How is the Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics different from a full Diploma?

The Certificate covers the foundations — FOI, source handling, court reporting, document trails. The Diploma in Investigative Journalism builds on that with longer projects, in-depth media law, and a published investigation. The Certificate is the right starting point if you have no prior journalism training.

Do I need to be working at a newsroom to enrol?

No. The Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics is open to anyone over 16 with a secondary-school qualification. Working reporters take it as CPD; career-changers take it as a fast test of the field.

Will this course teach me UK media law?

The Certificate covers defamation, contempt and reporting restrictions at a working level — enough to publish a short investigation safely. The deeper law training sits in the Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Journalism Ethics and Media Law.

Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics | LSJHML London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a short, intensive course for reporters, students and career-changers who want a working grip on how investigations are built. Over three to six months you will learn how to file a Freedom of Information request and chase a refusal, how to read a set of company accounts at Companies House, how to track a document trail across public registers, and how to protect a source before, during and after publication.

This Certificate is deliberately practical. You finish with two short investigations completed under tutor review — one document-led, one source-led — and a working understanding of the legal and ethical guardrails the Editors' Code and IPSO impose on what you publish.

Key Features

UK-recognised entry-level credential in investigative practice, suitable as a foundation before a Diploma or as standalone CPD for working reporters.
Hands-on FOI workshop series — write, file, escalate and report on Freedom of Information requests with a tutor at your side.
Document-trail laboratory covering Companies House, Land Registry, public charity returns, court listings and the Gazette.
Source protection clinic — secure messaging, document hygiene, on/off-the-record protocols, source-handling ethics.
Three study modes — on-campus in central London with live filing days, fully online with cohort calls, or distance learning with structured deadlines.
Final brief published on the LSJHML student investigations site with editor sign-off.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics is structured around the practical skills a junior investigator needs before they can be trusted with a tip. You will graduate able to verify a document, file an FOI that survives an internal review, interview a hostile source without burning them, and write up a short investigation that stands up legally.

Freedom of Information Act 2000 — what it covers, the public-interest test, the exemptions and how to appeal refusals.
Reading Companies House filings — directors, persons of significant control, charges, accounts and what each tells you.
Court reporting basics — magistrates', Crown and civil listings, contempt risk, reporting restrictions.
Source verification — corroboration standards, document provenance, photo and video reverse-checks.
Source protection — secure messaging (Signal, SecureDrop), metadata hygiene, anonymisation protocols.
Interviewing — open vs. closed questions, on/off-the-record agreements, recording consent.
Defamation 101 — what a claim looks like, defences, pre-publication risk review.
Editorial standards — the Editors' Code, IPSO's complaint process, accuracy logs.

Who This Course Is For

New reporters in regional newsrooms who want investigative skills their first job won't formally train them on.
Bloggers, podcasters and freelance writers who want the legal and verification literacy to publish accountability journalism safely.
Career-changers from research, the civil service or NGO work who want a fast credential before applying for editorial roles.
Students considering a Diploma in Investigative Journalism but who want to test the field first.

Career Pathways

The Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics is a foundation credential rather than a passport to a staff investigations role. Graduates typically use it to strengthen a junior-reporter application, take on accountability stories on top of beat duties at a regional title, or move into fact-checking and research roles. Typical first or next roles include:

Junior News Reporter (regional newspaper, online title)
Editorial Researcher (broadcast newsroom, longform podcast)
Fact-Checker (national title, magazine)
Junior Producer (current-affairs television)
Press Officer (NGO, charity, local authority)
Freelance Contributor (specialist or community outlet)

Credit from this Certificate counts toward LSJHML's Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Investigative Journalism for students who continue.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior journalism experience required.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.