On the fourth day of WEASA 2020, participants had the chance to meet with Rana Sabbagh, an experienced investigative journalist and co-founder of ARIJ. Much of the day consisted of deep conversations about the role investigative journalism plays in our modern society. Participants shared stories of investigations that had a big impact on them, and discussed the realities of journalism in their home countries. In the afternoon session, Rana and the participants held a longer discussion on what legal, political, economic, and social preconditions a society must meet to create a thriving journalistic environment.

They also looked at the differences between investigative and conventional journalism, discussing how the former can prove much more difficult but also yield huge benefits for society.