Dataharvest 2026 - the European Investigative Journalism Conference

Come to the front hall and Media Cafe (large space in the lobby) to get your coffee!

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

Heat waves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity. People and economies are under pressure: extreme heat is costly for agriculture and deadly for people. At the same time, floods are among the most frequent and damaging natural disasters in Europe – yet understanding their true impact remains difficult.

In this session, participants will learn the skills necessary to make use of satellite images to analyse extreme heat or to systematically track flood damage. After a morning introduction to the topic, tools, and data/satellite imagery sources, participants will spend the afternoon working on one of two hands-on tracks:

Track 1: Flooding

Participants will learn how to use Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) to retrieve flood data manually and via the Copernicus EMS API, clean and structure the data, and calculate flood extent and impact across agriculture, infrastructure, ecosystems, and population areas. They will learn how to link impacted areas to the EU’s statistical regions (using NUTS classifications).

Track 2: Extreme heat

Participants will learn to navigate USGS Earth Explorer to find and download imagery for land surface temperature (LST) analysis. Using R for spatial analysis, they’ll identify which neighborhoods in their region are most affected by heat. They will also use auxiliary data to examine the impact of different land types on heat. Participants are welcome to bring their own socioeconomic or location data (e.g., nursing homes, kindergartens) for investigation.

We will assume you have some experience with data in spreadsheets, but you do not need any prior knowledge of coding in R or Python or satellite imagery. You will leave with the skills (and the data!) needed to work on a hyper-local or national stories about the effects of extreme heat and flooding. These methodologies will also help you create a blueprint for other investigations, which would make good use of satellite imagery.

Key skills learned:

Learn the basics of R (navigating RStudio, importing data, tidyverse, ggplot) and Python (using the pandas library to load, filter, and analyze data, combine datasets, and export your results);

Basics of geodata (file types, projections, NUTS system);

Where to access free, high-quality satellite imagery, and common limitations of using it in investigations

Navigating satellite imagery portals and databases for natural disasters (depends on the choice of Copernicus EMS or Landsat).

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

This full-day session with Data Desk’s Sam Leon and Louis Goddard teaches cutting-edge techniques for illuminating fossil fuel supply chains and energy infrastructure projects. Using AIS and aviation data, customs datasets, satellite imagery, and more, participants uncover not only the international flow of oil and gas but also the movement of equipment, materials, and workers during the construction of major fossil fuel projects. Real investigative exercises help translate these tools into actionable reporting.

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

The European Union institutional system is notoriously complex, and investigating it might prove to be a headache – at least if you don’t know where to look. In this Masterclass, we aim to provide you with a number of very practical tips and tools to research what is cooking inside the European Commission, the EU Parliament, the Council of Member States, and even less-known but still powerful Court of Justice of the EU.

We will go over a number of public tools – the EU lobbyists register, the Court of Justice database, and the legislative documents available on the institutions’ websites – and will also discuss the different types of sources that could allow you to go much beyond the public realm.

We will, in parallel, discuss how to request documents from those institutions. The sessions will have a few exercises to ensure that every tip is ready to use. At the end of the Masterclass, you will be equipped to navigate the European institutional labyrinth and the microcosm surrounding it. On top of that, we will provide you with written material that you can use afterwards in your reporting.

The masterclass is not just for those wishing to report from and on Brussels, but for every journalist who could benefit from knowing where to find information about the EU.

Lunch will be served in the Mediaforum (ground floor, lobby area) 

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

Heat waves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity. People and economies are under pressure: extreme heat is costly for agriculture and deadly for people. At the same time, floods are among the most frequent and damaging natural disasters in Europe – yet understanding their true impact remains difficult.

In this session, participants will learn the skills necessary to make use of satellite images to analyse extreme heat or to systematically track flood damage. After a morning introduction to the topic, tools, and data/satellite imagery sources, participants will spend the afternoon working on one of two hands-on tracks:

Track 1: Flooding

Participants will learn how to use Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) to retrieve flood data manually and via the Copernicus EMS API, clean and structure the data, and calculate flood extent and impact across agriculture, infrastructure, ecosystems, and population areas. They will learn how to link impacted areas to the EU’s statistical regions (using NUTS classifications).

Track 2: Extreme heat

Participants will learn to navigate USGS Earth Explorer to find and download imagery for land surface temperature (LST) analysis. Using R for spatial analysis, they’ll identify which neighborhoods in their region are most affected by heat. They will also use auxiliary data to examine the impact of different land types on heat. Participants are welcome to bring their own socioeconomic or location data (e.g., nursing homes, kindergartens) for investigation.

We will assume you have some experience with data in spreadsheets, but you do not need any prior knowledge of coding in R or Python or satellite imagery. You will leave with the skills (and the data!) needed to work on a hyper-local or national stories about the effects of extreme heat and flooding. These methodologies will also help you create a blueprint for other investigations, which would make good use of satellite imagery.

