Wednesday, May 23
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
REGISTRATION
Location: Convention Floor Foyer
Thursday, May 24
7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.
REGISTRATION
Location: Convention Floor Foyer
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
CONFERENCE OPENING
Location: Toronto I and II
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
OPENING PLENARY
Location: Toronto I and II
OPENING PLENARY: THE RENDITION OF MAHER ARAR
Maher Arar is one of the best known examples of the U.S. rendition policy. He is a Canadian citizen, taken from a transit lounge in a New York airport, secretly flown by the CIA to Syria where he was tortured and held for more than 10 months. He survived, fought for a public inquiry and was exonerated by the Canadian government. Yet the U.S. still won’t let him fly into or over U.S. airspace.
The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is proud to welcome Maher Arar. Join the journalists who covered him as we discuss and debate how his story was covered and why the narratives that emerged were both powerful and dangerous at the same time.
Moderator: Thomas Walkom, Canada
Panel:
Maher Arar, Canada
Jim Bronskill, Canada
Stephen Grey, U.K.
Kerry Pither, Canada
Day-Long Computer-assisted Reporting (CAR) Workshops:
PLEASE NOTE - For delegates interested in Beginner and Intermediate Computer-assisted Reporting (CAR) day-long workshops being offered on Friday, May 25 (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.) and Saturday, May 26 (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.):
- The location is off-site at Ryerson University, Rogers Communications Centre, 80 Gould Street, Toronto
- Sign-up for Beginner and Intermediate Computer-assisted Reporting (CAR) workshops is on Thursday, May 24 on a first come, first serve basis. The maximum number of places available is 50. Please sign-up at the Registration Desk.
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: INVESTIGATING COLD CASES
How does a journalist do what police failed to do years or decades ago? How do you convince your editor that a story from the past is worth the time and money? Meet the journalists who have followed a civil rights cold case in Mississippi and the case of a 14-year old Canadian wrongly convicted of murder. Learn how to follow leads that have gone cold, find the sources to light fires which can lead to real change.
Moderator: Gavin MacFadyen, U.K.
Panel:
Theresa Burke, Canada
Linden McIntyre, Canada
David Ridgen, Canada
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: HOW TERRORISM TOOLS ARE BEING USED AGAINST JOURNALISTS
The laws put in place in response to the 9/11 attacks were meant to give law enforcement officials the upper hand in the fight against terrorism.
So why are they now being used against journalists? Find out how widespread it is and what journalists are doing to fight back.
Moderator:
Andrew Mitrovica, Canada
Panel:
Maureen Webb, Canada
Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, U.S.
Donovan Webster, U.S.
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto I
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Lismer
WORKSHOP: GETTING OUT FROM UNDER THE SPIN CYCLE
Journalists do their best to avoid being spun, but there a multi-million dollar spin industry exists to keep us off the scent of a good story. As well, sources try to deceive us with misinformation. Learn how message tracks, blocking and bridging and transition phrases work. Hear how to deal with interviewees who are committed to staying on their message tracks and how to avoid the traps of anonymous sources who may well be lying to you.
Workshop Leader: Ira Basen, Canada
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
TOWNHALL
Location: Tom Thomson
TOWNHALL: JUSTICE AND THE MEDIA: A TOWN HALL ON CREATING COMMON GROUND
Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant, last year's winner of the CAJ's Code of Silence Award for the most secretive government department, will make history by being the first recipient to ever show up and receive the dubious award.
This CAJ award is given to politicians and bureaucrats who continue to perfect the art of hiding information, stalling the media and ultimately denying the public valuable information. Ontario’s Attorney General was recognized for imposing the highest fees in the country for public access to court records.
Michael created the Panel on Justice and the Media In 2005 as a forum for representatives of the media and the justice system to engage in a dialogue. In 2006, the Panel made 17 recommendations dealing with openness, education, working in the electronic age, and the ongoing relationship between justice and the media. Michael has committed to implement all of the recommendations that fall within the government's jurisdiction, and will update journalists on the status of these initiatives.
1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: WHEN POLICE AND THE COURTS COME KNOCKING
Disturbingly, police and the courts are looking more frequently to journalists to provide names, tapes, transcripts and documents to bolster an investigation or court case. In recent years several journalists in Canada and the U.S. have been faced with search warrants and subpoenas ordering them to turn over their research or testify in court. Journalists and lawyers discuss where the law stands on journalists’ right to protect their research.
