RIYADH – Saudi Training Academy has inaugurated a four-day workshop on “Investigative Journalism & AI: Combatting Misinformation and Building a Better Future”, bringing together Saudi journalists and a five-member delegation from Pakistan.
The opening session, led by media trainer Mohammed Ziyadah outlined the workshop’s core goals: mastering investigative techniques, applying artificial intelligence in reporting, understanding cultural context, and building tools to counter misinformation. He stressed that credibility, fact-based reporting, and meaningful audience engagement remain vital pillars of digital journalism.
Ziyadah explained that investigative journalism involves systematic inquiry to uncover hidden facts in the public interest, setting it apart from daily reporting through its reliance on evidence, longer timelines, and higher standards of accuracy and accountability. Participants also examined comparative legal frameworks, Saudi Arabia’s Publications and Publishing Act and Anti-Cyber Crime Law and Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) highlighting the shared focus on ethics, state institutions, and data privacy.
The workshop discussed the growing role of citizen journalism, particularly ethical responsibilities in reporting on children, survivors of abuse, and individuals with hidden disabilities. A case study on Amazon workers in Saudi Arabia, published by *The Guardian* in 2024, was presented as an example of evidence-based reporting. Ziyadah also introduced UNESCO’s Hypothesis-Based Inquiry method, which emphasizes testable assumptions, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and rigorous verification.
Sessions further explored opportunities for cross-border investigative reporting between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, focusing on areas such as labor rights, renewable energy under Vision 2030, food security, mining, digital transformation, and water scarcity. Participants were directed to official data resources, including the Saudi Statistical Database, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, and the World Integrated Trade Solution.
Day One concluded with a call for journalists to uphold responsibility, fairness, and cultural sensitivity while embracing AI and digital tools to combat misinformation and promote accountability.
