BISS Berlin Investigative Summer School

Unsere 3. Berlin International Summer School (BISS) bietet dir die Möglichkeit, wichtige Fähigkeiten zu erlernen und leistungsstarke Werkzeuge zu entdecken, die dir neue Möglichkeiten für erfolgreiche Recherche eröffnen. Du wirst mit einigen der besten investigativen Rechercheure und Trainer zusammenarbeiten. Wir haben die besten Referenten internationaler Konferenzen – wie beispielsweise der Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) – gefragt, ob sie bereit wären, die Teilnehmer ein oder zwei Tage lang zu schulen, anstatt nur maximal 90 Minuten lang auf einer Konferenz zu sprechen. Sie alle haben zugestimmt, und so freuen wir uns, die dritte Berlin Investigative Summer School (BISS) präsentieren zu können.

Our 3rd Berlin International Summer School (BISS) offers you the chance, to learn important skills and discover strong tools that will open up new possibilities for successful research. You will work with some of the best investigative researchers and trainers. We asked the best speakers at international conferences – such as the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) – if they would like to train participants for a day or two, rather than just speak for a maximum of 90 minutes at a conference. They all agreed, and so we are delighted to present the third Berlin Investigative Summer School (BISS).

The host,  Berlin Journalism School (BJS), is a non-profit organisation that has been training journalists since 1989. With Berlin as an international hub for investigators in journalism and NGOs, we are offering this programme in English. It is open to investigative journalists from around the world, the seminars will be held in presence.

Teilnahmegebühren:

BISS komplett: 2850 Euro (Mitglieder vom Netzwerk Recherche: 1750 Euro)

Jeder Workshoptag: 280 Euro (Mitglieder vom Netzwerk Recherche: 190 Euro)

Es kommt keine Umsatzsteuer hinzu.

Booking: 

Das Buchungsportal wird am 4. Dezember geöffnet. Bis dahin merken wir euch gerne vor, wenn ihr eine E Email mit euren Seminaren an [email protected] schickt.

Die Teilnehmerzahl ist für jeden Kurs auf 12 begrenzt. 

A seminar of the BJS Berliner Journalistenschule gUG. Please read our terms and conditions here and our data protection information here.

• 01./02. Juni: Storybased inquiry - (Luuk Sengers)
• 03. Juni: Investigatives interviewing - Lecturer: Marcus Lindemann
• 04. Juni: Offene Geheimnisse, Bilanzen mit Leichtigkeit lesen (Nikolaj Schmolcke)
• 05. Juni: Mastering Investigative Research: Combining data, OSINT and storytelling for impactful journalism - (Christina Brause)
• 06. Juni: Investigate crypto- lecturer (Rebecca Zinke)
• 08. Juni: Investigations online -  (Henk van Ess)
• 09. Juni: AI in investigations - (Henk van Ess)
• 10. Juni: Darknet-research (Daniel Moßbrucker)
• 11. Juni: Verification (Jan Ludwig)

Bei den mit "vorläufig" gekennzeichneten Kursen können sich die Termine noch verschieben.

Ausführliches Programm / Program in detail here.

Story-Based inquiry:

Luuk Sengers is one of the founders of Story-Based Inquiry and an experienced teacher in the field of investigative journalism. He is also a contributing writer for De Groene Amsterdammer, an influential weekly magazine in The Netherlands. He specializes in data journalism and the assaults of large corporations on the climate and environment.

Content:

STORY-BASED INQUIRY: A METHOD IN THE MADNESS

Story-Based Inquiry is a thoughtful method for starting, organising, documenting and presenting an investigative story. Whether you try to manage yourself or a team, this combination of proven techniques and best practices will make you more efficient and effective. Since its first publication by UNESCO in 2009, thousands of journalists and researchers from NGOs have successfully applied the method. It can be used for feature writing or documentary filmmaking as well as reportage. Its language and approach have been integrated into leading journalism organisations and NGOs worldwide, including Netzwerk Recherche.

Investigative interviewing: 

Lecturer tba. 

Content: This is about how to turn strangers into sources by reconsidering investigative interviewing. Interview techniques tend to focus on on-the-record conversations and the objective of obtaining quotes. When it comes to approaching strangers to become sources (investigative interviewing), the rules are completely different. This training will inspire you to rethink ways of approaching possible sources. It covers everything you need to know about the human side of investigative reporting. The workshop will enable you to win the cooperation of sources and to report deeply on important wrongdoing. No investigative reporting experience is necessary and all levels of prior knowledge are welcome.

Offene Geheimnisse, Bilanzen mit Leichtigkeit lesen

Nikolaj Schmolcke ist Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und Bilanztrainer mit breiter Unternehmenserfahrung. Er hat unter anderem für die Lufthansa Group (dabei 6 Jahre als CFO), Price Waterhouse Coopers und Vapiano gearbeitet. Er trainiert Manager, Berater, Aufsichtsräte und Juristen in der Kunst, Bilanzen zu lesen.

Investigation online:

Henk van Ess is one of the leading minds on how to search the web. He will share his best tricks, teach participants how to think like a search engine and lead them to a better understanding of the web and its algorithms.

