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.

Friday November 21

2:00pm - 3:15pm
Crime & Corruption
KLCC Level 4 - Plenary Theatre
When access to public records is limited or laws prevent access to sources, going undercover has been a last resort tool used to uncover wrongdoing and corruption. However, undercover reporting can come with its own risks and has been a method usually included after extensive editorial and ethical conversations. In this session, journalists who have gone undercover in some of the world’s toughest environments, will share their tips, techniques, and lessons learned. 🪑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.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 303
Spreadsheets are the workhorse of every data journalist. Using Google Sheets, reporters can collaborate with team members on the cloud to power their data investigations. In this hands-on session, attendees learn to filter and sort datasets, calculate key statistics, and summarize insights using pivot tables. Discover how the GPT for Sheets plug-in can supercharge analysis making your work faster and more impactful.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Data
KLCC Level 4 - Room 402
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.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 302
This hands-on workshop deepens skills on using QGIS, a free, popular mapping program. More than just compelling visuals, mapping programs help you uncover stories and discover important patterns. Crime, health, and the environment are just some beats that benefit by knowing mapping skills. In this class, attendees work with QGIS doing fundamental analysis using real-life data.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Environment
KLCC Level 4 - Room 403
The global water crisis isn't a future threat — it is devastating communities now. Through compelling case studies, investigative journalists from the Middle East, South America, and the Arabian Gulf will share investigative methodologies for exposing complex water stories and holding powerful actors accountable. The session will include tips for overcoming access challenges in sensitive environments and translating local crises into narratives that drive change. Participants will also learn methodologies for investigating water issues, from corporate accountability to government failures, plus strategies for impactful storytelling on environmental justice.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
General
KLCC Level 3 - Room 304
Successfully managing an investigative team requires keeping "50 plates in the air at the same time and still smile," per panel speaker Coco Gubbels, author of "GIJN's Guide to Project Management in Investigative Journalism." In this practical workshop, Gubbels guides participants through the complete lifecycle of investigative projects: from initial planning and team assembly to monitoring progress and project closure. Attendees learn essential leadership competencies including managing team dynamics, crisis communication, risk assessment, and dealing with cultural differences.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
General
KLCC Level 4 - Room 401
In an era of declining trust in journalism, this panel explores how media organizations can rebuild credibility by integrating citizen monitors and local communities into investigative processes. This session focuses on practical engagement strategies and risk management when involving communities in monitoring government spending, public contracts, and abuse of power. Through real-world examples, attendees discover how collaborative journalism enhances local impact, builds audience loyalty, and creates sustainable accountability mechanisms that benefit both newsrooms and the communities they serve.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
General
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 1
Authoritarian leaders no longer need coups to seize control: many win elections, then systematically dismantle checks and balances while eroding the rule of law. Their playbook typically includes attacking media credibility before restricting press freedom. This panel features journalists from El Salvador, Hungary, India, and Tunisia, sharing how they continue reporting despite increasing limitations. Learn strategies for maintaining investigative work under authoritarian pressure while protecting sources and preserving democratic accountability.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Nonprofit & New Models
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 3
This session brings together different experts that will talk about revenue streams and business models that are in place or being explored by journalism organizations around the world. The panelists will offer practical examples and tips on how to develop strategies to strengthen financial sustainability, considering the current challenges faced by non-profit investigative newsrooms, while maintaining editorial independence.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.
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Tech
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 2
Algorithms are behind some of the most common, helpful applications we use, as well as some of the greatest harms such as systemic bias and unjust claims denial — yet their processes are often hidden from view. In this panel, leading journalist experts share tools and techniques needed to investigate these technologies and their integration into society, access pathways to records and corporate sources, and tips to track AI supply chains and cascading harms.
3:15pm - 3:30pm
TBA
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Crime & Corruption
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 2
This session teaches reporters how to navigate the murky world of corporate datasets, what's available and where to find them. From unspooling nests of shell companies to poring through company registers. Attendees learn to connect the dots and find hidden properties and assets of the ultra wealthy and ultra secretive.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Crime & Corruption
KLCC Level 4 - Room 404
Government procurement corruption is a growing problem in an increasingly kleptocratic world, draining public coffers in sectors such as security, construction, and climate. In this tools-oriented panel, award-winning procurement watchdogs share case studies that reveal effective approaches to new trends, as well as open source tools and datasets for detecting anomalies and collusion in tenders, red flags in project implementation, data repositories on public contracts, and procurement abuses.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 305
Collaboration is perhaps the greatest investigative tool of this century, and innovations in the mechanics of sharing sources and data can make it even more effective. This panel includes journalists who have led projects in which key data has been gathered and been central to power collaborations and investigative projects. Attendees will learn new toolkits and resources for data sharing, open source tools to build in-house infrastructures, as well as lessons learned from collaborations.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 303
Interested in learning more about how open-source data can help your investigation? This practical session introduces methods to navigate and connect the dots across datasets, images, names, emails, and documents to uncover stories of public interest. Through case studies, participants will learn more about advanced internet research techniques for journalists, and methods to verify public information using open sources.🪑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.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Data
KLCC Level 3 - Room 302
This session explores how generative AI tools can enhance reporting by analyzing complex documents, extracting insights from large datasets, and uncovering hidden patterns. The discussion covers strategies for integrating AI into investigative workflows, practical applications for analyzing government audits and public records, as well as challenges and limitations in AI-assisted reporting. Through concrete examples, participants see real-world applications and gain actionable techniques for applying these tools ethically and effectively.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
General
KLCC Level 4 - Room 405
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.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Human Rights
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 1
Journalism amid conflict is always challenging, but Gaza presents extraordinary obstacles. Israel's entry restrictions for international reporters leave local journalists bearing the burden of documentation while becoming targets themselves. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported more than 200 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023. This panel brings together distinguished professionals who have developed innovative methods for investigating and documenting human rights abuses and war crimes in Gaza, despite systematic attempts to suppress information flow. 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.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
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 colleagues from across Sub-Saharan Africa in a relaxed atmosphere and help strengthen the region's investigative networks. All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
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 China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and around the world — and help strengthen Chinese-speaking investigative networks. All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
Moderators
3:30pm - 4:45pm
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 colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere and help strengthen Turkish-speaking investigative networks. All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
Moderators
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Nonprofit & New Models
KLCC Level 3 - Conference Hall 3
Nonprofit investigative journalism funding around the world faces a perfect storm of philanthropic pullback and politicized attacks, so who will fund the next generation of watchdog reporting? This panel analyzes diverse funding pathways, shares practical strategies for donor engagement and revenue generation, and discusses essential skills needed to transform media organizations into financially sustainable entities capable of thriving in today's difficult funding environment.
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Safety & Security
KLCC Level 3 - Room 304
Facing a legal threat? Threatened by national security or privacy laws? Want to know more about how to protect yourself and your organization? This informal "clinic" offers one-on-one advice from top experts on media law. Come by and have an informal, off-the-record chat — they're here to help.All sessions are first come, first served. Be aware that some sessions are in relatively small rooms and they will fill up quickly.
4:45pm - 5:00pm
TBA
1 2 3 4 8

Co-hosts

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Malaysiakini