Data Journalism, Storytelling, and Investigative Techniques on Environmental Issues

It focuses on data journalism, which enhances credibility as it relies on publicly available data, combined with storytelling, to make data attractive.

Around 30 journalists took part in the first training in January 2024. 

Further on, Crina Boroș has been coordinating the projects’ reporting efforts. A team of 7 journalists pooled from PressHub’s country-wide local and regional press organisations have been placed under her coordination and supervision: Ruxandra Hurezean, Razvan Chiruta, Ramona Rosulescu, Georgiana Anghel, Virgil Burla, Bianca Iacob and Stefan Borcea.

During the first in-house know-how briefing session Agent Green, an NGO advocating against illegal logging and excessive bear hunting, briefed the journalists about cruelty in live animal shipping from Romania abroad, as well as the little economic sense this matter makes.

On the second in-house know-how briefing session an expert from Greenpeace Romania, Ciprian Gal, briefed the journalists on illegal logging, as well as other environmental mismanagement episodes whose responsibility lie with Romania’s central and local government entities. 

He was joined by Dan Trifu, Eco Civica president, a watchdog foundation that leads the green battle for preserving green spaces in urban areas, addresses waste-related matters, and that strives to create environmentally-vigilant communities. Trifu also has an impressive number of legal lawsuits against publicly-fundedinstitutions, which we aim develop in a visualised material. 

Reporters found the briefings very useful. The experts have stated their openness to continue helping PressHub’senvironmental reporting initiative. We have been in continuous touch with the experts. 

Moreover, there have been weekly editorial meetings, coaching people on the job in addressing data reporting, in particular institutional management and transparency requests.