Launch event for the latest issue of student investigative journalism magazine Inquisitio
On 7 October at 15:00, the launch of the latest issue of the investigative journalism magazine Inquisitio will take place at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Anatomy Museum (9 Kronvalda bulvāris). Inquisitio (Latin for ‘investigation’) is the only investigative journalism magazine in Latvia created by journalism students during their studies. In the latest issue, aspiring journalists have investigated matters of current public interest, ranging from the new political movement of Alvis Hermanis and the Latvian language exam for Ukrainian refugee children to children’s sport and health, support for people with diabetes, and train passengers.
The magazine Inquisitio is created as part of the Journalism study programme at the RSU Faculty of Social Sciences, giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience in the investigative journalism process as part of their studies. Inquisitio has been published since 2015, with the aim of enabling students to work on substantial journalistic investigations during their studies – finding and verifying information, interviewing sources, analysing data and documents, and taking professional responsibility for their findings.
The magazine is created using a simulation-based approach to learning, allowing students to gain hands-on experience of both investigative journalism and editorial work.
However, Inquisitio is not merely a study assignment – it is a real and unique media product in which students publish independent investigations into issues of public importance. At the same time, the magazine encourages discussion about the potential of investigative journalism and its role in society.
In the latest issue of Inquisitio, students explore a wide range of topics, including politics, education, children’s sport and health, public health and social support, youth safety and entertainment culture, media literacy and the information environment, as well as Latvia’s diesel trains.
At the launch event, the authors will give short presentations about their investigations, discuss the research process, the challenges encountered and the key findings. Their work will be assessed and professional feedback provided by Olga Dragiļeva, journalist at the Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism RE:Baltica, and Andrejs Vasks, journalist with the Latvian Radio programme Atvērtie faili (Open Files).
Experts in the relevant fields will also contribute to analysing the issues raised by students. Gunta Freimane will speak about support for people with diabetes, while Voldemārs Lapa from Apeirons, an association for people with disabilities and their friends, will comment on accessibility for train passengers.
The launch of Inquisitio will also provide an opportunity to discuss what it means to study journalism through practical experience and how investigative journalism can bring to light issues that might otherwise not come to the public attention.
