AJMI – Kuala Lumpur

On Friday, 20 November, Al Jazeera Media Institute (AJMI) hosted a reception for more than 70 journalists and representatives of international media organisations, on the sidelines of the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. The event aimed to showcase the institute’s activities and initiatives in advancing journalistic practice, particularly investigative journalism, through its training programmes and knowledge outputs.

Muhammad Alkhamaiseh, from the AJMI’s Media Initiatives Department, presented an overview of the institute’s projects, including in-person and online courses, knowledge publications, The Journalism Magazine, the Al Jazeera Ambassadors initiative, and support for local media institutions through the Media for Development initiative. Rafi Mustafa, Manager of Investigative Programmes Department, delivered a speech highlighting the Network’s investigative work and its role in exposing violations and serving communities.

The reception also introduced the winners of the institute’s fellowship to attend the conference – six journalists from Syria, Jordan, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine and Tunisia – who received full grants to participate and benefit from the expertise and experiences on offer.

As a partner of the conference, which drew over 1,500 journalists, the institute engaged in various sessions. Mohammed El-Haddad showcased the work of the AJ Labs’ data journalism team in documenting victims of genocide in Gaza. Montaser Marai, former Manager of the AJMI’s Media Initiatives Department, joined a session on developing investigative journalism. Alexandra Bouliat, Executive Producer of the People & Power programme on Al Jazeera English, spoke about working with sources, while Laila Al-Arian, Executive Producer of the Fault Lines programme on Al Jazeera English, shared her experience in war crimes investigations and producing televised investigative reports.

The institute’s participation comes as part of its strategic objectives to enhance its global presence and advance professional journalism practices across various fields.