Moderator: Daniel Henry, Canada
PANEL:
Byron Christopher, Canada
Bill Dunphy, Canada
Derek Finkle, Canada
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: INVESTIGATING THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Ever wonder why the world’s pharmaceutical companies have such huge profits? They’re experts at selling us sickness and drugs, even the ones they know can do more harm than good. Learn the latest tricks of big pharma and hear from journalists who make it their business to crack their secrets.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto I
PANEL: INVESTIGATING ORGANIZED CRIME
Staying on top of criminal groups requires knowledge of the intricate networks that make these groups so powerful. Meet the journalists who can show you how to track their movements, uncover their trade secrets and publish what you know, with confidence.
Moderator: Charles Lewis, U.S.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
ROUNDTABLE
Location: Toronto III
ROUNDTABLE: INVESTIGATING POLITICAL CORRUPTION
Power, the intoxicating fuel for ego and wealth. So many times the political environment leads those astray who forget that the money they control is not theirs, but our hard earned taxes. Meet journalists from all over the world who will show you the common traits of political corruption and how to sniff out the dirty deals.
3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
BREAK
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE
Location: Toronto I and II
KEYNOTE – LOWELL BERGMAN: MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER 9/11, WHAT IS THE TRUE THREAT OF AL QAEDA?
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Day-Long Computer-assisted Reporting (CAR) Workshops
* Pre-registration is required on Thursday, May 24 (Conference Registration Desk)
* The location is off-site at Ryerson University, Rogers Communications Centre, 80 Gould Street, Toronto
BEGINNING COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)Computer-assisted reporting has helped break some of the biggest stories of this decade. But it all seems so intimidating. How do you get started?
If you've been wondering how to take that first step, this workshop is for you. Expert instructors will show you how CAR can add depth and context to your reporting. You'll learn the basics of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access, and how you can put them to work when you return to the office after the conference.
This workshop will build on the Beginning CAR session by focusing on database analysis and advanced spreadsheet techniques.
The class will also address some important CAR concepts, such as how to think through a complex data problem and how to make your analysis easy for readers and listeners to understand. It will introduce students to some of the most common data issues and stumbling blocks. Among the skills taught will include grouping, advanced filtering, basic functions and pivot tables.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: STAYING SANE - MANAGING TRAUMA ON INVESTIGATIVE PROJECTS
More and more, journalists are doing their work under extreme conditions – war, terrorism attacks, natural disasters, humanitarian disasters. How do you know when you’re carrying too much emotional and psychological baggage.
Moderator: Robert Frank, Canada9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: INVESTIGATING THE STORIES NO ONE WANTS TOLD
Journalists who follow stories that others ignore or get tired of.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Tom Thomson
WORKSHOP: THE SECRETS OF INTERVIEWING
How do you get people to open up? How do you frame questions in neutral terms to avoid influencing an answer? . Learn when to ask, ‘why’ and when to ask, ‘explain the reasons’ and the reasons this is crucial to your story. This is the art of preparing for interviews, where you learn why good reporting skills are good dating skills
Workshop Leader: David Cay Johnston
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael-Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: DIGGING DEEPER: MASTERING THE WEB AS
AN INVESTIGATIVE TOOL
Julian Sher, the creator of Journalism.net, ranked by Google among the top five journalism sites in the world will help you become a Web master. The web has created a generation of lazy journalists who think by putting in a few keywords in a search engine they have done enough.
Find out what you’re missing, the best tips, tools and tricks to find what you need; how to find reliable news quickly, how to spy on people and the latest free software to make your Web research efficient and organized.
Workshop Leader: Julian Sher, Canada
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Casson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
Social network analysis is a powerful tool for visualizing relationships between people, groups and organizations.
Social scientists have been using social network analysis for decades, but only recently have journalists begun to adopt these same techniques to map the nexuses of power everywhere from city hall to global terrorism networks.
This session will cover the basics of social network analysis and how it can be used to discover hidden connections.
Workshop Leaders: Brant Houston, U.S.
Jennifer LaFleur, U.S.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: CENSUS ANALYSIS
The Census is more than just a population count. Using Canadian census data, learn about the social, demographic and economic information that you can use to tell stories. You will get tips on how to access data down to the neighbourhood level and how to use the data to prepare statistical profiles of these neighbourhoods.
