At this year's summer school:

John Pilger, documentary film maker

Vandana Shiva, Indian environmentalist

Nick Davies, author Flat Earth News

Hear Mark Schapiro, of the Centre for Investigative Reporting, San Francisco, Robert Wardle, retired head Serious Fraud Office, Professor Sheila Bird on how the news distorts statistics, and Solomon Hughes author of War on Terror Inc.

Listen to speakers on the environment: Irene Gerlach, Greg Muttitt, Julian Newman, Andy Rowell and James Sanders.

Plus Jim Nichol and Raphael Rowe on miscarriages of justice, Drew Sullivan on investigating organised crime, Mark Hunter on testing and presenting your investigation, Paul Radu tracing the ownership of European companies, Richard Orange on local authority contracts and deals in the UK, look at your online security with Dimitri Vitaliev, and update your undercover filming skills with Alan Harraden.

Follow courses on:

• Law for journalists with Philip Conway, Justin Walford, Heather Rogers QC and Gavin Millar QC.
• Understanding company accounts with Raj Bairoliya of FTI Forensic Accounting and a team of financial journalists
• How the Freedom of Information Act can work for you with Heather Brooke, whose stories on MPs expenses have filled the press in recent months and David Gordon, of The Belfast Telegraph who can claim a scalp.
• Computer-Assisted Reporting – a unique opportunity to learn everything you need to know about using your computer to improve your reporting. Find out how to dig deep to find data, download it, analyse and present it, with our expert team: David Donald, Training Director Independent Reporters and Editors; Tommy Kaas, from Denmark, Aron Pilhofer of the New York Times, Heather Brooke, Elena Egawhary, Francis Irving and Paul Myers. Download the Computer workshops document for more information.

Computer-Assisted Reporting produces some great stories:

Elena Egawhary in The Guardian July 2007

Heather Brooke in The Times December 2007

The Fire Brigades Union in Metro February 2008

All of these stories analysed data produced by Freedom of Information Act enquiries. By the end of this weekend you can have all the skills needed to do the same.

If you want to become an expert CAR practitioner in just one weekend, join our CAR A-Z course, part of the Computer Workshops, which must be booked in advance – see Computer Workshops and Booking form below.

The Summer School is open to all. A place costs £200 for a student, £300 for NUJ/BECTU or similar and £450 full price.

Go to Summer School 2008 to see the Timetable, read about the Computer workshops, complete a Booking Form and register and pay.

The Paul Foot Award for Campaigning Journalism 2008

Sponsored by both Private Eye and The Guardian, and now in its fourth year, The Paul Foot Award honours campaigning journalism in the UK in memory of investigative journalist Paul Foot.

Submissions will be accepted for material that has been published in a newspaper, magazine or online between 1st September 2007 and 31st August 2008. Currently no broadcast material is eligible.

Individual journalists, teams of journalists or entire publications may enter and entries will be considered for anything from single pieces to entire campaigns.

The overall winner will be awarded £5000, with the five runners up each receiving £1000, at a ceremony to be held in London on the 3rd November 2008.

The closing date for entries is 1st September 2008

For more information, including a downloadable application form, go to:
Private-eye.co.uk

Speakers include: Robert Fisk (UK), Roman Schleynov (Russia), Sam O. Dean (Liberia), Hans-Martin Tillack (Germany) and Giannina Segnini (Costa Rica).

Plus: a Special Session on Investigative Journalism in China

For more information: see the Global Investigative Journalism Conference website www.gijc2008.no.