Investigative Journalism with Internet:Day One of the MISA-TAN and VIKES Training

By Edward Kinabo

Hi the World.

Please let me (Journalist from Tanzania Daima Newspaper) share with you this crucial opportunity of being part of the Tanzanian Journalists attending a capacity building workshop on investigative journalism whose main focus is the use of internet for such purpose.

The three -days training conducted by the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania Chapter (MISA-TAN) in collaboration with VIKES (Finnish Foundation for Media, Communication and Development) started yesterday October 19, 2011, at Tanzania Global Learning Center (TGDLC) in Dar es Salaam.

Under the facilitation of Mr. Perk Johanson (from VIKES), we were introduced to the different concepts of Investigative Internet Journalism. Now, I can describe it as the process of searching deeply for unknown information by use of internet, in order to make it known through media (be it electronic or print ones), making it easily understood and useful for the public interest.

The use of internet social forums like facebooks, twitter, social websites like Jamii Forums of Tanzania and many other, was suggested to be the easiest means of investigative journalism in Tanzania, as many people can share and contribute whichever they know on the issues which is under investigation.

It was agreed by the participants that investigative journalists can publicize the subject matter of their investigations openly in these forums and request visitors to offer facts and information they know.

By so doing, the investigative journalist will be able to access a lot of desired information of which would take long time or would be difficult to get if one could strive for it all alone.

The journalist can also offer his or her email address in the internet forum, for the information to be sent directly by every respondent, without giving them loop holes of knowing each other, if confidetiality is very necessary.

We got a chance of visiting some popular websites like the Wikileaks, Dispatchonline, Fair (that is Forum for African Investigative Reporters) and the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Also visited various publications  and articles like, "Investigative Journalism Manual" and "How investigative journalism is prospering in the age of social media". These can be accessed by searching in the www.google.com and has a lot to educate on how internet use makes investigative journalism much easier.

The day one of the training ended up for every participant to learn how to establish their internet forums popularly known as blogs. It was from this interesting topic that I managed to open up this "KINABO FORUM" whose address is kinaboforum.blogspot.com.

I hereby welcome the world to share together useful perspectives for the development of humankind,in the context of socio-economic, civil rights;and political issues, via the KINABO FORUM. The training continues today.