SummBirn – BIRN Summer School

Inside the BIRN Summer School Where Journalism Gets Real

Most journalism training teaches you how to report the news. Very few places actually show you how investigative journalism works in practice.

That’s the idea behind the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Summer School of Investigative Reporting.

Each year, it brings together journalists and journalism students from across Europe for an intensive week where participants don’t just learn about investigative journalism; they learn how to do it.

The programme combines learning and practice. Participants are introduced to key elements of investigative journalism, such as story development, open source intelligence OSINT, data journalism, fact checking and digital security.

These are explored through real examples and hands on exercises guided by experienced national and international journalists, editors and experts in the field.

What makes it stand out is the way learning happens in practice. Instead of staying in theory, participants apply what they learn immediately, developing ideas, testing information and improving their reporting step by step with feedback from trainers and peers.

As one participant shared: “I came to the Summer School hoping to learn new investigative techniques and meet journalists from across the region. It turned out to be much more than that.

“The programme was intensive, every day brought something new, and by the end of the week it felt like we had known each other for years. Learning from experienced editors, receiving feedback from different mentors, and building lasting friendships made it an unforgettable experience.” – Tamara Kanuchova, Reporter, VSquare.org & The European Correspondent (Slovakia)

Another added: “What I loved most was that we were not just sitting in lectures. We worked with journalists from different countries, challenged each other’s ideas, travelled for field reporting, and turned our pitch into a published investigation. I still use what I learned during the Summer School, and I am still in touch with many of the people I met there.” — Patrik Galavits, Reporter, Direkt36 (Hungary)

By the end of the week, participants don’t just understand investigative journalism, they have actually practiced it in a collaborative environment shaped by international expertise.

A key part of the programme is that participants come with their own investigative story ideas and develop them throughout the week. From the start, they work on their pitches through all sessions, refining them with guidance from experienced national and international journalists, editors, and trainers. Participants also can work one-on-one with trainers to strengthen their ideas.

At the end of the programme, they formally pitch their investigations. Selected pitches receive financial support as well as continued editorial mentorship from experienced editors at Balkan Insight, helping participants further develop and pursue their stories beyond the Summer School.

Join the 2026 BIRN Summer School in Ohrid

In 2026, the programme will take place in Ohrid, North Macedonia, from 17 to 23 August. It is designed for journalists and journalism students who want to strengthen their investigative journalism skills and learn directly through practice from experienced national and international journalists, editors and experts.

📍 Ohrid, North Macedonia
📅 17–23 August 2026
🗓️ Application deadline: 10 July 2026

👉 Apply here: https://birnsummerschool.org/news-and-events/birn-summer-school-of-investigative-reporting-2026-dont-just-report-the-news-investigate-it/

Tamara Kanuchova

I thought I was signing up for a week of workshops. Instead, I left with practical skills I’ll use throughout my career, honest feedback from experienced editors, and friendships with journalists from across the region. It was intense, challenging, and sometimes exhausting, but absolutely worth it. By the end of the week, it felt like we had known each other for years.

Tamara Kanuchova, BIRN Summer school participant

Patrik Galavits

The Summer School was challenging in the best possible way. We didn’t just attend lectures—we worked together, developed a cross-border investigation, travelled for reporting, and published our story. I still use the AI skills I learned there, and I’m still in touch with many of the journalists I met. If you’re thinking about applying, do it. You’ll leave with new skills, new friends, and a network that stays with you long after the programme ends.

Patrik Galavits, BIRN Summer school participant

BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2026: Don’t Just Report the News – Investigate It!

Fast stories fade. The important ones need digging.
Applications are now open for the BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2026. This is a space for journalists who want to move beyond daily reporting and focus on real investigative work.

This is not about producing more content. It is about learning how to ask sharper questions, follow stronger leads and turn ideas into investigations that matter.

The Programme

From August 17 to 23, 2026 in Ohrid, North Macedonia, participants will join an intensive, hands-on investigative programme focused on cross-border reporting, open-source investigations and data-driven storytelling.

This year’s focus is on how investigative journalism is evolving in a complex information environment, combining traditional reporting with digital verification, OSINT tools and structured data work.

