Here’s the programme for the inaugural Auckland gathering of the NZCIJ, which happened on Saturday November 21, 2015 at AUT University.

11:15 Registration

12:00 Welcome

12:15 By the numbers – Prof Thomas Lumley
Every week on statschat.org.nz, Auckland University professor of biostatistics Thomas Lumley embarrasses journalists by picking apart stories based on their shonky interpretation of facts and figures. The material can be as disparate as junk surveys pitched to journos by PR companies, through to government accounts and data. Prof Lumley will talk to us about the commonest mistakes journalists make when they explain and interpret stats and how to avoid the pitfalls.

1:15 Going Native – Mihingarangi Forbes & Annabelle Lee-Harris
The Native Affairs reporting team had to make decisions and face challenges Pakeha journalists would not recognise when it broke the Kōhanga Reo National Trust story on Māori Television. Mihingarangi Forbes and Annabelle Lee-Harris talk about the pressure their team came under from their home marae, the cultural backlash they felt from the old guard of Māoridom, and the taboos they were said to have broken.

2:15 Afternoon tea break

3:00 How to go under cover legally – Helen Wild
What should journalists in print, radio and television consider when they want to do undercover work? Lawyer Helen Wild will help you traverse the complexities of covert filming/photography, door knocks, entering private property, hacking, tapping, or using illegally obtained information. If it goes south, how much fall-out will hit you, and how much will fall on the media organisation you work for? She’ll explore the issues around protecting sources, arguing public interest and the repercussions of not nailing down every legal step. Helen is a litigation lawyer with particular expertise in media law and managing complex litigation. Until recently she was Senior Counsel for TVNZ for 8 years.

4:00 Breakout Sessions

1. The OIA – Ben Thomas
The Official Information Act is a tremendous piece of legislation in principle – but those who handle journalists’ requests are becoming increasingly unprincipled. Ben Thomas, former press secretary to Chris Finlayson, will share insights into the way our requests are handled behind the closed doors of government. Ben was once a journalist, then became a press secretary and is now a public relations consultant. In each of these roles, he has made use of the Official Information Act. Ben’s perspective on the OIA takes in all three angles, giving him insight into how the act is used and where its strengths lie.

2. Amazing apps – Caleb Tutty
The internet is filled with amazing tools which add value to our reporting – if only we knew where to find them. The Herald’s Caleb Tutty will guide us through a bunch of apps simple enough for the most ham-fisted reporter to use for: ordering large piles of documents, analysing timelines, building data tables, recording mobile phone calls, and doing picture-based searches. Caleb will also point you to a web page full of useful links. Caleb is a senior news developer at the NZ Herald and part of its data journalism team.

4.40pm: Why it matters – Steve Braunias
Author, journalist, satirist and writer Steve Braunias spoke recently at a Wintec Press Club event about an “Age of Stupidity” settling across the media, and urged those who love journalism to fight against this dumbing down. We’ve asked him to follow this thread for the closing address at the inaugural Auckland gathering of the NZ Centre for Investigative Journalism. Steve writes for the New Zealand Herald, The Spinoff Review of Books and is the author of seven books including The Scene of the Crime, which has just been released.

5.20pm: Time for a drink

Registrations are now closed.

Dear journalists and those who love journalism,

You are invited to the inaugural Auckland gathering of the New Zealand Centre for Investigative Journalism at AUT University’s Media Centre on Saturday November 21, 2015.

The Auckland event will offer a short, punchy serving of journalism that will run from 12pm through to 5.30pm, at which time those attending will be invited to gather for a few drinks nearby.

The gathering builds on the two excellent annual conferences run by Nicky Hager, Keith Ng and Dr James Hollings. Like those events, the Auckland chapter will offer the chance to learn new skills and share ideas with those interested in investigative journalism.

The speakers include:

• Mihingarangi Forbes and Annabelle Lee-Harris on the challenges posed reporting on spending allegations at the Kōhanga Reo National Trust while working for Māori Television’s Native Affairs;
• University of Auckland statistics professor Thomas Lumley on the way journalists handle numbers and the awful errors we have made;
• Media lawyer Helen Wild on covert reporting – the legal pitfalls, ethical dangers and how to operate safely undercover;
• An insider’s lessons on the Official Information Act – how to phrase requests to get what you need, and what to look for when you think you’re being fooled;
• NZ Herald data programmer Caleb Tutty on the amazing apps for crunching data, recording calls and interrogating information dumps that can take your reporting to a new level.

We also plan on having a special guest speaker who will talk about why investigative journalism matters.

Registrations are now open. We’re seeking $20 from those who are working and $5 from those who are not, simply to cover costs.

The gathering is open to all journalists, journalism students and teachers, authors, film-makers and others interested in or actively doing investigative journalism. Please spread the word to those you think may be interested.

Put the date in your diary and register now.

Regards,

David Fisher, Donna Chisholm, Sharon Fergusson, Julie Starr and Greg Treadwell – The Auckland chapter organisers