I just noticed that the Guardian is holding – for a £500 per person fee – a two-day course in September ostensibly on “investigative journalism”.
In this intensive, weekend course, two of the UK’s leading investigative journalists will give students the skills needed to reach the next step. Paul Lewis and Heather Brooke will teach the secrets of their trade in a series of interactive workshops and skill-based sessions.
The course will cover among other things “convincing people to talk” and “advice on data journalism” and “the course will reveal how new technology and recent innovations have revolutionised investigative journalism”.
I note – but without much surprise – that there is no mention of ethics anywhere in the course description.
Presumably David Leigh will be the guest lecturer and will explain the techniques of phone hacking and the importance of always having noble objectives. He could also explain the finer points of utilising the public interest defence under the Data Protection Act to justify non-compliance with the Act. To cover ethics they could invite Rebekah Brooks who is probably available except that she is apparently still on the payroll of News International.
The k2p blog 