Studying Investigative Journalism at Wits

There are three possible ways of studying investigative journalism at Wits:

1.  The three-day Power Reporting Conference in November 2010.
2.  The Investigative Journalism Course starting in August 2010.
3.  The MA in Journalism with investigative journalism as an option.

The Power Reporting Conference is an intensive three day event, running from Monday 1 November to Wednesday 3 November. There will be international and local speakers, workshops, courses and showcasing of the best of African investigative journalism. The Workshop is open to working journalists and journalism students. The Programme, a Registration form and information on applying for a Bursary will be available here soon.

The Investigative Journalism Course will start on Monday 16 August. There will be seven weekly classes on a Monday, coving the history of investigative journalism in South Africa and the ethics of investigative journalism. This will be followed by two weeks full-time, including the three-day Power Reporting Workshop which starts on Monday 1 November 2010.

The Workshop will introduce a range of skills training in important areas for all investigative journalists: using Access to Information legislation, using your computer to find and download data, followed by data analysis (what we call CAR, Computer-Assisted Reporting); understanding company accounts; and an introduction to the Wits Justice Project. The course will continue for a further six days of hands-on workshops and talks to produce a portfolio of stories.

The number of places available on this course is limited. Download the Investigative Journalism Certificate Course Outline.

Click here to register for a certificate course.

Investigative journalism can now be taken as an option on the MA in Journalism. The Investigative Journalism Masters consists of four modules: all students take the core course Media in Society. Those taking the MA Investigative Journalism option will begin with the above course in essential investigative skills, including advanced internet research and computer-assisted reporting, forensic accounting and access to information legislation.

The course will include an introduction to the Justice Project and will cover ethics and the history of investigative journalism in South Africa. The second module will include working on a case of someone currently in prison for the Justice Project. Finally there will be a research report. 
Download the Investigative Journalism Master Course Outline.

For more detailed information about course content, admission criteria, costs, please click on the above links. Please read these before asking for more information.

Course Coordinator: Margaret Renn, Taco Kuiper Visiting Fellow in Investigative Journalism
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Click here to register for a certificate course.