Workshop Leader: John Flanders, Canada
10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
BREAK
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: INVESTIGATING CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY: SPORTS
While most journalists focus on games, fan loyalty, national pride and athletics, others cover the potential for corruption when such huge sums are at stake. Meet top investigative journalists who make it their business to expose the way we’re all getting ripped off in a world where cheating has become the name of the game.
Moderator: Bridget O’Toole, Canada11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: TRACKING U.S. RENDITIONS
British journalist Stephen Grey helped expose the Bush administration’s secret CIA rendition flights.
Fredrik Laurin was part of a team of Swedish TV journalists who tracked the rendition of two Egyptian men from Sweden.
Margot Williams of the New York Times used corporate investigation techniques to get behind the front companies used by the CIA to run its fleet of covert planes..
These journalists mined airport logs, ownership records, and the accounts of amateur planespotters around the world to track the planes that flew the rendition routes to Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Morocco and they’ll give you a flight plan you can follow.
Moderator: Margo Smit, Netherlands
PANEL:
Stephen Grey, U.K.
Fredrik Laurin, Sweden
Margot Williams, U.S.
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: DOING INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CO-PRODUCTIONS
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Casson
PANEL: ETHICS WITHOUT BORDERS
Global journalism ethics – do they exist? What ethical standards are held in common among journalists – for sources – for dealing with police – for paying for information? Join this discussion with journalists and ethics advisors and find out: Is it even possible to talk about common values and practices?
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: CSI INTERNET
Forensic searching on the Web!
Find hidden data in photos, Microsoft Word Documents, HTML and other material. Find the publication date, even when it's not there. Track down what organizations do with your questions by tracking the path of your e-mails. Hear cautionary tales from the BBC and the LA Times.
Workshop Leader: Henk van Ess, Netherlands
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: MAPPING FOR STORIES
Learn how the geographical information systems – statistical mapping – can lead to stories you’d otherwise miss. You’ll see a demonstration of how ArcGIS software helps many journalists add depth and context through spatial analysis, and get a change to give the software a try.
Workshop Leader: David Donald, U.S.
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: BUILDING DATABASES
Using and understanding databases increases the intelligence of your reporting. Learn some tips and tricks and the latest in data analysis. Where to get data, importing, cleaning, and organizing your data. Also how and when to build your own database, good ways to share your data, and essential software.
Workshop Leader: Andrew Bailey, Canada
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Lunch
Location: Toronto I and II
Winners of the CAJ/CIDA Fellowships to Africa describe how they
found their way off the beaten path and followed it to find a story.
2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Roundtable
Location: Toronto I
ROUNDTABLE: BUSINESS MODELS FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ORGANIZATIONS
What do you do when you get fed up with the ups and downs of your organization’s commitment to investigative journalism? Or you realize your organization is never going to have the philosophical or financial commitment to do investigative journalism?
You start your own investigative organization. Impossible? Come see how it’s done from people who are doing investigative journalism in small organizations, in cross-border groups, and independent units that sell their material to the big networks.
Moderator: Brant Houston, U.S.
ROUNDTABLE:
Niloufar Ahmadzadeh, Peru
Aniruddha Bahal, India
Sheila Coronel, Philippines
Ides DeBruyne, Belgium
Henrik Kaufholz, Denmark
Charles Lewis, U.S.
Mark Shapiro, U.S.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: INVESTIGATING AND INFILTRATING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
It has always been difficult to do terrorism stories. But it used to be the stories were always abroad. Since 9/11 the terrorism stories are in our own backyards. Panelists will provide the ‘how to’ of getting sources, tracking recruitment, meetings, radical imams.
Moderator: Linden MacIntyre, Canada
PANEL:
David Kaplan, U.S.
Michelle Shephard, Canada
Lorenzo Vidino, London
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Slavery is alive and well in the modern world. It’s going on right under the noses of governments all over the world.
Thousands of men, women and children are sold into slavery and moved across international borders each year. Come and meet journalists who have done in-depth investigations of these networks and how they trade in human misery. They will show you how to recognize the tracks of human trafficking right in your backyard. It’s a global trade and no community is immune.
