* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
If you want to start a passionate argument in Latin America, start talking sport. There are few subjects that generate as much heated debate in the region, particularly at the moment.
The FIFA scandal, allegations of match fixing in tennis, doping stories in athletics – sports journalism has ceased to be simply about “covering matches”. These days it also often involves covering controversy.
It was against this backdrop that the Thomson Reuters Foundation, in partnership with the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA), brought 12 journalists from across Latin America together in Buenos Aires in May to hone their skills in investigative sports journalism.
It was the first time the TRF had run the course – an indication of how interest in delving into the shadier side of sports has grown.
For three days, journalists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela worked on practical exercises, covering an imaginary sports corruption story in a fictional country, learning how to report accurately and fairly on such stories.
They discussed the ethical demands of investigative journalism, how to get the best out of interviews and how to use sources to their best advantage. FOPEA’s managing director Vanina Berghella gave them a presentation on how to use multimedia tools to enhance their reports.
On the second day of the course, Argentine journalist Gustavo Grabia dropped by to share his experience as one of the country’s most respected investigative sports journalists. Gustavo has written extensively on the “barras bravas” – Argentina’s notoriously violent football gangs – and on the often unsavoury links between big football clubs and the world of crime.
To finish the course, each participant came up with a story idea they wanted to pursue after the course. The TRF will help them bring some of those stories to print by offering them mentoring from experienced Reuters and ex-Reuters journalists.
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