Achilles Data is a three-month course for aspiring journalists and media students from the Czech Republic with the aim of familiarizing participants with the basic tools, current trends and in-depth methods of modern journalism. This course accepts 3- to 4-member teams of students.
The Course
- Teams first undergo a three-day series of workshops
- Each team is assigned a mentor, whom the students consult with for the duration of the course
- Teams submit their final project, which usually consists of an article plus interview and infographics
- The course ends with a final meeting during which the best project is chosen and participants receive a written evaluation of their work from the judges
Achilles’ Data IV
A total of six teams of students from Prague and Ostrava were accepted for the fourth Achilles Data course in 2016 (photo gallery here).
Aspiring journalists completed a three-day series of workshops at the American Center in Prague. The workshops were led by experts on various topics from the Czech Republic and abroad (in Czech and English).
The teams were given until May 22, 2016 to independently compile their final thesis on their chosen topics.
Among the mentors this year were:
Jana Ustohalová (MF Dnes)
Pavla Holcová (Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism)
Jindřich Šídlo (Hospodářské noviny)
Tomáš Němeček (journalist)
Markéta Dobiášová (Czech Television)
Štěpánka Černá (KPMG)
Ondřej Kundra (Respekt)
Jaroslav Spurný (Respekt)
Magdalena Sodomková (journalist)
Vojtěch Blažek (Hospodářské noviny)
Paul Myers (Research Clinic, BBC Academy)
Jan Cibulka (Samizdat)
Final projects (article, interview and infographics) were submitted by May 22nd, 2016. The teams could offer their texts to the media for publication after this date.
The entire course ended with a final meeting on June 23, 2016, where the best project was chosen and all the participants received a written evaluation of their work from the judges.
The course is organized by the Bakala Foundation and the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism.