CLASS - December 1, 3, 8, 10, 2025 3 - 5pm PT / 6-8pm ET
Dig In: How to Start Your First Investigative Story
Got a story idea that just won’t let go? Tired of scratching the surface? Learn how to dig deeper and ask the tough questions in this hands-on investigative journalism class with reporter and editor Paulina Velasco.
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About this class
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Monday, December 1, 2025
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Monday, December 8, 2025
Wednesday December 10, 2025 -
3pm - 5pm PT / 6pm - 8pm ET
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Virtual
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4 x 2 hour classes
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$370 AIR members
$425 non-members -
Payment plans available at checkout.
Investigative reporting can seem intimidating—slow, complex, and reserved for only the most seasoned journalists. But it often starts the same way as any story: with a question that won’t go away. If you’ve ever finished an interview or daily assignment with more questions than answers, you’re already on the path.
This class is designed for reporters with basic skills who are ready to dig deeper. Together, we’ll learn how to ask sharper questions, identify who should be held accountable, and understand what sets investigative work apart.
This class is designed for reporters with basic skills who are ready to dig deeper. Together, we’ll learn how to ask sharper questions, identify who should be held accountable, and understand what sets investigative work apart.
Through close readings of real investigations, we’ll break down what works—and what doesn’t. Then, we’ll walk step by step through building your own investigation: from developing leads and protecting sources to creating a reporting plan and knowing when (and how) to pitch your story. Along the way, we’ll stay grounded in purpose, always returning to the impact we want our work to have.
Students walk away with
- A refined pitch for an investigative piece
- A list of research and sources to gather with knowledge of the tools to keep them secure
- A reporting plan with a rough timeline for execution
Who is this class for?
For journalists with some experience in any media format who are curious about the steps it takes to construct an investigation. For anyone who has a kernel of an idea that they think could be turned into an investigative piece. This class will allow them to explore its possibilities as the instructor walks through how to begin reporting on it.
Meet the instructor
Paulina Velasco
Paulina Velasco is a multilingual journalist based in California with 10 years of experience in audio production, editing, feature writing, and investigative reporting. In her role at the Institute for Nonprofit News she works with rural newsrooms to develop and execute high-impact collaborative reporting series published nationwide. In a 2024 investigation with NAHJ's palabra, Feet in 2 Worlds, WNYC, and Puente News Collaborative, she examined how disinformation spreads on Spanish-language radio targeting Latino communities. Her written work, including pieces for The Guardian, often explores the immigrant experience in the U.S. Her reporting on conditions faced by asylum seekers in open-air detention centers was cited in a 2023 complaint to the Department of Homeland Security filed by humanitarian groups. As an experienced audio producer and editor, Paulina has helped launch numerous shows—including a documentary series on Latina health in Chicago—and has worked with KQED, KCRW, Marketplace, Slate, and Crooked Media.
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