Moderator: Anton Koschany, Canada
PANEL:
Zoya Dimitrova, Bulgaria
Ruth Hopkins, Netherlands
Paul Radu, Romania
Sorious Samura, Kenya
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST
How do journalists in one of the world’s most volatile regions go about the business of uncovering the truths behind the conflicts that form so many of our daily headlines? Learn from journalists who have maneuvered their way around the dangers.
Moderator: Anna Maria Tremonti, Canada2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: FORENSIC SURFING
SURFING
The Web is a far more powerful research tool than many of us realize. With some surgical precision and advanced techniques, journalists can dig past quick keyword searches to find invaluable information sitting just below the radar screen.
Workshop Leaders: Joan Sweeney Marsh, Canada
Astrid Lange, Canada
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: ADVANCED MAPPING
Over the past decade, mapping has helped reporters discover news stories that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. The software connects tabular data to physical locations, such as addresses, counties streets and postal codes. The software includes powerful visualization, query and analysis tools that can reveal patterns and trends that would be all but impossible to spot.
In this session, participants will learn how to create simple maps and how to spot trends using the software’s visualization, filtering and analysis tools.
Workshop Leader: Jennifer LaFleur, U.S.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
Using and understanding Greenhouse gas emissions data. The public has made it clear; it wants real information about climate change.
Find out all about greenhouse gas emissions: what they are, how they are produced and how they’re estimated. This workshop will use the emissions data you can get from the Canadian federal government. With good use of examples, get the knowledge you need to better analyze this data and write stories that make sense.
Workshop Leader: Lo Chiang Cheng, Canada
3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
BREAK
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: HOW TO INVESTIGATE IN A CLOSED COMMUNITY
Every country, every culture has communities that for one reason or another are closed or separate from the mainstream. It can be physical separation through isolation, it can be cultural, philosophical or religious.
Find out from reporters who have crossed the barriers just how to get people to trust you enough to tell you their stories.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: DOING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ON TV
This panel dissects the dilemma every television investigative reporter faces. Once the research is done, and you have the goods, how do you translate all that information into television? Meet the experts who will share their trade secrets on how to create the visual narrative that brings to life your investigation.
Moderator: Anton Koschany, Canada
PANEL:
Shelley Jofre, U.K.
Peter Klein, Canada
Sorious Samura, Kenya
Martin Smith, U.S.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: TURN AN INVESTIGATION INTO A BOOK
Meet three writers who found a story that just wouldn’t fit the confines of daily journalism. Find out how to turn your investigation into a book and write a compelling narrative.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: RSS FOR MORTALS
So you hate RSS because you hate information overflow? Think twice.
Control the news flow by controlling RSS. RSS makes it possible for you to have news fed to you instead of searching for it – but it can be overwhelming.
In this session you will learn how to organize information and how to search for great feeds. Monitor how foreign media write about your country, your region or famous persons, even in Chinese or Arabic. Use RSS for background stories, with free commercial license of NewzCrawler, worth $24.95.
Workshop Leader: Henk van Ess, Netherlands
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Casson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: ORGANIZING RESEARCH
Organizing information sounds redundant. However, it’s a skill that must be developed like anything else. Whether its building chronologies, or using search engines to find documents on your desktop, it’s important to have a system in place to store all that material that we collect every day. This workshop will provide concrete suggestions on ways to make your desktop more user friendly.
Workshop Leader: David McKie, Canada
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael-Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: TOP 25 CAR IDEAS
This session is guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. Part seminar, part brain-storming session, part revival meeting - participants will leave with ideas they can apply to their beats, and their newsrooms.
The session will be led by award-winning journalist and CAR guru Jennifer LaFleur, who has helped hundreds of reporters unleash their inner geek.
Workshop Leader: Jennifer LaFleur, U.S.
7 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Music and Mingling
Location: The Boiler House Restaurant, Historic Distillery District
55 Mill Street, Toronto
Saturday, May 26
Day-Long Computer-assisted Reporting (CAR) Workshops
* Pre-registration is required on Thursday, May 24 (Conference Registration Desk)
* The location is off-site at Ryerson University, Rogers Communications Centre, 80 Gould Street, Toronto
BEGINNING COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Computer-assisted reporting has helped break some of the biggest stories of this decade. But it all seems so intimidating. How do you get started?
If you've been wondering how to take that first step, this workshop is for you. Expert instructors will show you how CAR can add depth and context to your reporting. You'll learn the basics of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access, and how you can put them to work when you return to the office after the conference.
