by Vuk Tesija
She revealed the secrets of fact-checking to 30 participants at the school, held in Pristina, Kosovo.
“The fact-checker is not your enemy, but your friend,” said Milica. It is a process, she said, that is crucial for credibility. Mistakes can lead to journalists being liable to legal action, as well as embarrassment.
“In the process, there will be issues and debate. Sometimes you will spend three hours choosing the right word,” Milica explained. She provided several examples so participants could try their hand at fact-checking other people’s texts. This gave them an insight into how responsible and complex the job of a fact-checker is.
The session continued with Alexenia Dimitrova, journalist, OSINT expert, and lecturer in journalism. She delivered a lecture entitled ‘Hidden Places to Investigate Your Country’, demonstrating how open sources of information can provide access to valuable data.
Alexenia shared dozens of useful sources that journalists can rely on when governments in certain countries deny them the information to which they are entitled. “A lot of data is available if you know where to look,” Alexenia emphasised.
Azem Kurtic, a Balkan Insight journalist from the BIRN Hub, discussed a recent investigation which involved him hunting down a location. “By analysing photographs, geolocations, and visual clues, a great deal can be uncovered,” said Kurtic, who shared his combination of computer skills, creativity, and expertise. Through his eyes, participants were able to see the entire process he went through in search of evidence.
Blake Morrison, Lead Trainer and Investigative Projects Editor at Reuters News, continued the session with a gripping story from his career, illustrating how crucial timing is in telling a story.
He emphasised, from his own experience, that there is no such thing as unimportant information or failed stories, since everything a journalist does may one day prove to be of vital importance. The participants, clearly impressed, had the opportunity to hear first-hand insights on how to become better journalists.