Key skills learned:

Learn the basics of R (navigating RStudio, importing data, tidyverse, ggplot) and Python (using the pandas library to load, filter, and analyze data, combine datasets, and export your results);

Basics of geodata (file types, projections, NUTS system);

Where to access free, high-quality satellite imagery, and common limitations of using it in investigations

Navigating satellite imagery portals and databases for natural disasters (depends on the choice of Copernicus EMS or Landsat).

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

This full-day session with Data Desk’s Sam Leon and Louis Goddard teaches cutting-edge techniques for illuminating fossil fuel supply chains and energy infrastructure projects. Using AIS and aviation data, customs datasets, satellite imagery, and more, participants uncover not only the international flow of oil and gas but also the movement of equipment, materials, and workers during the construction of major fossil fuel projects. Real investigative exercises help translate these tools into actionable reporting.

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

The European Union institutional system is notoriously complex, and investigating it might prove to be a headache – at least if you don’t know where to look. In this Masterclass, we aim to provide you with a number of very practical tips and tools to research what is cooking inside the European Commission, the EU Parliament, the Council of Member States, and even less-known but still powerful Court of Justice of the EU.

We will go over a number of public tools – the EU lobbyists register, the Court of Justice database, and the legislative documents available on the institutions’ websites – and will also discuss the different types of sources that could allow you to go much beyond the public realm.

We will, in parallel, discuss how to request documents from those institutions. The sessions will have a few exercises to ensure that every tip is ready to use. At the end of the Masterclass, you will be equipped to navigate the European institutional labyrinth and the microcosm surrounding it. On top of that, we will provide you with written material that you can use afterwards in your reporting.

The masterclass is not just for those wishing to report from and on Brussels, but for every journalist who could benefit from knowing where to find information about the EU.

Coffee will be served in the Mediaforum (ground floor, lobby area) and on the third floor.

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

This full-day session with Data Desk’s Sam Leon and Louis Goddard teaches cutting-edge techniques for illuminating fossil fuel supply chains and energy infrastructure projects. Using AIS and aviation data, customs datasets, satellite imagery, and more, participants uncover not only the international flow of oil and gas but also the movement of equipment, materials, and workers during the construction of major fossil fuel projects. Real investigative exercises help translate these tools into actionable reporting.

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

Heat waves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity. People and economies are under pressure: extreme heat is costly for agriculture and deadly for people. At the same time, floods are among the most frequent and damaging natural disasters in Europe – yet understanding their true impact remains difficult.

In this session, participants will learn the skills necessary to make use of satellite images to analyse extreme heat or to systematically track flood damage. After a morning introduction to the topic, tools, and data/satellite imagery sources, participants will spend the afternoon working on one of two hands-on tracks:

Track 1: Flooding

Participants will learn how to use Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) to retrieve flood data manually and via the Copernicus EMS API, clean and structure the data, and calculate flood extent and impact across agriculture, infrastructure, ecosystems, and population areas. They will learn how to link impacted areas to the EU’s statistical regions (using NUTS classifications).

Track 2: Extreme heat

Participants will learn to navigate USGS Earth Explorer to find and download imagery for land surface temperature (LST) analysis. Using R for spatial analysis, they’ll identify which neighborhoods in their region are most affected by heat. They will also use auxiliary data to examine the impact of different land types on heat. Participants are welcome to bring their own socioeconomic or location data (e.g., nursing homes, kindergartens) for investigation.

We will assume you have some experience with data in spreadsheets, but you do not need any prior knowledge of coding in R or Python or satellite imagery. You will leave with the skills (and the data!) needed to work on a hyper-local or national stories about the effects of extreme heat and flooding. These methodologies will also help you create a blueprint for other investigations, which would make good use of satellite imagery.

Key skills learned:

Learn the basics of R (navigating RStudio, importing data, tidyverse, ggplot) and Python (using the pandas library to load, filter, and analyze data, combine datasets, and export your results);

Basics of geodata (file types, projections, NUTS system);

Where to access free, high-quality satellite imagery, and common limitations of using it in investigations

Navigating satellite imagery portals and databases for natural disasters (depends on the choice of Copernicus EMS or Landsat).

A separate ticket is required to attend this masterclass. If you already have a conference ticket and would like to attend but haven't yet purchased a masterclass ticket, please contact us at [email protected]

The European Union institutional system is notoriously complex, and investigating it might prove to be a headache – at least if you don’t know where to look. In this Masterclass, we aim to provide you with a number of very practical tips and tools to research what is cooking inside the European Commission, the EU Parliament, the Council of Member States, and even less-known but still powerful Court of Justice of the EU.

We will go over a number of public tools – the EU lobbyists register, the Court of Justice database, and the legislative documents available on the institutions’ websites – and will also discuss the different types of sources that could allow you to go much beyond the public realm.

We will, in parallel, discuss how to request documents from those institutions. The sessions will have a few exercises to ensure that every tip is ready to use. At the end of the Masterclass, you will be equipped to navigate the European institutional labyrinth and the microcosm surrounding it. On top of that, we will provide you with written material that you can use afterwards in your reporting.

The masterclass is not just for those wishing to report from and on Brussels, but for every journalist who could benefit from knowing where to find information about the EU.