This 10-day initiative, which will take place at the Hyatt Centric Montevideo hotel, aims to provide intensive training to local journalists in the methods and art of quality investigative journalism.
This program is designed for journalists who have at least two years of professional experience and are interested in improving their investigative skills.
Applicants must submit a research proposal to the Academic Coordination Office when applying. The selection of participants will also take into account their background and their professional and academic résumés.
About the program
In the tradition of good journalism, it has always been regarded—and even held in high esteem—as a guardian of democracy. However, the reality is that professional investigative journalism is becoming increasingly rare: in Uruguay, it is practically non-existent, with few examples and even fewer results.
This is, in part, a result of the media ecosystem itself, of the business model that the communications industry and professional journalism have rapidly adopted over the past few decades, but also because investigative journalism occupies a marginal place in communications programs and requires specific practices and techniques in unique contexts and circumstances—ones for which there is rarely time.
Through this seminar, Universidad ORT Uruguay to promote a gradual shift in the outcomes of local investigative journalism and its impact on society.
Brian Majlin, academic coordinator of Journalism and Cultural Communication, explained the value of this seminar
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What skills will the journalists attending the seminar gain?
Participants will learn journalistic techniques from leading experts in investigative reporting and storytelling. They will be able to apply these methods in their own work, receive mentorship for their own investigations, handle leaks and large-scale data, and utilize advanced narrative techniques.
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Why would you recommend training in investigative journalism?
Because it is essential for journalism to fulfill its enduring role as a watchdog over those in power. Because in a country where a lot happens but people often say nothing is happening, the groups that benefit from that silence are becoming increasingly powerful and concentrated.
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The speakers are leading figures in regional journalism. What is the value of being able to interact with them in a small workshop setting?
Having the opportunity to be mentored and to work in a workshop-style setting with experts allows for—unlike a traditional lecture—the development of an enriching process centered on the students’ own research proposals: the instructors address the challenges students face and work with them to develop strategies and methods.
International leaders
Participants will share a learning experience with regional and international leaders invited to this event:
- Julio Villanueva Chang
Founder of Etiqueta Negra magazine, instructor at the García Márquez Foundation for New Journalism, and member of the Advisory Committee for Radio Ambulante.org. - Francisca Skoknic
Journalist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and holder of a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University. - Hugo Alconada Mon
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper La Nación (Argentina), instructor at the Gabo Foundation. - Brian Majlin
: He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires, a certificate in Journalism from TEA (Taller Escuela Agencia), and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Education at San Andrés University. - Sandra Crucianelli
Coordinator of the Data Intelligence Unit at Infobae. Member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
This initiative has by the U.S. Embassy, Katoen Natie Terminal TCP, and the European Union, with support from the United Nations Population Fund, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Buquebus, Hyatt Centric Montevideo, and the Canelones Municipal Government.
Available Scholarships
The U.S. Embassy and UNFPA will award full scholarships to applicants interested in addressing one of the suggested topics in their research.
In addition, the university offers various discounts for graduates and their family members who have completed undergraduate, short-term, or graduate programs.
More information and registration
Press
- Montevideo Portal.Investigative Journalism Seminar Hosts International Experts in Uruguay.
- Radio Carve.Alconada Mon: “Uruguay remains a haven for Argentine money laundering”
- Búsqueda Weekly. “Economic sustainability” is the main challenge facing regional journalism, which also suffers from a lack of diversity.
- Channel 12.Hugo Alconada Mon: “Most corruption investigations in Argentina are on a Uruguayan scale.”
- Portal 180.Leading international figures in investigative journalism are participating in a seminar organized by the School of Communication and Design at Universidad ORT Uruguay.