:30 – 16:45Coffee
- 16:45 – 18:00Session continues
- 18:00 – 19:00Participants divided into groups to discuss story ideas with the lead trainer
- 20:00 Dinner at Hotel
Friday, 30 August
DAY 5: Workshops
- 9:30 - 13:00 Workshop: Story Proposals
Groups present their story ideas; participants critique and discuss the story proposals in terms of: relevance, significance, feasibility, methodological rigor and public interest.
- 13:00 – 15:00Lunch
- 15:00 – 20:00Free time/Field trip
- 20:00 - 23:00Farewell dinner and award ceremony with David Leigh, lead trainer, Christian Spahr, director of Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Gordana Igric, BIRN Regional Director.