Founders of Lost in Europe Geesje van Haren and Sanne Terlingen have been writing with 29 other journalists on the Handbook for Investigative Journalists in The Netherlands. They are very proud to show you this book for the 17th day of our Advent Calendar.
Geesje wrote a contribution in two chapters in this manual. The first one is about how to find subsidies for investigative journalism. ‘Earning funds in investigative journalism is quite hard. Especially for start-up journalists. However, the government and quite a few private bodies do recognise that in-depth journalism has great social importance. That is why they encourage this form of journalism with grants. But, each body has its own objectives and rules,’ she says.
Geesje her second contribution in the handbook is about cross-border collaboration, which is ‘way more than a buzz-word in investigative journalism these days’, as featured in the book. ‘It is a necessary way to stay relevant; to make a fist against rulers, (political) currents and companies who are more influential than one newspaper or tv-show’.
Sanne wrote about how to interview vulnerable sources. People traumatised by war, by having to flee, or by sexual violence. ‘Few journalistic tasks are as important and as ethically challenging as the coverage of migration, modern slavery and (sexual) exploitation. Too often, survivors are only seen as victims, while they are actually the key witnesses of major events. Events that are not properly documented in the paper trails that journalists usually work with. As journalists continue to cover these stories, it can be helpful to have an understanding of how to interview survivors of these types of issues’.
Curious about this book of 512 pages full with tips, tricks, and information about the world behind investigative journalism? Read more about the handbook via this link and buy it at most of the (Dutch) online bookstores.
As an extra gift today, we are happy to announce that Lost in Europe will be launching gamified e-learning for Investigative Journalism in the springtime of 2023. There participants can learn about what is news, how to conduct investigative journalism, ethical dilemmas and get access to helpful sources and more, by earning stars and doing exercises. The launch will be announced via this newsletter.