Alongside the main investigative sessions, participants will take part in practical workshops on verification, digital security and visual investigations. These are designed to strengthen both technical skills and editorial judgment.

Who This Is For

We are looking for journalists from the Western Balkans and across southeast Europe who want to move from reporting events to uncovering systems, patterns and accountability.

We especially encourage applications from early and mid-career journalists, particularly those working in difficult or under-resourced media environments where investigative reporting is both challenging and essential.

BIRN is providing up to 30 full scholarships for selected participants from the Western Balkans and across southeast Europe.

Self-funded participation is also welcome.

Mentorship and Editorial Support

This is a working environment, not a lecture series.

Participants will develop their own investigative ideas from the very beginning and receive continuous editorial feedback from experienced international journalists and trainers. The focus is practical and hands-on throughout the week.

Mentorship includes guidance on sourcing, verification, story development, structure and investigative methods, with close support as each project develops.

Trainers

This year’s programme includes Blake Morrison from Reuters, who leads complex cross-border investigations, Jonathan Soma from Columbia University, who specialises in making data clear and usable in storytelling, Sharbil Nammour, a media safety expert focused on secure reporting in challenging environments, and Reade Levinson from Reuters Visual Investigations, known for uncovering stories through open-source and visual evidence.

More trainers will be announced as the programme develops.

Why It Matters

Investigative journalism takes time, patience and space to think. That space is becoming harder to find. This programme is built to give it back.

Join Us

If you have a story idea that has stayed with you, one that deserves more than a headline, this is the place to take it further.

Prepare your pitch, apply and join us in Ohrid.

Applications are now open.

Apply here: Application Form for BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2026 | ECR Platform.

The deadline to submit your application is July 10, 2026. Take the next step towards developing your investigative story with leading journalists and trainers from the region and beyond.

Don’t Just Report the News: Go Deeper and Investigate it

The BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2026 is coming to the beautiful city of Ohrid, North Macedonia this August 17-23.

This is a space for curious minds and future journalists who want to understand the step by step process through which investigative stories are built, from the initial idea to final publication.

Over one week, you will work closely with experienced journalists, editors, and open-source intelligence experts. You will learn how to find and verify information, work with data and public records, and develop stories that truly matter.

In the coming weeks, we will open the call for applications and share more details about the programme, including scholarships, mentors, speakers, and trainers from leading local and international newsrooms.

If you have ever wanted to understand how investigations are really done, this is your chance. Stay tuned.

The next generation of investigative journalism starts here.

Saša Dragojlo

Investigative Journalist, BIRN

Sasa joined BIRN in 2020 as a correspondent for Balkan Insight. Previously, he worked for Balkan Insight from 2015 to 2016.

He has also worked for Insajder, the Serbian investigative media portal and for a television show in Belgrade. As a part of the Insajder team, he worked on documentaries involving political corruption, financial crime and social and workers’ rights. He was co-author of the investigative documentary State against the Workers, about financial crime in Gosa, Serbia’s railway factory, author of Bristol Guard, a documentary about homeless war veterans, and In a Vicious Circle, a documentary about real estate fraud in the country.

During his journalistic career, Sasa has published articles in both Serbian and regional media, such as the investigative portal KRIK, the weeklies NIN and Vreme, the daily Danas, the fact-check portal Istinomer, Vice Serbia, Kosovo 2.0 and others.

He has received awards for his articles, including the EU award for investigative journalism as well as the “Dejan Anastasijević” investigative journalism award. In 2023, he was awarded the prestigious “Dušan Bogavac” award for ethics and courage in journalism.

Sasa has a bachelor degree in journalism from the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade. He speaks Serbian and English.

Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2025 Session

BIRN Awarded Investigative Stories

Saša Dragojlo and Kreshnik Gashi will deliver an insightful session in which these two award-winning journalists share experiences from their most acclaimed investigations. This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at their work, highlighting practical techniques, challenges faced in the field, and key lessons learned from the front lines of investigative journalism.

Denis Džidić

Executive Director and Editor of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH).

Denis has worked as a journalist since 2006, starting his career in Oslobodjenje, a daily newspaper in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also worked for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR in Sarajevo and The Hague, reporting on transitional justice issues and covering war crimes trials related to the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia.