This workshop will build on the Beginning CAR session by focusing on database analysis and advanced spreadsheet techniques.
The class will also address some important CAR concepts, such as how to think through a complex data problem and how to make your analysis easy for readers and listeners to understand. It will introduce students to some of the most common data issues and stumbling blocks. Among the skills taught will include grouping, advanced filtering, basic functions and pivot tables.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Toronto III
WORKSHOP: TRACKING MILITANT ISLAMIST WEBSITES
Hoda Osman, formerly of ABC News Investigative unit will show how terrorists are using the Internet. She will give you practical information on how to find them, navigate and search them and verify the credibility of some of what's posted on those militant forums.
Workshop Leader: Hoda Osman, U.S.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Toronto II
WORKSHOP: HOW TO BACKGROUND PEOPLE
Journalists aren't the only ones who dig deep for the details. Private investigators do much the same kind of research that journalists do every day. But they bring a different perspective - and different tools - to the task. Kevin Bousquet, a licensed private investigator, shares the hidden tricks of his trade and how they turn up prized information on companies.
Workshop Leader: Kevin Bousquet, Canada
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto I
PANEL: GETTING THE VISUAL FOR TELEVISION AND PRINT
Doing investigative stories is dangerous. Doing these stories with a camera in tow makes a dangerous situation worse and creates its own set of challenges. Find out how the best investigative television reporters surmounted their problems and got their tape out of some very dangerous places to shine the light on stories that needed to be told.
Moderator: Margo Smit, Netherlands9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Casson
WORKSHOP: THE POWER OF ONE
How to make sense of numbers for readers by reducing huge numbers beginning with T, B and even M, to just one dollar/pound/etc. The reasons that numbers have meaning only in relation to other numbers. How to find and develop numbers to give perspective to stories.
Workshop Leader: David Cay Johnston, U.S.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael-Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: GO BEYOND GOOGLE
So you know Google and you consider yourself an experienced searcher?
This workshop teaches you a simple, but powerful method to find hidden databases on the Web, regardless of the topic. Forget your knowledge about the web. Empty your head. Go Zen. Only the humble will find hidden gems without effort. Experience the great paradox: Find new information with Google that isn't in Google.
Workshop Leader: Henk van Ess, Netherlands
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Tom Thomson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: RECORD KEEPING
How do you collect and store notes, phone numbers, documents, websites, recorded conversations and other findings on your PC? What kind of (free) software is out there? What are the latest techniques to make your life easy?
Workshop Leader: Luuk Sengers, Netherlands
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: GETTING THE DATA
Getting access to secret data inside governments is mostly a question of persistence, tactic and the noble art of negotiation. That attitude for getting the data is the same from country to country.
Workshop Leaders: David McKie, Canada
Fred Vallance-Jones, Canada
10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
BREAK
11a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: FOLLOWING THE MONEY INTERNATIONALLY
Many local businesses do business internationally. How do you track them without leaving town? Find out where to look, what to ask for and how to get help from your colleagues half a world away.
Moderator: Harvey Cashore, Canada
PANEL:
Silvia Gereda, Guatemala
Paul Radu, Romania
Al Rosen, Canada
Drew Sullivan, Bosnia-Herzegovina
11a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: CENSOR THIS: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM WHEN THE STATE TURNS ON YOU
Journalists will share their tips for getting around laws, restrictions, harassment, seizure and risk of arrest.
Moderator: Bob Carty, Canada11a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Harris
PANEL: DOING INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CO-PRODUCTIONS
Journalists across the globe are working together on investigative projects. Meet some of Europe’s top journalists to discuss how they collaborated across borders and language barriers.
Moderator: Maud Beelman, U.S.
PANEL:
Brigitte Alfter, Belgium
Stefan Candea, Romania
Fredrik Laurin, Sweden
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
WORKSHOP
Location: Casson
PANEL: CRITICAL THINKING
How do you get beyond the spin of words and numbers and read between the lines to see what information is real and what is manufactured.
Join Renée Pellerin and find out how to train your thinking to be critical and original, in an environment where so much of what is thrown at journalists is designed to fool us.
Workshop Leader: Renée Pellerin, Canada
11a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: MacDonald
PANEL: THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION - BEING COVERED BY THE MEDIA
What’s it like to have hordes of journalist show up on your doorstep when you’ve only just found out you lost your child?
