From OSINT to AI: Revisiting the first Next-IJ journalism training of 2026

31 journalists from 17 different European countries gathered online on March 20 to participate in the first Next-IJ Cross-border Investigative Journalism training of the year.

Led by experts from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), with support from Transcrime, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (USCS), and the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), the day-long Next-IJ training gave participants a rigorous, hands-on introduction to the tools and techniques shaping modern investigative journalism — from OSINT methodologies and financial tracking to AI integration and data ethics.

Programme Highlights

Follow the Money and OSINT Fundamentals

The day was kicked off by David Ilieski, a researcher from OCCRP who specialises in covering the construction industry and political abuse of power. Drawing on his own work tracking the assets of Russian elites, Ilieski walked participants through the art of financial investigation: how to analyse lifestyle patterns, navigate registries, and trace ownership across a wide range of databases. It was a great opportunity to learn how to turn publicly available information into accountability journalism.

The OSINT session that followed, led by Margaux Farran (OCCRP), proved equally compelling. Farran guided the group through geolocation, plane tracking, ship tracking, and social media analysis, illustrating each technique with real-world case studies. The central message was clear: diligent, contextual research is often what turns a hunch into a story.

Want to go deeper? Explore the OCCRP guide to plane tracking and the GIJN guide to geolocation

Using AI for Investigations

The most popular session of the day (as voted by participants) tackled one of journalism's fastest-evolving frontiers: artificial intelligence. Nils Weisensee (OCCRP) and Eduardo Goulart (Intercept Brasil) made the case that effective AI use isn't about finding one all-purpose tool, but about understanding what each tool is actually built for, whether that's thinking and drafting, document intelligence, or research and web analysis.

Participants were introduced to a five-layer prompting framework designed to sharpen their queries and reduce the risk of AI hallucination. The session then moved into practical territory, with hands-on guidance using Gemini as both a drafting partner and an evidence organiser. Safety and security considerations rounded out the session, ensuring journalists left not just inspired, but well-prepared.

Legal & Ethical Considerations of Handling Data

Massimiliano Carpino, a lawyer from UCSC, brought an important note of caution to the day's proceedings. His session examined the legal and ethical dimensions of building and maintaining datasets during an investigation — a topic that grows more urgent as press freedom continues to erode across Europe.

“As a journalist, your actions fall under the constitutional right to freedom of speech. But your right is not absolute. We have to take another’s right to privacy into account.”

Carpino walked participants through the risks of mishandling personal data and offered clear guidance on how to treat sensitive information responsibly without compromising the integrity of an investigation.

For more on navigating data regulations ethically, see the Practical Guidance prepared by Transcrime.

Cutting-Edge Tools: Aleph PRO and DATACROSS

Two of the day's final sessions introduced participants to investigative technology at the frontier of the field.

As part of the Next-IJ training, participants received access to and training in cutting-edgecutting edge technology from Transcrime and OCCRP. Oksana Stavniichuk (OCCRP) demonstrated Aleph PRO, a data platform purpose-built for corruption investigations. By cross-referencing documents and databases, Aleph-PRO surfaces connections that might otherwise go unnoticed — and can render entire networks of entities as navigable visual diagrams. Stavniichuk's practical walkthrough showed participants how to work through large datasets with significantly greater speed and precision.

Closing out the day, Francesca Basso (Transcrime) introduced Datacros, an ethical AI-driven toolbox for cross-border financial investigations. The platform integrates multiple data sources into a single information web, streamlines visualisation, and critically flags signs of financial crime automatically. Together, the two sessions underscored a broader point: technology doesn't just make journalists more efficient; it opens investigative doors that would otherwise stay shut.

What participants said

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with journalists noting their increased confidence in using OSINT methods and AI tools. Journalists left with greater confidence in OSINT methods and AI tools, and the majority said they would recommend future Next-IJ trainings to colleagues.

One participant said:

“This is a training that gives you real insights into how to better investigate, and that gives practical examples on how to use the tools presented during the panels. I feel that I learnt a lot, and know I am more prepared mindset-wise to dig deep in following the money through ships and flights' movements.”

Another participant shared:

“Before this training, I only specified the task for the AI models. Now, I understand the importance of defining the role, context, specific task, constraints, and format. Additionally, I appreciate that AI models can extract entities into a CSV file, which I can then cross-reference with Aleph datasets. This capability is fantastic.”

Future trainings will continue to build on the AI and OSINT components — areas where participants were particularly eager for more depth.

What’s next

Next-IJ will be organising two more training sessions in 2026. Mid-career journalists interested in taking part can still apply for the second training on April 22 (the deadline is 15 April, so hurry up!) or the third and final training on May 16.

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