Disarming Disinformation: Investigative

Journalists, social media strategists, developers and other professionals who want to investigate and report about disinformation can explore this track from the Disarming Disinformation program.

Through this track, experienced professionals who want to build collaborative, cross-border investigations with colleagues or organizations from other countries will receive online and in-person trainings, participate in an investigathon, and have the opportunity to apply for grants.

In 2023-2024, this track and the investigations will focus on exposing the money behind electoral disinformation. Participants need to take part in all the prior activities in order to be eligible for grants.

TIMELINE
 

• October 22: Applications for Master Classes closed.
   
• November 7, 8 and 9, 10am - 1 pm: Master classes led by:
  • Aimee Rinehart (AP)
  • Claire Wardle (Brown University)
  • Craig Silverman (ProPublica)
  • Garance Burke (AP)
  • Giannina Segnini (Columbia University)
  • Patricia Campos Mello (Folha de S. Paulo)
     
• November-December 2023: Those who attend the master classes will be able to pitch their investigative journalism projects to ICFJ. A total of 15 projects will be selected, and team leads will come together to collaborate in person for an “investigathon.” 
   
• February 2024: Investigathon (location to be confirmed). Attendees will then be eligible for individual grants and further mentorship to support their investigative projects as they undertake the complicated task of unmasking disinformation campaigns around elections.
   
• March-June: Investigation period, publication in June.

Besides the Scripps Howard Foundation, which funds the Disarming Disinformation Program from 2022 to 2025, this track also received the support of Instituto Serrapilheira, which in 2022-2023 funded Brazilian journalists who wanted to investigate about scientific disinformation.