ARIJ concluded a three-day online workshop titled “Investigative Journalism: From Hypothesis to Publication”, held from April 8 to 10, 2025. 

The training brought together 80+  participants from across the region, with  60% female participation.

Led by ARIJ’s editorial team,  Editor & Coach Farah Al-Jallad, Investigative Journalist and Coach Ahmad Ashour, and  Executive Editor Ibrahim Hamadeh the sessions guided participants through ARIJ’s investigative methodology: from generating ideas and building hypotheses to interviewing sources, organizing files, open-source techniques, fact-checking, and storytelling. X (AR, AR, AR ), and Facebook (AR) posts.

Before starting any investigation, trainers emphasized the importance of asking key questions to assess the strength and feasibility of the hypothesis:

• Is the hypothesis clear?
• Does the issue affect people’s lives?
• Do we have the tools and skills needed?
• Is there a new angle?
• Are there enough sources of information?
• Where is the information likely to be found?

Golden Tips from the Training:

• Observe your surroundings; good ideas begin with observation.
• A hypothesis is not the goal — it’s the path to uncovering facts.
• Use anonymous sources cautiously and always seek confirmation.
• Every interview is a puzzle piece; document and transcribe it carefully.
• Don’t confuse investigative journalism with leak journalism.
• Not all open sources are on Google — explore beyond traditional search engines.
• Always fact-check your findings.
• While data may be hard to access in the Arab world, it exists more than we think.
• In writing, ensure clarity of ideas and avoid cliché introductions.
• Maintain a logical cause-and-effect structure.
• Write with the reader’s eyes, not the writer’s ego.

Participant Testimonials:

• Zainab Nour Al-Deen, Journalism Student, Lebanon:
  “A rich and comprehensive course that gave journalists and journalism students alike a practical overview of investigative work. It was my first time joining a training by ARIJ, and it certainly won’t be the last.”
  
  
• Omayma Mahfouz, Journalist, Morocco:
  “An outstanding training experience. I gained a lot and deeply appreciate the trainers’ dedication and high-quality content.”
  
  
• Dr. Saber Fariha, Academic and Journalist, Tunisia:
  “One of the best workshops I’ve attended with ARIJ. What stood out was the open space for questions and interaction. I suggest extending such workshops to allow more hands-on practice.”