Summer Conference Events

The Russian invasion of Ukraine changed many of the topics covered by Ukrainian investigative journalists, though the key investigative techniques have often remained the same. Elena Loginova speaks about an investigation by the OCCRP, The Banality of Brutality.

British Journalism Awards winner in the Crime and Legal Affairs category, Stefania Spezzati speaks about her investigation into a massive taxpayer-funded fraud which the UK government tried to keep secret.

After the mayor of Mariupol warned that tens of thousands of people from the city were being interrogated in Russian filtration camps and forced across the border, the i newspaper’s award-winning investigations correspondent Dean Kirby set out to try to find them.

During his months-long investigation into the former Tory Chairman Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs, which resulted in Zahawi's sacking, Dan Neidle was sent many threatening legal letters. They claimed repeatedly that Zahawi's taxes were in order and he was not under HMRC investigation - claims that we now know to be false.

In this session, openDemocracy's Jenna Corderoy will lift the lid on how she has used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain vital documents for her investigations. She will talk about how and why the FOIA is such a vital tool in holding the powerful to account, and discuss her favourite investigations and stories obtained via the Act.

With a proven track record of producing hard-hitting major network investigations, BAFTA and International Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist Gesbeen (Gesh) Mohammad will share her journey of becoming a documentary filmmaker.

Disasters triggered by climate change are many years in the making, but when they reach critical points the effects can unfold fast. If journalists are to capture and show the impacts of such events on affected communities, they too must act fast.

We are already seeing the impacts of the climate crisis, and many are so wide-ranging and devastating that they are difficult to comprehend. Many journalists are taking the skills and techniques of data journalism and applying these to the disastrous ramifications of climate change.

Recent years have seen significant improvement in both recognition and rhetoric from those in power around the need for action to address the looming impacts of the climate crisis. However, in too many cases, positive words have served only to obscure inaction at best and continued harm at worst.

Across Europe, secretive algorithms are making life-changing decisions about millions of welfare recipients. An international team of journalists led by Lighthouse Reports gained unprecedented access to an AI system designed to predict which welfare recipients were committing fraud.