In early April 2025, the INSIGHT project brought a burst of energy to Bologna. 

INSIGHT is a twoyear Erasmus+ started in October 2024 initiative aimed at improving how media cover crime and justice issues  In particular, the project teaches reporters to handle sensitive stories about crime and (ex)prisoners with respect, ethics and without stereotypes.

The ultimate goal is to make crime reporting more humane – steering coverage away from sensationalism and toward empathy and fairness 

The INSIGHT consortium spans four countries – Italy, Lithuania, Ukraine and Croatia – uniting NGOs and media educators from each during 2 years project implementation

 From April 6th to 11th, 2025, 23 young media creators from these countries gathered at Bologna, in Palazzo d’Accursio and Municipio di San Donato for a week of intense training. The group included aspiring journalists, multimedia storytellers, content creators and young passionate about journalism. By design, these participants represent the “new generation” of storytellers who will shape tomorrow’s news about crime and justice.

Over five days, the participants dove into a packed schedule of workshops and hands-on modules. Key themes included:

• Ethical Interviews & Reporting: Practicing respectful, nonsensational questioning.
• Podcast Storytelling: Learning to craft engaging narratives for audio formats.
• Crime Narrative Analysis: Examining how news stories are framed and where bias can creep in. How to report a story considering every point of view 
• Media Coverage: Building skills to critically assess news sources and spot misinformation, how to structure ethically interviews 
• Put learning methods into practice: How to implement the techniques and methods learned during the next project phase

Experienced journalists and media experts led lively discussions (from interviewing techniques to storyboarding). Trainees also had guest lectures and Q&A sessions with educators working with prisoners and reporters who specialize in crime coverage. Between sessions, the group explored Bologna’s medieval city center on guided walks – soaking up the local culture and history. They even visited NGOs and other organizations directly connected with the justice world to see firsthand how they operate.

By the end of the week, participants were buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm. Informal feedback was overwhelmingly positive and organizers report that every attendee left with stronger knowledge of ethical reporting. Pre and postcourse forms and surveys showed measurable gains in understanding: all participants improved their awareness of how to cover crime stories responsibly.

Bologna training equipped these young media-makers with concrete tools (like ethical interview checklists and podcast plans) and strengthened a network of peers across four countries.