From September through October of 2026, participants will learn the fundamentals of investigative journalism, open-source intelligence (OSINT), data journalism, fact-checking and verification in environments of censorship, storytelling, and video reporting. Well-known investigative journalists from three partner news organizations will lead the sessions in Russian, Azerbaijani, and English.
The program will conclude with a project pitch session at the end of October. Participants who are selected based on their pitches will receive a €1,500 grant to carry out and publish their projects, as well as editorial support from one of the partner media outlets. Upon completion of the program, all participants will be eligible to apply for the in-person Summer School on Collaborative Journalism, which is scheduled to take place in June 2027.
No investigative experience is required. Applications are reviewed by a partner organization in the applicant’s country. Participants working in high-risk environments may join under a pseudonym and keep their camera turned off to protect their identity.
Application deadline: August 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CET
To learn more and apply, visit: https://jinn-media.org/mrl2026-trainings.
The program is being implemented with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office as part of the Civil Society Cooperation program.
