First day on Investigative Internet Journalism Training

The first day on investigative internet training started by introduction from participants, the place we are working, how we are connected with this training and what is our expectation.

The facilitator introduced us (participants) the aim of training. These are to practice more investigative fact-finding procedures and to produce and develop journalistic stories based on the research.

We got welcome note to officiate this training from the Second Secretary of the Finland Embassy in Tanzania Mr. Jussi Nummein.

Then, facilitator thought us how to open blog. Every participant was able to open his/her own blog and it was used to post our assignment about our introduction.

We studied about what is investigative internet journalism, starting with the introduction of what is investigative journalism. The definition of the term investigative journalism was found by searching different search engines such us:-

• www.google.com
• www.wikipedia.org
• http://investigative-journalism-africa-info
• Through the news manual search

So longer us the philosophy of the training is “learning by doing” with a very participatory approach. The facilitator showed us different search engines for investigative journalism which we were also searching. These are:-

• www.rthk.org.hk for a Centre of investigative reporting by Alan Knight
• www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda on how investigative journalism makes a use of internet.
• www.mashable.com/2012/11/24 about how investigative journalism is prospering in the age of social media. Mashable Social Media.
• www.wikileaksd.org for Wiki Leaks
• www.blogs.dispatch.co.za/schools

The facilitator introduced as the characteristics of investigative reporter such as curiosity, passion, initiative, logical thinking, fair and balance. And also the procedures to be taken before starting your investigation via internet. Some tips are to think first what you want to search, where to find it, is it though Google or by using specific website, to quote the source and to plan how to use the time for searching, writing, editing the text and checking facts and delivering the final story.

The use of favorites and how to delete it when you are no longer in need of it was also a part of study.

At the end of the day we do practical by searching some information. Such as the population of Iringa, the name of the President of Mali, contacts of Tanzania National Park (TANAPA), top goal score in English Premier League as well as the CCM Chairman Jakaya Kikwete quote at UWT meeting. These were done through Google in a simple, more search tools and advanced search.

I enjoyed participatory approach used in the training, learning by doing, activeness of the internet and also being familiar with new search engines for investigative journalism such as www.rthk.org.hk, www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda, www.mashable.com/2012/11/24, www.blogs.dispatch.co.za/schools because I was not aware with it. So by being familiar with this website was a part of learning. I learn also on how to use favorite. Otherwise other things were not new for me because I learn them in previous internet training.

I didn’t like the way time was handled by participants, some of us were late so the facilitator decided to wait for a complete number in order to start training. At the end of the first day the facilitator emphasized us to come earlier in the next day.

By conclusion, the first day was useful for me because I benefited a lot on how to investigate information via internet.  The challenge ahead is that; is this training will be taken into practice by the participants especially by continuing posting stories in blog?