The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), along with the Association of Journalists from the Province of Alicante (APPA), and the RSF-UMH Elche Safe Space for Freedom of the Press program, are organizing the International Course of Investigative Journalism. Participants in this event include journalists, Efren Lemus (El Salvador) and Laura Ardila (Colombia), two beneficiaries of this program for journalists who are at risk due to exercising this profession, and because of this are currently undergoing a stay at the UMH. These two journalists will remain at the university throughout the semester as honorary professors of the university’s Department of Social and Human Sciences.

Lemus and Ardila are cornerstones of the ‘Global Media Literacy: Misinformation, Cyber Security, Democracies and AI in New Digital Media Ecosystems’ project, whose PI is Associate Professor of Journalism, José Luis González-Esteban. This initiative is part of a 2024 call for investigative projects to foster processes of innovation, the generation and transfer of knowledge, and technology within artificial intelligence and that is promoted by the Diputación Provincial of Alicante. As part of this, these journalists will participate in three literacy workshops taking place in Benidorm, Alcoy, and Orihuela, and at various meetings with students and faculty in Elche. Furthermore, the visiting professors attended the International Meeting of Ethics Education and Human Rights: A Commitment to Democratic Harmony in Ibero-America, which took place at the Thyssen Museum in Madrid, organized by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), in June 2024. There, at that meeting, the RSF-UMH Elche Safe Space for Freedom of the Press program was the recipient of a special mention from the Fifth Óscar Romero Ibero-American Prize of Education on Human Rights. The final conference at this international meeting was given by Professor and 6^th Ombudsman of Spain, Ángel Gabilondo, who spoke on ethics education to address democratic harmony, and in it, he highlighted education on values and the social impact of the program that is promoted by the UMH and Reporters Without Boders (RSF).

The International Course of Investigative Journalism is directed at professionals from and around the Province of Alicante, and will take place at Association of Journalists from the Province of Alicante facilities on the afternoons of October 15 and 17 (2024). This event is addressing issues related to advancing competencies and abilities of investigative journalism, and led by experts on the issue, as Laura Ardila and Efren Lemus are. Both are the recipients of international prizes and recognition for their journalistic work in this field.