Agenda

Mercure Prishtina City Hotel, Pristina, Kosovo
25 – 30 August, 2025

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 

19:00 – 21:00         Welcome Dinner (Hotel)

DAY 1

MONDAY,  AUGUST 25

09:00 – 09:15        Welcome Remarks

Jeta Xharra – Director, BIRN Kosovo

Gentiana Murati – Deputy Director, BIRN Hub

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

09:15 – 11:00         The Investigative Mindset

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

11:00 – 11:15         Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:15         The Investigative Mindset

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

12:15 – 13:15         Lunch Break

13:15 – 14:45         Masterclass in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) – Part I

Reade Levinson – Visual Investigations Reporter, Reuters News

14:45 – 15:00         Coffee Break

15:00 – 17:00         101 Cross Border Sources for Your Climate Investigation – How to Research Climate in Digital Age

Alexenia Dimitrova – Journalist, OSINT Expert, Lecturer in Journalism

17:00 – 18:00         Formulating Story Ideas: How to Structure Your Pitch

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

19:00 – 20:30         Dinner (Hotel)

DAY 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26

09:00 – 09:15         Wrapping Up Day 1

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

09:15 – 11:00         Masterclass in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) – Part II

Reade Levinson – Visual Investigations Reporter, Reuters News

11:00 – 11:15         Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:45         Masterclass in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) – Part II

Reade Levinson – Visual Investigations Reporter, Reuters News

12:45 – 14:00         Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:15         Advanced Data Journalism – Part I

Jonathan Soma – Knight Chair in Data Journalism, Columbia Journalism School

15:15 – 15:45         Coffee Break

15:45 – 17:00         AI – Do’s and Don’ts

Jonathan Soma – Knight Chair in Data Journalism, Columbia Journalism School

17:00 – 18:00       Null Hypothesis – Pragmatic Digital Security for Journalists

Sharbil Nammour – Media Safety Advisor and Founder, Vallaris Solutions

19:00 – 20:30         Dinner (Hotel)

DAY 3

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27

09:00 – 09:15         Wrapping Up Day 2

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

09:15 – 11:00         Advanced Data Journalism – Part II

Jonathan Soma – Knight Chair in Data Journalism, Columbia Journalism School

11:00 – 11:15         Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:30         Protest Ready: Security, First Aid & Digital Defense

Sharbil Nammour – Media Safety Advisor and Founder, Vallaris Solutions

12:30 – 13:30         Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:00         BIRN Awarded Investigative Stories

Kreshnik Gashi – Managing Editor, Kallxo.com, BIRN Kosovo

Saša Dragojlo – Investigative Journalist, Balkan Insight, BIRN Hub

14:00 – 14:30         Travel to Kallxo Studio

14:30 – 16:30         From Exposure to Impact: Why Some Investigations Spark Change and Others Don’t

Jeta Xharra – Director, BIRN Kosovo

16:30 – 17:00         Travel to Germia Park

17:00 – 17:45         Stress, Burnout and Other Mental Health Hazards

Emma Thomasson – Journalist & Media Consultant, The Self Investigation

17:45 – 18:30       Improving Team Communication & Managing Conflict

Emma Thomasson – Journalist & Media Consultant, The Self Investigation

18:30 – 19:00         Return Travel to Hotel

19:00 – 20:30         Dinner (Hotel)

DAY 4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

09:00 – 09:15         Focus on Learnings & Next Steps

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

09:15 – 10:45         Fact Checking

Milica Stojanović – Journalist & Fact-Checker, Balkan Insight, BIRN Hub

10:45 – 11:00       Coffee Break

11:00 – 13:00         101 Open and Hidden Places to Investigate Your Country

Alexenia Dimitrova – Journalist, OSINT Expert, Lecturer in Journalism

13:00 – 14:00         Lunch Break

14:00 – 14:45         Geolocation and Visual Investigation

Azem Kurtić – Journalist, Balkan Insight, BIRN Hub

14:45 – 15:00         Coffee Break

15:00 – 16:30         Challenges You are Facing (Roundtable Discussion)

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News Alexenia Dimitrova – Journalist, OSINT Expert, Lecturer in Journalism

16:30 – 17:30       The Art of Interview

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

17:30 – 18:30        Faces of the Summer School: Session with the Photographer

19:00 – 20:30         Dinner (Hotel)

DAY 5

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29

09:00 – 09:15       Wrap up and What’s Next

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

09:15 – 10:45         What We Expect to Hear Tomorrow

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

Saša Dragojlo – Investigative Journalist, Balkan Insight, BIRN Hub

Gordana Andrić – Investigative Editor, BIRN Hub & BIRN Serbia

10:45 – 11:00         Coffee break

11:00 – 12:00         Developing Complex Databases with Thousands of Documents

Ana Petruseva – Director, BIRN Macedonia

12:00 – 13:00        Reporting Safely: Legal Considerations, Case Illustrations, and SLAPP Insights

Kreshnik Gashi – Managing Editor, Kallxo.com, BIRN Kosovo

13:00 – 14:00         Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:30         Reporting in Times of Crisis – War Crimes Reporting

Denis Džidić – Director, BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina

15:30 – 16:30         Free Time (Prepare for Ceremony)

16:30 – 17:30         Travel to Reporting House

17:30 – 18:15         Tour of BIRN Museum Reporting House

18:30 – 19:00        Panel – Investigative Journalism: Two Decades of Change (Reporting House)

Ana Petruseva – BIRN Founder & BIRN Macedonia Director

Jeta Xharra – BIRN Founder & BIRN Kosovo Director

Dragana Solomon – BIRN Founder

Moderator: Denis Džidić – BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina Director

19:00 – 19:30       Certificate Awarding Ceremony & Remarks  (Reporting House Yard)

19:30 – 22:00         Reception with Light Gala Fare (Reporting House Yard)

22:00 – 22:30         Return Travel to Hotel

DAY 6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30

10:00 – 13:00         Pitching Stories

Blake Morrison – Lead Trainer, Investigative Projects Editor, Reuters News

Saša Dragojlo – Investigative Journalist, Balkan Insight, BIRN Hub

Gordana Andrić – Investigative Editor, BIRN Hub & BIRN Serbia

13:00 – 14:00         Lunch (Hotel)

14:00 – 15:30         Travel to Prizren

15:30 – 18:00         City Tour with Guide & Free Time

18:00 – 20:00         Dinner (Prizren)

20:00 – 21:30         Travel to Pristina

DAY 7

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31

Departure