School of Investigative Journalism in the Regions

A comprehensive educational program designed for Ukrainian journalists in the regions who seek to gain deep knowledge and practical skills in the field of investigative journalism.

Registration form

Free of charge. Selection is competitive.

The program focuses on supporting regional media as a tool for oversight and transparency in the recovery process of Ukraine and is aimed at developing the skills necessary to detect corruption that can hinder the effective use of state and international resources, as well as providing participants with the opportunity to receive comprehensive support from leading experts in investigative journalism, funding for their own investigations, and access to closed discussions and webinars featuring top representatives of the government, anti-corruption sector experts, and journalists.

Who we are looking for:
We invite 35 journalists, editors, media managers, and media professionals who work in regional media or are independent journalists to participate. Our participants should have an interest in investigative journalism, seek to learn new techniques for handling information, and wish to make a significant contribution to their community by exposing corruption and other socially important issues. Participants may work both in newsrooms and independently; the main thing is their commitment to professional values and the desire to improve the quality of content for their audience.

What the School offers:

Training course "Fundamentals of Investigative Journalism"
The course consists of five main modules, each of which covers different aspects of investigative journalism. Each module includes 10-12 lectures, workshops, or practical classes.

10 sectoral workshops on investigative journalism
The program includes 10 thematic workshops that cover investigations in various fields often exposed to corruption risks: energy, construction, ecology, health care, local government, etc. Participants will learn to use tools for data analysis, tracking financial flows, and detecting corruption schemes in a specific sector with the help of experts and representatives of the authorities.

10 closed workshops for the Kyiv Media School community
The program includes a series of monthly sessions that will last for ten months and will be aimed at developing the applied skills of investigative journalists in the modern digital environment. Each session will cover relevant topics, including the use of advanced digital tools, cybersecurity, digital forensics and OSINT, source protection, Big Data, ethical aspects, and storytelling, as well as organizing collaborative investigations. These workshops will include presentations from experts, practical exercises, and discussions that will provide participants with a unique space for experience sharing and skill enhancement in a closed club format, accessible only to school members.

Mentoring support focused on investigations in the regions
During the program, each participant will receive mentoring support from experienced anti-corruption experts and investigators. Mentors will assist in choosing topics, provide recommendations for data collection and analysis, share experiences working with information sources, and consult on legal matters.

Financial support for investigative projects
Within the framework of the School of Investigative Journalism in the regions, participants will not only gain knowledge and skills but will also receive financial support for the implementation of their own anti-corruption and investigative projects. Each student who completes the training and chooses a capstone project topic will receive a scholarship for the implementation and publication of the corresponding material.

Offline Events and Anti-Corruption Conference
As part of the program, four offline events will be held:
- opening of the School for participants, lecturers, mentors, and organizers to get acquainted.
- two-day intermediate offline intensive.
- graduation with the presentation of the investigation results.
- national conference for investigative journalists in the regions.

Why this is important:
Thanks to the School, participants will gain practical skills for quality investigations, which will contribute to the transparency of the recovery processes in Ukraine and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

Participation term in the School:

November 22, 2024 – July 20, 2025

School coordinator:

Mykhailo Tkach is a Ukrainian investigative journalist, head of the investigations department of "Ukrainian Truth".