He joined BIRN in August 2008 and has since worked as a journalist, deputy editor and chief editor for BIRN BiH before being named Executive Director and Editor in October 2019. He has won multiple individual awards for transitional justice reporting, and BIRN BIH received the European press prize special award under his leadership.

Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2025 Session

Reporting in times of crisis – war crimes reporting

The session will introduce journalists to the basics of international humanitarian law, and reporting about war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. I will explain the journalistic techniques which can be used in real time reporting as well as in situations where atrocities have occurred in the past. Special emphasis will be given to interviewing victims who were or are traumatised.

BIRN Summer School 2024, Mlini, Croatia

The fourth annual BIRN Summer School was held at Lake Bled in Slovenia from August 25 to 31.

From August 19 to 24, the school in Mlini, Croatia, equipped journalists with the skills they need to address the challenges of investigative journalism today.

The latest edition of BIRN’s summer school brings together almost 35 journalists from across Central and Eastern Europe for a week of investigative reporting training with a focus on collaborative, cross-border stories.

BIRN Summer School Day 4: Podcasts and Cross-Border Journalism

On the fourth day of BIRN’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting, participants learned about investigative podcasts and cross-border journalism.

On Thursday, sessions on investigative podcasts started the fourth day of the BIRN’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Michael Montgomery, a senior reporter and producer for Reveal, talked about the fundamentals of investigative podcasts. Podcasts are getting more popular every year, with more than half lasting over 30 minutes.

Podcasts are visually powerful forms of audio that tell big, sometimes emotionally complex stories and offer clarity in chaos. “For many podcasts, the central framing device is a question,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery talked about the old dramatic principle, the three-act story structure that divides a story into setup, confrontation and resolution.

“The work we do with podcasts is very emotional. It’s very important to master the three-act story structure if you want to do investigative podcasts,” he advised.

Taja Topolovec, Co-Founder and CEO of podcrto.si, said that a podcast is much more intimate than just reading an article. “It’s like someone talking directly into your ear. People are waiting for the next episode to come out,” Topolovec said.

“For us, podcasting was a way to connect more with an international audience, to get more international context. In the last few years, podcasting has become a very important product,” the Slovenian podcaster said.

Sandrine Rigaud, editor of Forbidden Stories, spoke about the four essential characteristics of cross-border journalism. Journalists from different countries decide on an idea of mutual interest, gather and share material, and then publish the story for their audience.

“The challenges include cultural differences, different practices and standards, the timing of publication, and allocation of time resources,” Rigaud told the participants.

“Sharing is one of the golden rules of collaboration. We share findings, interview notes, documents, and plans so we do not duplicate. We don’t have to share the identity of confidential sources, but we share quotes, off-the-record information,” the French journalist said.

The Summer School continues on Friday with investigating migration and human rights abuses and an introduction to data journalism.

BIRN Summer School Day 3: Digital Security and Mental Health

On the third day of BIRN’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting, participants learned about the importance of digital security and mental health.

On Wednesday, sessions on digital security kicked off the third day of the BIRN’s Summer School of Investigative Reporting in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Milica Stojanovic, BIRN journalist and digital security trainer, explained the importance of cyber security. “You are responsible for yourself, your colleagues and your sources,” she told the participants.

“Digital security is a habit, like locking the door when you leave home,” Stojanovic said. She walked participants through the most secure applications and offered tips on setting the best passwords.

“Passwords must be at least 16 characters long and must be changed every six months. Have a different password for each account,” Stojanovic advised.

Co-founder of The Self-Investigation Mar Cabra spoke about mental health and the problem of burnout. “I believe the journalism industry is broken. We need to make it healthier,” Cabra said.

Last year, 60 per cent of journalists worldwide reported high levels of anxiety, and one in five showed signs of depression, according to reports.

“Never fail to ask yourself how you are doing,” Cabra advised. She explained that ignoring our body’s signals, doing work not aligned with our values, and lacking hobbies can all lead to burnout.

The Summer School continues on Thursday with an introduction to investigative podcasts and cross-border journalism. 