Abraji and Oboré receive 344 applications for the Newsroom Lab

Now in its 16th consecutive year, the Newsroom Lab, part of the Reporter of the Future Project, received 344 applications – a remarkable number that highlights the initiative’s continued relevance. As a partnership between Abraji and Oboré, the project offers journalism students and recent graduates the opportunity to produce real-time official coverage of the 20th International Congress of Investigative Journalism, which will take place at ESPM’s Álvaro Alvim campus in São Paulo, from July 10 to July 13.

Out of the 344 applicants, 100 students and journalists have been selected to take part in the project. They were divided into six production teams: writing, design, photography, publishing, distribution and social media coverage.

As in the 2024 edition, the Jota Junior Journalism Agency, from the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP), will be responsible for the special projects unit – producing journalistic pieces ahead of the Congress as a way to warm up the newsroom.

Profile of the selected participants

Applications were submitted by students and journalists from 18 different states. In this edition, participants are based in Amapá, Bahia, Federal District, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo.

To view the full list of selected students and journalists, click here.

Regarding racial self-identification, 60.6% of applicants identified themselves as white, 26.8% as brown, 10.3% as black, 1,7% as asian, and two individuals as indigenous. Among the 100 selected participants, 55 identify as white, 29 as brown, 12 as black, 3 as asian, and one as indigenous.

Regarding age range, applicants were between 17 and 49 years old and the selected participants range from 18 to 49 years old. In terms of gender, the newsroom will be composed mostly of women, who make up 75% of the group.

The selection

The selection criteria took into account the following factors:

- Writing quality (based on the motivation letter);
- Availability to fully commit to the newsroom during all four days of the Congress (having the newsroom as a training space);
- Participation in one of the modules or activities of the Reporter of the Future Project (the Newsroom Lab came to be as a capstone activity of the project, allowing students to apply their knowledge in practice).

The Newsroom Lab

Over the past 15 editions of the Congress, students and journalists from the Reporter of the Future Project have provided real-time coverage of the event through Abraji’s official channels.

Throughout the four days of the Congress, all newsroom activities will be guided by a team of journalists and professors who will support and mentor participants at every stage of reporting and news production — encouraging creativity, collaboration, commitment, a sense of solidarity, discipline and strict adherence to deadlines and factual accuracy.

The Reporter of the Future Project

The Reporter of the Future Project offers free university-level training through a range of courses and activities. Over its 30-year history, the project has contributed to the education of more than 3,000 young journalists. The initiative is held every semester through thematic units and provides self-development opportunities for those looking to deepen their understanding of journalism — and especially of reporting.

To carry out the courses, Oboré partners up with institutions that believe in the importance of this initiative — as in the case of Newsroom Lab, which is held in partnership with Abraji and supported by UNESCO / Montevideo Office.

Services

20th International Congress of Investigative Journalism
Venue: ESPM - Álvaro Alvim Campus
Rua Doutor Álvaro Alvim, 123 - Vila Mariana - São Paulo
Date: July 10-13, 2024
Registration will be open soon.