Dead Sea, Jordan
December 7, 2024
ARIJ concluded an intensive two-day (six-hour) training workshop at the Hilton Dead Sea Hotel aimed at introducing academics specializing in teaching investigative journalism to ARIJ’s updated guide and how to integrate it into university curricula. The workshop is part of a project supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The workshop, attended by 27 professors from 13 Arab countries (52% female), focused on the features of the new guide authored by Dr. Mark Hunter and its newly added modules, with a particular emphasis on its application in teaching investigative journalism. For the first time, the guide was accompanied by the ARIJ Investigations 2020–2024 book, offering practical examples to complement the theoretical content.
On the first day, participants were introduced to the updated guide, highlighting its importance in the evolving field of investigative journalism. The session covered the fundamental principles of investigative reporting, focusing on hypothesis formulation as a key element of the investigative process.
The second day centered on the practical applications of the guide, where attendees engaged in discussions on source evaluation methods, effective interviewing techniques, and constructing source maps and timelines for investigations.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion session to address any questions or challenges faced by academics in teaching investigative journalism. Participants praised the significance of the training content and the expertise of the trainers. They also expressed interest in expanding the training to include topics such as fact-checking, data journalism, and producing televised investigative reports.
It is worth noting that ARIJ collaborates with more than 70 universities and colleges across the Arab world, which incorporate ARIJ’s guide into their academic curricula for teaching investigative journalism.
“The training was excellent, but there is a strong need to offer similar training to our students, focusing on advanced investigative journalism, fact-checking, and data journalism.“
Waheeb Mahdi Fadl Aziban, Female, Faculty of Media, University of Aden, Yemen
“Thank you for this training. I hope there will be another training with ARIJ that allows more time and focuses on teaching methods for investigative journalism in Arab universities and on exchanging experiences among colleagues.“
Najib Rahouma, Male, University of Tripoli, Libya
“Thank you. The course duration was short, but I benefited greatly. God willing, we will apply this course to our students.“
Ameen Abubakr Othman, Male, Mogadishu University, Somalia