What’s it like to have a reporter call you about something you most want to forget or when you just want to hide to nurse your sorrow?
Meet those people you approach as interviews or sources and walk in their shoes to learn what you could do better.
Moderator: Gillian Findlay, Canada11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Lismer
PANEL: INVESTIGATING ABORIGINAL ISSUES
How do we in the media affect how aboriginal people are treated by others? Do we influence the very outcomes we deplore and condemn in our writing?
Meet an activist lawyer who both fought to protect his clients and expose their stories at the same time.
Meet the journalists from Canada and Australia who have dared to tell the aboriginal stories and learn how they keep doing it even after the pressure they faced from their fellow journalists.
Moderator: Carla Robinson, Canada11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: FORENSIC SURFING
The Web is a far more powerful research tool than many of us realize. With some surgical precision and advanced techniques, journalists can dig past quick keyword searches to find often invaluable information sitting just below the radar screen.
Workshop Leaders: Joan Sweeney Marsh, Canada
Astrid Lange, Canada
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: U.S. SECRET ARCHIVES
Journalists around the world can dig into American archives if they know where to look and what pitfalls to avoid.
This session will examine how you can request and receive documents from U.S. archives in a step-by-step approach any journalist can follow. And you’ll be surprised how much information on your country is held in these archives.
Workshop Leader: Alexenia Dimitrova, Bulgaria
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR): LIBEL-PROOFING YOUR CAR INVESTIGATION
The numbers have been crunched, the documents have been read and the interviews are done – but is the story libel-proof?
Tips on how to ensure CAR stories are complete and will stand up to legal scrutiny. We’ll demystify defamation law and explore the impact of recent British rulings that promise to protect “responsible journalism” here in Canada.
Workshop Leaders: Robert Cribb, Canada
Dean Jobb, Canada
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
LUNCH
Location: Toronto I and II
KEYNOTE
What is the role of Investigative Journalism in a Global World?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
ROUNDTABLE
Location: Toronto I
ROUNDTABLE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI) AROUND THE WORLD
A roundtable discussion about the declining state of FOI laws in Europe and North America and the fight for FOI laws in other parts of the world.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: CHASING NUCLEAR SECRETS AND SMALL ARMS
How to investigate the shadowy world of conventional arms and nuclear technology.
Moderator: Mark Schapiro, U.S.2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: GOING UNDERCOVER TO GET A STORY
When should you consider going undercover? What is involved – the risks, the isolation? The material you can gather can be powerful.
Moderator: Robert Cribb, Canada2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: INVESTIGATING THE RESOURCE INDUSTRY
How to look into the environmental, safety and business practices of one of the big economic engines.
Moderator: John Nicol, Canada
PANEL:
Sage Gayalo, DR Congo
Stanimir Kumurdjiev, Bulgaria
Hilary Mbobe, Milawi
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: CSI INTERNET
Forensic searching on the Web! Find hidden data in photos, Microsoft Word Documents, HTML and other material.
Find the publication date, even when it's not there. Track down what organizations do with your questions by tracking the path of your e-mails. With great examples from the BBC and the LA Times.
Workshop Leader: Henk van Ess, Netherlands
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The basis for all good research, compiled into three techniques:
Workshop Leader: Luuk Sengers, Netherlands
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: WEB SCRAPING
The Web is an indispensable tool for reporting, but all too often what works for the designer does not work for the journalist.
Finding that key nugget of information in a sea of pages or search results can range from the frustratingly tedious to the downright impossible.
Web scraping makes these tasks close to trivial.
This session will introduce the basic concepts of Web scraping using a scripting language called Perl. Participants will learn how to automate their searches, filter through results and extract data from Web pages into structured database- or spreadsheet-readable formats. No programming background is required, but participants should have basic knowledge in using relational database programs such as Access or FoxPro.
Workshop Leader: Aron Pilhofer, U.S.
3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
BREAK
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: INVESTIGATING THE WRONGLY CONVICTED
Journalists hear it all the time from the convicted, ‘I’m innocent’. How do you know who is innocent and who isn’t? How do you even begin to investigate a crime or a person the police investigated and the courts have convicted? Get the answers from the people who have done all that, including starting a grassroots organization to clear the names of the wrongly convicted.
