Workshop and colleges Journalism

14.00 – 15.30 hrs

Fake news is the real news – Dick van Eijk

Not every ‘news’ story is true – every journalist knows that. It is our core business to distinguish truth from fiction, lies and propaganda.

The term ‘fake news’ is relatively new, however. It announces a new phase in the battle between truth and power. Take off your gloves and be prepared.

Dick van Eijk is the newsroom operations editor at NRC, a leading national newspaper in the Netherlands. He is an experienced and award winning journalist, co-founder of the dutch-flemish association of investigative journalists VVOJ, and author in the field of journalism studies. His major english language publication is the book Investigative Journalism in Europe.

Data journalism: how to find and save the figures you need – Michiel Eijkhout

Getting the figures right is important in journalism. Skill in handling data can save a lot of time and effort. This workshop demonstrates the online database of Statistics Netherlands. It explains how to handle the interface for finding and selecting data, making a graphic representation, tracing explanations and downloading the data for further use in Excel. Most online databases offer similar functionality. Finally, we will take a brief look at the future of data exchange: open data, which offers direct access to the database. Bring your own laptop, so you can try things for yourself.

Michiel Eijkhout studied mathematics at Radboud University Nijmegen. He has worked at Statistics Netherlands as a researcher, senior editor and project manager.  He is currently working at the Communication Department as project manager of the editorial staff of the online database StatLine. He also organises publication processes and business analysis for the StatLine software.

Does CAP money help? – Luuk Sengers

Most of the European farm subsidies go to big polluting industrial farms – contrary to the European Commission’s claim that CAP money helps greening the countryside. Luuk Sengers investigated the correlation between CAP-policy and agricultural pollution earlier this year, together with journalists in eight other EU-countries. Luuk will explain the investigation method, the techniques and the sources that were used for the stories in a way that makes it possible for you to copy them.

Luuk Sengers is a independent investigative journalist, university lecturer and media trainer/consultant. Currently he writes for the Dutch magazine De Groene Amsterdammer, about pollution and climate change. Previously he worked as a staff reporter at several newspapers and magazines in The Netherlands, like NRC Handelsblad and Intermediair, covering economic affairs. Luuk teaches at universities and in news rooms, but has also trained and advised NGO’s like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. His fields of expertise are investigative project management, interviewing and data journalism. Together with Mark Lee Hunter he developed Story-Based Inquiry, a benchmark method for investigative journalism, adopted by Unesco and training centers around the world.

Luuk co-authored six books about investigative reporting and he regularly speaks at IRE, GIJC, CIJ and Data Harvest conferences, the world’s leading forums for investigative journalisms best practices. He served ten years in the board of the VVOJ, the Dutch-Belgium association of investigative journalists.

Freedom of press – panel discussion

Hosted by Michael Godfredsen
Panel members: Lisa Bellocchi (IT), Getahun Nigatu (ETH), Hans Siemes (NL) and Kurt Lawton (US).

 

  1. First of all, freedom of press is a challenging subject and therefore it would be interesting to discuss and analyse how it is measured. What does freedom of press mean and how does this look in real life? Is your number on the Freedom of Press World Map realistic? Where would you rank your country?
  2. Secondly, is a journalist totally free in what he or she writes or broadcasts? How do the panel members think of this? Does journalism without an opinion exist? How does the pressure of advertisement and sponsors, or government, influence your work?
  3. Thirdly, can we (IFAJ) help new members in countries without freedom of press?

Ethics in journalism – panel discussion with audience

Hosted by Jorg Tönjes

 

  • Free and critical journalism is better garanteed by independent titels having their own journalists
  • Changing from a permanent job to freelance journalism is giving up some freedom of speach
  • Writing commercial texts and free journalism don’t go together
  • All journalists are corruptible
  • Before you start your own business as a freelance journalist, decide what kind of jobs and tasks you will accept (and if it’s enough to live and survive)

During WUR workshops

15.30 – 17.00 hrs

Manure and solutions for manure surpluses in the Netherlands – Jaap Uenk

Jaap Uenk will discuss the main issues of the manure policy in the Netherlands. The national manure legislation and his background. Then he explains the manure production and the different solutions for the manure surpluses nowadays and for the future. Solutions are manure management, application in agriculture, processing of manure to marketable end products inside and outside the Netherlands. There is sufficient time for discussion and answering questions.

Jaap Uenk is owner and managing director of DOFCO BV and has more than 35 years knowledge and experience of the sustainable utilization of manure in agriculture and solutions for the manure surpluses (processing). DOFCO is a consultancy company regarding the manure surpluses in the Netherlands. Besides it DOFCO International BV is a marketing and sales company for the distribution (export) of high quality fertilizers (pellets).

Since 2006 is Jaap Uenk chairman of the Section Manure of CUMELA Nederland. CUMELA is an interest Group of 2.000 companies. These companies are farm contractors, companies for land development (infrastructure) and the application, distribution, processing and export of manure and organic fertilizers.

ForwardFarming – Klaus Kirsch (Bayer)

As a leading ag innovation company, Bayer works with farmers around the world to find better ways to sustainably feed a population that will reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. Hear first-hand from Bayer about its ForwardFarming initiative and its participation in the Internet of Food and Farm 2020 consortium, as well as how the company is engaging industry stakeholders to ensure farmers maintain access to sustainable technologies. This panel will also include a Dutch grower who continuously looks for ways to improve sustainable agricultural practices on his farm by using precision agriculture and digital farming tools.

Klaus Kirsch is the senior sustainable agriculture manager and global manager of the Bayer ForwardFarming initiative, where, in partnership with independent farmers, solutions for sustainable agriculture are demonstrated in practice.