Agenda

Arrival: Sunday, August 19, 2018
Venue:  Hotel Teleferic, Poiana Brasov, Romania

21:00 Welcome and Introductory Dinner – Lead trainer Blake Morrison, investigative projects editor at Reuters;  Thorsten Geissler director for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Media Program South East Europe; and Marija Ristic, BIRN Regional Director.

DAY 1

Monday

  • 9:00 – 9:30 Opening session and Introduction with Outline of the Training Programme – Blake Morrison, investigative editor at Thomson Reuters
    Introduction of trainers and participants; Presentation of training agenda; What participants should expect and what is expected of them.
  • 9:30 – 11:00 Imagining the story – Blake Morrison, lead trainer
  • 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee
  • 11:30 – 13:00 Use of digital research and verification in investigative reporting–Christoph Koettl, New York Times
    Show and explain some recent investigations, including in the DRC, Afrin and Syria
  • 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
  • 14:30 – 16:00 Using geospatial research in investigative reporting–Christoph Koettl, New York Times
    Show and explain the advantages of satellite imagery and other geospatial data. Learn how to find and use satellite imagery, including simple exercises.
  • 16:00 – 16:30  Coffee
  • 16:30 – 17:00
    Investigative story fund – proposals and discussion
  • 17:00 – 17:30
    Option 1: Practical session with Blake Morrison
  • 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

DAY 2

Tuesday

  • 9:30 – 10:30 The burden of proof: An interactive exercise that explores the difference between supposition and proof – Blake Morrison
  • 10:30 – 10:45 Coffee
  • 10:45 – 12:00 The burden of proof: An interactive exercise that explores the difference between supposition and proof – Blake Morrison
  • 15 – 13.45 Financial reports – how to interpret and get the most from them – Miranda Patrucic, OCCRP
  • 13: 45 – 15:00 Lunch
  • 15:00- 16:30 Analyzing visual content– Christoph Koettl, New York Times
    Use of both content- and metadata-analysis when working with visual content.
  • 30 – 17.00 Coffee
  • 17:00 – 18:30 Bellingcat Part 1: Open-Source Investigations and Introduction Geolocation Christiaan Triebert
    During this interactive two-folded session, participants will be introduced to the field of open- source investigation and verification, both by case-studies as well as practical examples focused on topics including conflict, corruption, and fake information. Participants will become familiar via hands-on exercises to understand how to collect, verify, analyse, and preserve user-generated and other online content in order to use it for fact- checking and investigative reporting. The workshop will provide a focused set of skills such as verifying the time and location of visual evidence, and finding and verifying information published online during critical events and conflicts.
  • Option 2: Practical session with Miranda Patrucic
  • 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

DAY 3

Wednesday

  • 9:30 – 11:00 The Art of Interviewing– Blake Morrison
  • 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee
  • 11:30 – 13:00 Podcast: Make your story heard– Susanne Reber, Co-founder of Reveal and Executive Producer Podcasting for E.W Scripps National bureau
  • 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch 
  • 14:30 – 16:00 Surprise session –Lawrence Marzouk, BIRN
  • 00 – 16.15 Coffee
  • 16:15 – 17:30 Investigatingthe Paradise Papers –  Miranda Patrucic, OCCRP
  • 17: 30 – 18:45 Bellingcat Part 2: Verifying Exact Locations – Christiaan Triebert

    Is this really Syria in 2018? Or Ukraine in 2013? Or Germany in 2003? Participants will be introduced to the method of geolocation: determining the exact location where a photo or video was taken. Mapping and satellite services are important tools for this verification method that is extensively used by the investigative collective Bellingcat. This is the second and last Bellingcat session.
  • 17: 30 – 18:00 Option 2: Practical session with Blake Morrison
  • 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

DAY 4

Thursday

  • 9:30 – 11:00 Pitching your idea. How to get buy-in without overpromising. Conceiving and organizing an investigative project – Blake Morrison
  • 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee
  • 11:30 – 13:00 Podcast– Susanne Reber, Co-founder of Reveal and Executive Producer Podcasting for E.W Scripps National bureau
  • 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
  • 14:00 – 15:30
    Option 1: Practical session with     Susanne Reber, Co-founder of Reveal and Executive Producer Podcasting for E.W Scripps National bureau
  • 14:00 – 15:00
    Option 2: Practical session with     Blake Morrison
  • 15:30 – 16:00 Coffee
  • 16:00 – 17.30
    Why are investigative journalists becoming regular targets in Europe? – discussion with special guests Pavla Holcova(TBC), Czech Center for Investigative Journalism and Matthew Caruana Galizia
  • 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

DAY 5: Workshops

Friday

  • 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 rigour and public interest.
  • 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
  • 14:00 – 19:00 Discovering Dracula – a field trip to Bran Castle
  • 21:00– 23:00 Farewell dinner and award ceremony

DAY 6

Saturday

  • 10:00 Departures