Moderator: Cecil Rosner, Canada
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: EMERGING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM COUNTRIES
Come hear from people who are trying to establish an investigative culture in their country, their city, and their newsroom. Hear from others who are further along that road. Share your experiences.
Moderator: Pia Thordsen, Denmark
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: INVESTIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Companies are global, know international laws and adjust accordingly. But you can track how companies who might paint a rosy image at home are often leaving behind a trail of environmental disaster.
Meet the journalists who can introduce you to the networks of reporters across the globe who can help you make those connections and give new edge to your stories on the environment.
Moderator: Paul Jay, Canada4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: ADVANCED INTERNET
As journalists often look for particular bits of information, they need to use advanced search syntax competently and think like search engines do. Google and other search engines offer tools which can help you tailor your searches very precisely when looking for web pages, documents and blogs.
Workshop Leader: Nevena Ršumović, Bosnia-Herzegovina
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
Social network analysis is a powerful tool for visualizing relationships between people, groups and organizations.
Social scientists have been using social network analysis for decades, but only recently have journalists begun to adopt these same techniques to map the nexuses of power everywhere from city hall to global terrorism networks.
This session will cover the basics of social network analysis and how it can be used to discover hidden connections.
Workshop Leader: Brant Houston, U.S.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: BUILDING DATABASES
Using and understanding databases increases the intelligence of your reporting. Learn some tips and tricks and the latest in data analysis. Where to get data, importing, cleaning, and organizing your data. Also how and when to build your own database, good ways to share your data, and essential software.
Workshop Leader: Andrew Bailey, Canada
6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Location: Convention Floor Foyer
7 p.m. - 10 p.m.
A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE
THE CAJ AWARDS BANQUET
Toronto I, II and III
Hosts: Bernie McNamee and Beverly Thomson
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto II
PANEL: HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR STORY ALIVE IN A CONFLICT ZONE
Most journalists learn how to keep safe by working with more experienced colleagues or by watching others make mistakes. Journalists who have been in many conflicts and disasters share their tips and tricks for survival.
Moderator: Avril Benoit, Canada
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Toronto III
PANEL: HOW TO GET GOING WHEN YOU LAND IN A STRANGE PLACE
Disaster strikes, a story breaks and within hours you are somewhere you’ve never been before – expected to get a handle on the situation and file a story within hours. Find out how to land on your feet and find the people you need to tell the story.
Moderator: John Nicol, Canada.10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
PANEL
Location: Tom Thomson
PANEL: HOW TO TELL IF SOMEONE IS LYING
Experts outside the field of journalism share their secrets in ferreting out the liars.
Moderator: Terry Gould, Canada10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CAR)
Location: Carmichael
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: U.S. SECRET ARCHIVES
Journalists around the world can dig into American archives if they know where to look and what pitfalls to avoid. This session will examine how you can request and receive documents from U.S. archives in a step-by-step approach any journalist can follow. And you’ll be surprised how much information on your country is held in these archives.
Workshop Leader: Alexenia Dimitrovia, Bulgaria
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CARS)
Location: Jackson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: MAPPING FOR STORIES
Learn how the geographical information systems – statistical mapping – can lead to stories you’d otherwise miss. You’ll see a demonstration of how ArcGIS software helps many journalists add depth and context through spatial analysis and get a chance to give the software a try.
Workshop Leader: David Donald, U.S.
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CARS)
Location: Varley
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: TOP 25 CAR IDEAS
This session is guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. Part seminar, part brain-storming session, part revival meeting - participants will leave with ideas they can apply to their beats, and their newsrooms right away. The session will be led by award-winning journalist and CAR guru Jennifer LaFleur, who has helped hundreds of reporters unleash their inner geek.
Workshop Leader: Jennifer LaFleur, U.S.
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING (CARS)
Location: Casson
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING: SEARCH TRENDS 2007
The latest search trends for journalists. How to build your own search machines for your own specialties. The newest intelligent agents, the best new Google tricks of 2007, the newest services. Extra: using Desktop Search to get scoops.
Workshop Leader: Henk van Ess, Netherlands
11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
BREAK
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Toronto I, II and III
KEYNOTE
Charting Your Own Path
Sally Armstrong
Sally Armstrong talks about her unique form of investigative journalism that has put her ahead of the curve on many fronts for decades.
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Toronto I, II and III
Brunch - Conference Closes
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