January 7, 2025

Over 40 journalists and university professors (50% female) from 12 countries—Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen—participated in the in-person workshop titled “Data Journalism: Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Investigative Reporting” which was open to all participants of ARIJ’s 17th Annual Forum on Saturday, December 7.

Organized by ARIJ on the sidelines of its 17th Annual Forum, the workshop was designed to equip journalists and media professionals with advanced AI tools and techniques to enhance their investigative reporting capabilities.

Led by Ethar Azem, ARIJ’s Executive Editor and Data Trainer, the 3-hour workshop offered practical insights into integrating AI tools into journalistic workflows. Participants learned to leverage AI for tasks such as data collection, cleaning, analysis, and visualization while gaining a clear understanding of the tools’ benefits, limitations, and potential applications in investigative reporting.

The session featured tools like Highcharts AI, ChatGPT 4.0, and MapScraper, empowering attendees to efficiently handle data and generate innovative ideas, particularly in environmental investigative journalism.

This initiative underscores ARIJ’s commitment to fostering innovation and empowering journalists across the Arab world with cutting-edge skills to elevate investigative reporting