While traditional journalism relies on equipment like this, investigative journalists often use a variety of new technology to conduct their investigations. Photo: Flickr

The seventh Global Investigative Journalism Conference kicks off in Kyiv, Ukraine this week with more than 500 investigative journalists from around the world

The participants will get a chance to meet their peers, share methods and learn about the newest technology for uncovering stories.

The conference organised by the IMS-supported Investigative journalism network SCOOP and Ukrainian investigative journalism organizations, is an opportunity for reporters to network, find colleagues for transnational investigations, and learn from leading journalists and experts in the genre.

Speakers include renowned journalists such Pulitzer prize winner Jeff Gottlieb from the Los Angeles Times, Jacob Bursell from Svenska Dagbladet and He Xin from the Chinese magazine Caixin who will describe their investigations and how they tackled obstacles along the way. There will be sessions on the safety of investigative journalists who often put themselves in peril due to their work, as well as how potential traumas incurred by journalists as a result of their work should be dealt with.

One of the main obstacles to carrying out investigative journalism around the world is funding. Another is ensuring that your story reaches as many as possible by using the right platforms.  The programme includes new business models for funding investigative journalism and story-telling on websites and apps.

IMS will be reporting from the conference on the website this week. Watch this space.

Get more information on the conference here or visit the conference website: http://gijc2011.org/