About FACTA Lab
Environmental journalism increasingly requires journalists to navigate complex scientific evidence, data and contested information, while also understanding the experiences and knowledge of communities directly affected by environmental challenges. In Italy, many environmental stories are produced by freelance journalists and small independent newsrooms, often with limited access to specialised training, resources and editorial support. This can make complex, time-intensive investigations particularly difficult to develop.
FACTA Lab: Environment Uncovered is a training and mentoring programme for 10 early-career professionals based in Italy who want to develop environmental investigations through work with data and scientific evidence, in collaboration with experts and researchers, and by integrating participatory approaches and community-centred journalism.
The training draws on FACTA’s extensive expertise and its methodology, which applies the scientific method to investigative and data journalism.
It combines online sessions, practical exercises, editorial feedback and a full-day in-person workshop in Bologna on 12 November.
- Module 1: Community engagement and needs assessment in environmental journalism
- Module 2: Data and evidence integration in environmental journalism
- Module 3: Community-centred and expert-reviewed environmental journalism
- Module 4: In-person workshop in Bologna
- Module 5: Pitch session
Participants do not need to have a fully defined investigation already: the project can be developed and refined throughout the programme.
They will learn how to formulate investigative questions, assess and integrate scientific data and evidence, work with experts and communities, and develop their own investigation through practical exercises, editorial feedback and mentoring.
The training is in Italian and is aimed at people who live and work in Italy.
👉 Apply to FACTA Lab by 15 October 2026
Fellowship
At the end of the training, two investigation proposals will be selected based on editorial quality, feasibility, relevance and the application of the FACTA methodology.
Each of the selected projects will receive €1,000 in funding and further editorial support from FACTA through to publication.
The other eight participants will complete a structured investigation proposal, which can be further developed or pitched to other media outlets.
Timeline
- September 2026: Programme preparation. Development of the training content, confirmation of trainers and topics, selection criteria, application form, and communication materials.
- 1-15 October 2026: FACTA Lab open call deadline and selection of participants.
- October-November 2026: Online training – four sessions.
- 12 November 2026: In-person workshop in Bologna (travel costs covered by the organisers).
- November-December 2026: Selection of the two fellowship projects and development of the investigations.
- January-February 2027: Publication of the two selected investigations.
Trainers and mentors
Giulia Bonelli. Science journalist, co-founder and Board member of FACTA, with extensive experience in multimedia science journalism. She is a regular contributor to Global Science, the magazine edited by the Italian Space Agency, and has worked on several environmental cross-border investigations. Author of the FACTA newsletter Paludi on underreported environmental issues. She will coordinate the programme and contribute to training and mentoring.
Elisabetta Tola. Science and data journalist, PhD in Microbiology, co-founder and President of FACTA. Chief Editor at Il BO Live and presenter of Radio3Scienza at RAI Radio3, she has coordinated the H2020 ENJOI project, has extensive experience in science and data journalism and has worked on several environmental cross-border investigations. Author of the FACTA newsletter Paludi on underreported environmental issues. She will contribute to training, editorial coordination and mentoring.
Marco Boscolo. Science and data journalist and co-founder of FACTA. He contributes to Il BO Live, LeScienze and RSI, the Swiss national radio in Italian, and is the author of Semi ritrovati and La bianca scienza. He has worked on several environmental cross-border investigations. Author of the FACTA newsletter Paludi on underreported environmental issues. He will contribute to training, mentoring and the development of participants’ investigations.
Francesca Conti. Science journalist, co-founder and Board member of FACTA, with experience in management and business development. She has worked on several European projects, including ENJOI, FEDORA, NEWSERA and COALESCE, managing teams, resources and project implementation. She will contribute to project coordination, training and mentoring.
Mattia Peretti. FACTA consultant, engagement expert, project manager, trainer and facilitator with more than 10 years of international experience in the media sector. He specialises in engagement strategies and community-centred journalism and writes the newsletter News Alchemists. He will lead the community engagement component of the training, mentoring and impact activities.
Open-access toolkit
The project will produce an open-access toolkit, “FACTA Lab: Environment Uncovered. A Practical Guide to Participatory and Expert-Review Environmental Journalism”, documenting the methodology tested throughout the training. It will include the methodological frameworks used in the programme, practical exercises and templates, and case studies drawn from participants’ work. Designed as a reusable resource for journalists, editors and trainers, the toolkit will make the FACTA Lab approach replicable beyond the pilot and support wider collaboration between journalism, science and civil society.
