Dataharvest 2026 - the European Investigative Journalism Conference

Research shows that, among audiences in Western countries, news avoidance has been growing nonstop for the last decade. The result? Sometimes, it feels that the main audience of our investigations is... other investigative journalists. While experts do use our research, it seems that we are failing to reach generalist audiences and the wider public.
One possibility to reach more diverse audiences is to present and disseminate our investigations in unconventional ways.

In this session, we will talk about using creative formats to publish investigative journalism: from unusual digital publications to printed and material objects, and live and in-person activities.

Come to this session to discover different creative formats and real examples of investigations that used them, as well as the lessons learnt. We will also present an online catalogue of creative formats, and show how editors and journalists can use it in their work.

This session will focus on one of the most underreported actors in climate reporting: the billion-dollar shipping industry. We bring together two investigations into pollution from shipping to show how journalists can follow the environmental harm caused by this global industry.

From illegal fuel practices in the North Sea to the hidden ecological costs of scrubber systems in the Mediterranean, the session will focus on how maritime pollution remains largely unpunished and how the industry keeps on avoiding consequences. The journalists will walk you through their methodologies; combining OSINT, data journalism, and FOIA requests with scientific research and regulatory analysis. They will show you how to track emissions, identify regulatory loopholes, and connect datasets.

The session also offers practical insights into building cross-border environmental investigations, working with technical data, and collaborating with scientists to uncover complex pollution systems. The journalists will discuss how a holistic approach —following pollutants across sectors and geographies— can reveal accountability gaps and expose the true environmental cost of global shipping.

Whether it’s a human source or a data set – if you want to get something out of it, you have to engage with it. The closer you look into the data or the closer you interact with a protagonist, the higher the chances for a good story. But what happens if boundaries blur? How close is too close?

What helps if you realize an investigation (or a tiny piece of information) is emotionally overwhelming? How can you shield yourself from unbearable content or heartbreaking narratives? How can you set professional boundaries if protagonists show abusive or simply inappropriate behaviour? How can you end work-relationships with protagonists after a story is done, even though they try to keep in touch constantly, or you feel responsible for them? How can you avoid getting sucked in by data sets, forgetting about day and night, regular office hours, and ignoring warning signs of your body?

Psychotherapist Friederike Engst and journalist Malte Werner of the German “Helpline” for journalists will guide you with their combined expertise through the session, in which you can ask your own questions, exchange ideas, and learn from each other.

This cafe/clinic is intended as a safe space for individuals or teams involved in a cross-border investigation where they can receive custom support with specific challenges. Potential topics include pitching stories to editors cold-door, finding colleagues to pursue a story, managing and resolving team conflicts, organising workflows, beginning cross-border projects from scratch, and tips for progressing when you find yourself stuck in an investigation.

Please note: you need to book a time slot in advance! You can do it HERE.