Environmental Investigative Teaching Lab

The Investigative Desk invites candidates from European countries to participate in an environmental research project, which receives financial support from Journalismfund Europe.

Five chosen participants, coached by experienced investigative journalists, will spend two days per week on theoretical sessions, literature sessions, workshops from external experts and - most importantly - on carrying out a collective investigative project. 

The basic Lab trajectory lasts four months. The international extension will run partly in parallel with the basic trajectory, and last for two months, from mid-March to mid-May 2025.

Deadline to apply for this course is 28 February, 2025.

HOW TO APPLY: If you are interested in participating, please send a motivation letter, a CV and a few samples of your work (in pdf format) to desk [at] investigativedesk.com (desk[at]investigativedesk[dot]com) with the subject line Environmental Investigative Teaching Lab.

This course is the international extension of an 18-weeks lab The Investigative Desk runs for Dutch investigative journalists.

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Participants of the Environmental Investigative Teaching Lab will acquire a number of specific skills:  

• how to develop a journalistic specialisation (in this case: environmental journalism),
• how  to set up, carry out and manage a research project,
• how to organise investigative teamwork,
• how to  finance international journalistic investigations,
• how to create compelling stories from investigative research.

The course participants will receive some financial support, which is provided by Journalismfund Europe.

Coaches and workshops

The Investigative Desk editor-in-chief Marcel Metze will take care of the theoretical track of the program. Marcel has a track record as an investigative journalist of 45 years. 

In addition, the research lab participants will benefit from experience of two more coaches:

Irene van den Berg (1978) has been an independent journalist since 2006. For The Investigative Desk, she works on research into the food and tobacco industry, and into the pharma & health sector.

Huub Jaspers is an award-winning investigative journalist, who worked for nearly thirty years for Argos, a well known Dutch radio and television show. Jaspers cooperated in many international investigative projects with big media like ZDF, WDR, Washington Post, German national magazines and newspapers.    

Further, invited external trainers will give workshops on data skills, critical reading of scientific articles and reports, cross-border research, basic knowledge of toxic chemicals and their risks)

For further questions you may reach out to Marcel Metze:
metze [at] investigativedesk.com (metze[at]investigativedesk[dot]com)