Schedule

Get ready for an extraordinary event. This is our 14th global conference and we expect over 1,500 journalists from over 100 countries and territories. The conference is a chance to learn from the best in the business — winners of the Pulitzer Prize and other top awards, pioneers of data journalism, and fearless investigators who have exposed corruption and abuses of power almost everywhere. 

Here’s a look at the schedule. We’ve integrated more than 400 pitches and proposals, as well as what past attendees have told us they most valued. You’ll find more than 100 workshops, expert panels, networking sessions, and special events — with more than 300 speakers from around the world. This is not the final program, there are more sessions and speakers to come. And the timings of panels may be subject to changes.

Sunday November 23

4:30pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 305
You've collected whois records, social media activity, online behavior, metadata, shared analytics, or ad IDs. But how do you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each indicator to establish connections and draw conclusions? This workshop draws on approaches used by open source practitioners, intelligence analysts, and lawyers to provide investigators with easy to implement strategies for weighing and analyzing digital evidence.
4:30pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 302
In this workshop, journalists will learn how to build their own customized AI research assistants to strengthen their daily newsgathering and investigative projects. Participants discover how to use large language models to help check sources and analyze information through multi-step processes. Journalists will work with the latest no-code AI software to build applications. During the workshop, each participant will develop a user interface for their personal research assistant, gaining practical skills to integrate AI tools into their journalism workflow.
4:30pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 303
Telegram has emerged as a global information platform, a key reporting tool for tracking conflicts and breaking news — and also a favorite communication channel for malicious actors involved in disinformation, corruption, and organized crime. In this practical workshop — no programming expertise required — veteran investigative journalists share user-friendly tools and methods for scraping Telegram data, investigating public channels, collecting and archiving messages, and transcribing video content.
4:30pm
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 405
Local investigations don't always count on massive newsroom resources — impactful stories hide in accessible public records and community statistics. This hands-on workshop demonstrates how to uncover corruption, inefficiency, and misconduct in your own backyard using simple tools and publicly available information. Two experienced data instructors guide participants through practical exercises using local budgets, court records, and government databases to reveal patterns that expose local accountability failures and generate compelling investigative stories.
4:30pm
General
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 1
Social media anonymity and generative AI have amplified manipulation campaigns, threatening democracies and elections worldwide. These sophisticated operations deploy fabricated content to impose false narratives on public discourse. Exposing the architects behind such campaigns requires combining digital forensics with traditional reporting techniques. Expert panelists share tips on dismantling influence operations and tracing anonymous actors, while providing practical tools for investigating similar manipulation campaigns in diverse contexts.
4:30pm
Human Rights
KLCC Level 4 - Room 404
Drawing on work from over 25 conflicts — including images used at The Hague to help indict and convict war criminals — Ron Haviv shares how investigative photojournalism uncovers truth, demands accountability, and shapes history. Participants will explore case studies from concept to execution, gaining practical skills and a clear understanding of the ethical responsibilities behind visual evidence to document war crimes.
Speakers
4:30pm
Networking
KLCC Level 4 - Room 401
Our networking sessions are just that: informal meet-ups where you can introduce yourself, talk about your work, brainstorm, and find colleagues to collaborate with. Here is a chance to meet other journalists from around the world who are seeking partners for transnational reporting in a relaxed atmosphere. All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
4:30pm
Networking
KLCC Level 4 - Room 403
Our networking sessions are just that: informal meet-ups where you can introduce yourself, talk about your work, brainstorm, and find colleagues to collaborate with. Here is a chance to meet Russian-speaking colleagues from around the world in a relaxed atmosphere and help strengthen investigative networks across Eurasia. All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
4:30pm
Networking
KLCC Level 4 - Room 402
Our networking sessions are just that: informal meet-ups where you can introduce yourself, talk about your work, brainstorm, and find colleagues to collaborate with. Here is a chance to meet colleagues from across Southeast Asia in a relaxed atmosphere and help strengthen the region's investigative networks. All sessions are first come, first served. That means people who arrive first will get seats. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
4:30pm
Safety & Security
KLCC Level 3 - Room 304
Investigative journalism involves navigating complex threats — from digital surveillance to physical retaliation and legal intimidation. This hands-on workshop teaches participants how to conduct comprehensive risk assessments, implement security protocols, and protect sources while maintaining journalistic integrity. Attendees learn to identify vulnerabilities, develop personalized security measures, and balance story pursuit with safety considerations in high-stakes reporting environments.
4:30pm
Sustainability
KLCC Level 4 - Room 410
Navigating investigative freelancing can pose various challenges for journalists, while at the same time offer independence and the ability to pick projects of interest. In this session, journalists with great experience working on their own offer tips and tricks to work on investigative projects as freelancers. All sessions are first-come, first-serve. That means people who arrive first will get seats. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
4:30pm
Tech
KLCC Level 3 - Room 306
Disinformation campaigns have undermined elections and voter trust in democratic institutions across the world. But innovative collaboration is emerging as one of the most effective responses to this plague. This globally-relevant panel highlights challenges in India, Venezuela, and Ghana, as experts will describe powerful projects that have exposed campaign bad actors and revealed emerging disinformation tactics, and also share successful digital tools and collaborative techniques.
6:00pm
Special Events
KLCC Level 3 - Grand Ballroom
Grab a drink and network before we start a night of festivities: which includes local artistic performances, the distinguished Global Shining Light Award ceremony and a celebratory dance party.❗NOTE: Don't bring unnecessary bags in order to speed up the security checks at the entrance. For security reasons, only registered attendees are allowed to participate in the conference and the special events. Please leave your spouses or plus-ones at home.
6:30pm
Special Events
KLCC Level 3 - Grand Ballroom
Find your friends, take your seats, and get comfortable — we've got a great program for you tonight. It includes local artistic performances, the distinguished Global Shining Light Award ceremony and a celebratory dance party.❗NOTE: Don't bring unnecessary bags in order to speed up the security checks at the entrance. For security reasons, only registered attendees are allowed to participate in the conference and the special events. Please leave your spouses or plus-ones at home.
7:00pm
Special Events
KLCC Level 3 - Grand Ballroom
Our emcee for the night Jo Kukathas will keep things lively and flowing, while GIJC25 co-hosts GIJN and Malaysiakini offer thanks to everyone who organized or contributed to this great event, from the donors, co-sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers to the hard-working staffs at GIJN and Malaysiakini. We've also arranged for some dance performances from the ASK Dance Company, a professional Malaysian dance collective specializing in traditional and contemporary dance.
10:00pm
Special Events
KLCC Level 3 - Grand Ballroom
It's time to let your hair down, put on your dancing shoes and join us for a DJ-hosted party in the grand ballroom. Professional event music coordinator DJ Spexx will spin us tunes from across the globe for 90 minutes. Enjoy, but don't forget — we've still got half a day of sessions tomorrow with some of our best speakers and workshops.❗NOTE: For security reasons, only registered attendees are allowed to participate in the conference and the special events. Please leave your spouses or plus-ones at home.

