A cohort of 12 students in the “Journalistic research and investigation” course at CEU’s DPP launched a new cross-border investigation earlier this month. Conducted by lecturer Marius Dragomir, the course, now in its fourth year, is designed to familiarize students with how a journalistic investigation is conducted.
“This course doesn’t prepare students to become journalists; instead, its aim is to give them a taste of what journalism is all about,” Dragomir said. He added that, whatever career students will choose in the future, knowing how to work with media and journalists will be a major advantage.
The class is run in a newsroom format, students carrying out journalistic investigation and research that will then feed into a journalistic story. “I think the best way to learn how journalists operate is by just doing journalism,” Dragomir said.
The students in Dragomir’s class will spend the current winter term collecting data and information from various sources and conducting interviews. A story based on the data unearthed through the investigation will be then pitched to a media outlet.
In 2021, the story documented in Dragomir’s class, an investigation into the illegal practices in detention centers across Europe, appeared in Politico, attracting a large audience. The investigation conducted as part of the 2023 class, covering the rising threats to abortion rights across Europe, was also featured in Politico, triggering numerous responses from policymakers and NGOs. Due to its impact and innovative format, the course has been covered by specialized media.
In 2024, the DPP’s investigative class is working on an equally relevant and sensitive topic, which will be revealed once the story comes out.
Journalism course 2024 team
Alison Gray
Anastasiia Hatsenko
Javid Huseynli
Leonardo Ingannamorte
Peter Lang
Samir Maharramov
Alzbeta Michalova
Omar Mohamed
Thin Thao Vy Nguyen
Ellinor Strowel
Tatiana Voronova
Kateryna Zinchenko