Investigathon
The Investigathon is a three-day, live event for selected alumni of the Next-IJ online cross-border investigative training programmes. It is where training turns into action: participants come together to kick-start real investigations that can continue well beyond the event itself.
🔗 Learn more about the Next-IJ online trainings
What is an Investigathon?
An Investigathon (short for investigation hackathon) is an intensive, collaborative event hosted by Next-IJ. It is designed to prepare and launch real investigative reporting, not simulations. Working in cross-border teams, participants:
Explore high-priority investigative topics
Collectively analyse data, documents, and sources
Test tools and workflows used in professional investigations
Identify strong, publishable story angles that can be pursued independently or collaboratively after the event
Built to address urgent investigative challenges, the Investigathon encourages innovation at the intersection of data journalism, technology, and international collaboration, all in service of public‑interest reporting.
Who Participates?
Each Investigathon brings together around 30 investigative journalists from previous Next-IJ training programmes, alongside students from the UCSC School of Journalism.
This unique mix allows participants to:
Work across borders and national contexts
Build lasting connections within an international investigative network
Take part in a transgenerational exchange of ideas, where early‑career journalists, mid‑career professionals, and experienced investigators learn from one another
🔗 Learn more about the Next-IJ network
How Does it Work?
Participants develop practical investigative skills through hands-on-work and access to cutting-edge technological tools. During their investigations, they work extensively with Aleph Pro and DATACROS, alongside other databases and open-source tools. They also receive guidance and training by experts from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and Transcrime (part of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – UCSC). For many participants, this engaged way of learning makes a tangible difference:
“I gained practical skills in using new investigative tools and workflows shared by OCCRP investigators, especially techniques for efficient data cross-checking and verification. I also picked up tips on structuring leads, organising findings, and moving faster from raw data to publishable story angles, helped by detailed feedback from editors during the sessions.” – Participant from Georgia, Jan. 2026
A Strategic Role Within Next-IJ
Beyond skills development, each Investigathon plays a key strategic role within the Next-IJ programme. The collaborative work helps identify promising themes and story leads that may later become the focus of an official cross-border pilot investigation focusing on uncovering crime and corruption in Europe supported by Next-IJ.
Investigathons in 2026
Next-IJ will organise two editions of the Investigathon in 2026:
🔗 Read more about the January 2026 Investigathon
Stay connected to receive updates on upcoming Investigathons and future opportunities to take part.