Monday November 24

9:15am
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 401
Complex investigations generate overwhelming amounts of documents, interviews, and evidence that can easily become unmanageable without systematic organization. This session teaches methodologies for structuring research files, creating searchable databases, and maintaining detailed source logs throughout lengthy investigations. Learn digital filing systems, annotation techniques, smart workflows, and cross-referencing methods that ensure no crucial detail gets lost even as deadline pressure mounts.
9:15am
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 402
How powerful can a spreadsheet function be to warrant its own dedicated workshop? In this hands-on session, discover why VLOOKUP is the essential function for navigating large datasets and uncovering significant patterns in investigative work. Learn advanced techniques for cross-referencing data sources, identifying discrepancies, and building comprehensive analyses that reveal hidden connections.
9:15am
General
KLCC Level 4 - Room 406
The Global Shining Light Award (GSLA) honors investigative journalism in developing or transitioning countries, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions. These winners came from among hundreds of submissions and their intrepid work exposed abuses across a wide range of topics. In this panel, the GSLA winners announced at GIJC25's gala dinner will explain how they pursued their award-winning investigations.
10:45am
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 401
Flourish is one of the most popular visualization tools today. It offers easy-to-use and rich visualization methods, especially for newsrooms engaged in data journalism. In this session, attendees learn Flourish's data visualization library and how to make basic types of charts, projection maps, heat maps, and hierarchy maps. Case studies are also included. Those who want to practice during the panel can create an account here: https://app.flourish.studio/login. You can access the datasets in the presentation or you can download the datasets from this GitHub page: https://github.com/pinardag.
Speakers
10:45am
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 402
The ability to expose abuse and oppression through data-driven investigations is deeply meaningful — and it all starts with spreadsheets. This hands-on workshop reveals advanced Excel techniques for uncovering hidden information in your datasets. Master Excel's classic secrets and robust statistical functions that turn raw information into compelling evidence.
10:45am
General
KLCC Level 4 - Room 404
As newsrooms recognize the limitations of fast-paced reporting on complex social issues, "ethnographic journalism" has emerged — combining long-term fieldwork, community accountability, and exploratory investigation. This approach can produce richer reporting on marginalized communities and complex social phenomena. The session brings together journalists, editors, and scholars who have successfully applied ethnographic methods, to discuss practical techniques for deeper reporting, community engagement strategies, and ethical frameworks for sensitive storytelling.
12:00pm
Special Events
KLCC Level 4 - Room 410
Join GIJC25 organizers — GIJN and Malaysiakini — and the newly announced GIJC27 co-hosts for an informal and lively farewell. Celebrate key highlights from the conference with us and get a preview of what's ahead for GIJC27.
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Co-hosts

GIJN Logo
Malaysiakini