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 ReutersIntroduction 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 – 14:00 Lunch
- 14:00 – 15:30 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. - 15:45 – 17:00
Option 1: Practical session with groups - 15:45 – 17:00
Option 2: 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
- 12.15 – 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. - 16.30 – 17.00 Coffee
- 17:00 – 18:30
Option 1: Practical session with Miranda Patrucic - 17:00 – 18:30
Bellingcat Part 1: Open-Source Investigations and Introduction Geolocation
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 first introductory part of two sessions. - 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-creator of podcast Reveal, from the US’s Center for Investigative Reporting
- 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
- 14:30 – 16:00 Surprise session – Lawrence Marzouk, BIRN
- 16.00 – 16.15 Coffee
- 16:15 – 17:15 Investigating the Paradise Papers – Miranda Patrucic, OCCRP
- 17: 15 – 18:00 Bellingcat Part 2: Verifying Exact Locations
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. - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel
DAY 4
Thursday
- 9:00 – 10:30 Pitching your idea. How to get buy-in without overpromising. Conceiving and organizing an investigative project – Blake Morrison
- 10:30 – 11:00 Coffee
- 11:00 – 12:30 TBC
- 13:00 – 14:00 Working lunch
- 14:00 – 15:30 Podcast – Susanne Reber, co-creator of podcast Reveal, from the US’s Center for Investigative Reporting
- 16.00 – 17.15
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, ICIJ - 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 – 20:00 Discovering Dracula – a field trip to Bran Castle
- 21:00 – 23:00 Farewell dinner and award ceremony
DAY 6
Saturday
- 10:00 Departures