This initiative will function as an investigative journalism incubator, supporting up to 10 selected journalists who will enter the programme with concrete environmental story ideas or thematic interests. Through an intensive training workshop, participants will develop their investigation proposals, strengthen their investigative methodologies, and receive guidance on cross-border collaboration, data collection, environmental reporting, and storytelling. The first phase of editorial mentoring will also begin during the intensive workshop in Ohrid, where participants will receive direct feedback and guidance from experienced editors on refining their investigative ideas.
Following the training, participants will benefit from a three-month online mentorship phase with experienced BIRN editors, receiving regular editorial support to advance their investigations towards publication. Selected stories will receive production support to enable field reporting, data gathering, and completion of cross-border investigations.
Timeline
- June–August 2026: Preparation, promotion of the open call, and selection of participants;
- August 2026: Intensive training workshop in Ohrid, North Macedonia, including the development of investigation proposals and initial editorial mentoring;
- October 2026–February 2027: Online mentorship, reporting, and production phase;
- January–March 2027: Publication, dissemination, and promotion of completed investigations.
Trainers/Mentors
- Diego Arguedas Ortiz is a Costa Rican climate journalist and specialist in climate communication. He founded Ojo al Clima, Central America’s first climate-focused journalism platform, and has extensive experience reporting on climate change, environmental issues, and the human impact of the climate crisis.
- Blake Morrison is an investigative projects editor at Reuters, based in New York, where he leads high-impact investigative reporting projects. He specializes in accountability journalism and supports journalists in developing impactful investigations, including those focused on environmental issues, corporate responsibility, and public interest challenges.
- Besar Likmeta is an investigative journalist and editor of BIRN Albania with more than two decades of experience in accountability reporting. His work covers corruption, governance, and environmental issues, including investigations into natural resource management and the impact of weak institutions on environmental protection.
- Additional external trainers and experts specialising in environmental journalism, data journalism, and open-source intelligence will be engaged for specific training sessions.
The intensive training workshop will take place in Ohrid, North Macedonia. The initial editorial mentoring and development of investigation ideas will be conducted during the workshop, while the follow-up mentorship phase will be conducted online, connecting participants and mentors throughout the reporting and production process.
