The Investigative Teaching Lab & Desk

Marcel Metze, founder

The Start, 2011

Creative FundingAvoiding EU-regulations, Dutch governments supported top-league

football clubs with over a billion euros in 15 years

First changes

• Admission age -> 25• One single group project• Workshops (FOIA, Excel, network analysis, etcetera)• Invite alumni• ‘Sensitizing’ literature:• Explaining Hitler (Ron Rosenbaum, 1998)• Open Secrets (Malcolm Gladwell, TNY 2007)• Truth wears off (Jonah Lehrer, TNY 2010)

McKinsey & CoThe consultancy firm promises its clients extreme confidentiality. But it allows alumni to peek across its Chinese Wall, and makes millions by repackaging and reselling sensitive corporate information

Evaluation 2012

• Problems: estimating workload, organizing and planning

• Action:• Toolkit for teamwork

• Templates (research plans, research memo’s, interviews, logs & etc.)• Software tools (Dropbox, Google Docs & Drive, Asana & etc.)

• 4 phase structure:• Introduction, selection of topic, research plan• Main research phase & lacuna session (trace gaps)• Additional research phase• Construction session (storyline) and writing

Evaluation 2014: motive

• Problem: internal tensions in groups 5 & 6• Cause: team dynamics• Action: evaluation of program and process

Evaluation 2014: results

• Structural weaknesses:• Unclear targets and performance criteria• Uncertainty about expected results• Inconsistency between learning and production goals

Evaluation 2014: recommendations

• Explicit definition of good investigative journalism• Describe corresponding methodology• Expand pool of trainers and lecturers• Appoint assistant teacher and program manager• Form advisory council

Dual methodological core

Qualitative methods Quantitative methods

Dual methodological core

Qualitative methods Quantitative methods

naturalistic enquiry data-analysis, surveys, mapping etc.

Observing, Understanding & Explaining

Meaning Action

Observational Description (facts, behavior)Emic Interpretation (eyes of actor)Etic Explanation (analysis)

Investigative Teaching Lab

• Key features:

• Team based approach• The size and scope of societal prob lems, the use of new investi gative methods

and tech niques, the need for multiple narrative styles de mand that journalists learn how to work in multidisci plinary team settings.

• Closer connection with science• Strengthening the methodology and toolkit of investigative journalism by

importing insights, theories and methodologies from science.

Investigative Teaching Lab

• Results:

• 7 editions• 30 participants• 11 continue as investigative journalists• 9 continue as general freelance journalists• 1 returned to commercial radio• 2 were accepted as PhD-candidates• 7 chose other career (university teacher, policy researcher, etc.)

Investigative Teaching Lab

• Results:

• 7 big stories• Most with data-analysis and –visualization• Widespread attention in the Dutch media • Ques tions in parliament• Impact on policy- and decision-making • Nominations and award (alumni)

The Investigative Desk

• Launch: March 2014

• Key features:• We don’t believe in the investigative journalist as a lone wolf • We prefer working in groups of two to six with multiple skills and

disciplines• We use modern data-journalistic techniques and classic journalistic

methods• And we use insights from so cial sciences and ‘interpretative qualitative

research’ methodology.

Example: cost overruns in public ICT

The Amsterdam Financial System:one for every civil servant

Organizing the investigative process

• Pitch• Research plan & team formation• Budget, funding plan, finding media partners• Research• Lacuna session• Further research• Construction session• Writing

Case: Professor Inc.

Case: Professor Inc.

Case: Redefining the professor

Case: Redefining the Professor

Case: Redefining the Professor

Case: Redefining the Professor

Case: Redefining the Professor

Case: Redefining the Professor

The Investigative Desk

• Results year 1:

• 12 major stories e.g.• young African foot ball talents lured to Europe with false prom ises • Dutch fi nancial offshore companies pivot in a fraudulent scheme to

divert profits from the transfer of Rumanian football players• billion-euro losses of the Dutch state gas company • systematic cost overruns in government ICT-projects.

• Project Energy Billions: co-operation with 10 regional media, producing 40 stories & items• 15 projects and 20 partner-projects under development

The Investigative Desk

• Results year 1:

• Widespread attention of other media• Questions in parliament and a parliamentary debate. • Dutch award for investigative journalism, • Nomination for the European Press Prize 2015.

• Financial results:• Budget + 50% (co-funding and project subsidies)

The Investigative Desk

• Prospects:

• Quadrupling of funds and 3-year commitment major donor• Increasing number of media partnerships. • Internationalization