Join Jacopo Ottaviani, Erasmus Mundus alumnus and international data journalism expert, for an intensive one-day workshop that demystifies the world of cross-border collaborative journalism and grant funding. You'll explore successful cross-border initiatives including The Migrants' Files, which mapped migration flows toward the EU; Lungs of the Earth, a multimedia investigation of global forests; InfoNile, a network of environmental journalists across multiple countries; and Map Makoko, which used drone mapping technology for urban development reporting.

The workshop covers the complete lifecycle of grant-funded journalism: from identifying funding opportunities and crafting compelling applications, to managing international teams and measuring your project's impact. You'll learn how to discover where to find grants for international journalism, and understand the essentials of project management in collaborative contexts. The day culminates in a practical group exercise where you'll work with fellow participants to develop a cross-border grant application using specialized planning tools. Each group will present their project concept through an elevator pitch, receiving feedback and learning from diverse approaches.

This workshop is ideal for aspiring data journalists, international reporters, and anyone interested in pursuing ambitious, cross-border storytelling projects that require external funding.

There will be breaks and a lunch break

The workshop is hosted by Christoph Raetzsch, Associate Professor for Journalism Studies and Digital Methods and is generously supported by the Center for University Studies in Journalism (CJU) and the Department of Media and Journalism Studies at Aarhus University.

About the trainer

JACOPO OTTAVIANI is a computer scientist who works as Code for Africa's Senior Strategist. As an ICFJ Knight Fellow in 2016-2019, Jacopo built teams and programmes supported by the World Bank, Google News Initiative, GIZ and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His mix of technical skills, as a computer scientist and data journalist, has resulted in a series of projects published by, among others, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, El País and Internazionale. He worked on multiple projects supported by the Pulitzer Center and the European Journalism Center. He is a member of the European Press Prize preparatory committee and works as a trainer with BBC Media Action. He is an alumnus of the Erasmus Mundus programme in Natural Language Processing (EM NLP & HLT).

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