AI in investigations:

Everyone is talking about AI. But it needs Henk van Ess to make good, if not the best, use of it for investigations purposes. He will show you his ideas and the best tools available. He will probably (again) announce his resignation after this workshop, because he could be replaced by AI. But we are sure that Henk will continue and develop faster than any AI can imagine.  

Researching Crypto:

Rebecca Zinke is a IT and Forensics expert und Mitgründern von Verinox Forensic (Digital Forenics & Digital Investigations). Bis Anfang des Jahres hat sie für Deloitte gearbeitet, zuletzt als Senior Managerin Forensic Technology. Zuvor war sie head of the IT-Forensics and Investigations Lab bei  Phalanx-IT.

Content: Crypto is not as anonymous as most people think. Rebecca Zinke will show you the best insights to investigate crypto with free tools. She will also show what paid tools can add to your investigation and where it is best to co-operate with experts.

Mastering Investigative Research:

Combining Data, OSINT, and Storytelling for impactful Journalism.

Christina Brause is an award winning investigative data journalist. She is Investigator in Residence at the business data research company North Data, where she combines data analysis and investigative techniques to uncover hidden connections and patterns across industries.

Content: In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, investigative journalism demands a seamless integration of data analysis, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and on-the-ground reporting to uncover hidden truths and deliver compelling narratives. This workshop is designed to equip journalists with the skills to effectively combine these elements, organize their investigations, and leverage cutting-edge tools to enhance their reporting.

Participants will explore theoretical frameworks by analyzing articles that successfully merge data, OSINT, and investigative techniques. They will learn how these components interact to drive impactful investigations. Practical sessions will focus on strategies to stay organized, manage newsroom collaboration, and access resources even in teams lacking technical expertise. Attendees will also gain insights into essential tools.

Whether you’re working in a small newsroom or tackling large-scale investigations, this workshop will provide actionable methods and resources to elevate your journalistic practice.

Verification:

Jan Ludwig ist Leiter des OSINT-Teams der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). Zuvor war er im Auftrag der dpa OSINT Recherchetrainer in Deutschland und im internationalen Raum. 2023 War er Arthur-F.-Burns-Fellow im Visual-Forensic-Team der Washington Post.

How to geolocate and chronolocate stuff you find on social media 

When posting pictures and videos online, many people are not aware of the amount of information they give away. While it is certainly a bad thing when it comes to privacy, investigative journalists can exploit this in order to find out more about persons of interest.

In this session, we will delve into several tools and techniques on how to geolocate and chronolocate images and videos. We will use simple OCR, analyze shadows, measure the moon, and pinpoint the location of a photographer by triangulating it. While this might sound complicated for those who are new to this, all it actually takes is patience, inquisitiveness, and the memory of some laws of physics we all learned in middle school. After completing the session, you will not look at images the way you looked at them before – and certainly refrain from posting too much information in the future.

Investigating the darknet:

Daniel Moßbrucker lives and works in Berlin as a journalist specialising in surveillance, data protection and internet regulation. In 2022, he was awarded the Otto Brenner Prize for innovative media projects with a team from NDR and "Spiegel" for his darknet research into paedophile crime.

Content: The "darknet" is often the subject of journalistic reports - but hardly any journalists have ever been there themselves. This workshop provides insights into the "dark side of the internet". 

Its aim is to enable journalists to report from the darknet in future by researching it themselves. The training is practically orientated and shows participants how to access the darknet themselves, where it is worth researching and which communication strategies are promising. In addition to practical tips, the technical basics of encryption and anonymisation are also discussed, so that participants can also learn something "en passant" to strengthen their own digital security.

The focus is on research in criminal milieus - cybercrime, drug and arms trafficking, product piracy - but the seminar also sheds light on why darknet technologies can be vital for media professionals in repressive environments in some areas. (Note: The colloquial term "darknet" is understood in the seminar as onion services in the Tor network; other darknets are only discussed in passing).

Participation may be particularly worthwhile for people whose work involves researching the topics of cybercrime, political extremism, drug and arms trafficking or product piracy. (The topic of paedocrime will be discussed, but for ethical and legal reasons will not be explored in depth in practical exercises).

Key questions:

• How does the darknet work and why does it guarantee technical anonymity?
• How do you access the Darknet? Which research strategies are promising?
• How do you communicate in encrypted form on the darknet?
• What legal and professional ethical questions do journalists face when conducting research?
• What role do digital cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Monero play on the darknet and how can they be used for research in blockchains?
• How do you work with the live operating system Tails?
• What potential do darknet technologies offer for journalism in politically repressive countries and in Germany?

On the second day of the workshop, the topics of the first day will be deepened with further exercises. Participants will also receive an introduction to the anonymous Tails operating system, which is indispensable for professional darknet research. Previous knowledge of Tails is not necessary.

Technical requirements:

Participants must bring at least one laptop on which the Tor browser can be installed and used. A second laptop on which "Tails" can be used in parallel is recommended for the second workshop day. Furthermore, all participants of the second workshop day are asked to bring an empty USB stick (at least 4 GB).