As extremism spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, journalists are turning to open source tools to track the networks and physical movement of these often violent groups.
Our data journalism column also features stories looking at the history of African borders, Spain’s prisoner release algorithm, and the global impact of deep USAID funding cuts.
GIJN shares some of the no-cost, easy-to-use data tools that NICAR25 conference panelists described as surprisingly useful but unknown by investigative reporters.
Covering Trump 2.0 poses stark challenges for news outlets, but many environmental journalists who reported on Trump between 2016 and 2020 can offer perspective.
TBIJ journalists explain how they got around SLAPP suits by having UK Members of Parliament — shielded by legal privilege — read in the House of Commons previously silenced stories.
For International Women’s Day we spoke to data journalists from Argentina, Kenya, Sweden, and Turkey to find out why they chose this path and what challenges still remain.
The current funding challenges facing nonprofit media make it more important than ever for newsrooms to “walk the talk” on transparency and to maximize their independence.
Ginna Morelo put part of her investigation into Colombian paramilitaries on hold for 13 years to protect her family and sources. She tells how she decided it was finally time to publish.
The Central American Independent Media Archive (CAIMA) seeks to preserve reporting from threatened or shuttered accountability media sites across the region.
For one night, the French nonprofit media site brought its staff and projects to a Paris theater to share its investigations into journalists who have been killed or silenced.
The US government engages with virtually every country in the world and each new president can radically change its policy. Here’s GIJN’s updated tipsheet on digging into global US influence.
To help data journalists with their reporting, here is a curated list of non-government websites and archives that preserve or maintain public health data.
Journalist Shiori Ito directed the Oscar-nominated documentary ‘Black Box Diaries,’ spending years reporting on her attacker and helping to spark the #MeToo movement in Japan.
This award-winning investigation into Xinjiang internment camp survivors was nearly silenced. Here are some lessons learned about keeping vulnerable sources safe and telling their stories.
For budding reporters or those looking to break into in the profession, GIJN has compiled a list of academic and training scholarships for investigative and data journalism.
We used WhatsApp to crowdsource information from Uber and Lyft drivers in NYC about company lockouts during a local, minimum wage dispute.
This guide provides watchdog journalists with key context and practical advice to enable better investigations of the fossil fuel industry.
A comprehensive list of national, regional, and global reporting grants and fellowships.
Read our updated guide to reporting on health and medicine, featuring lessons learned from covering the coronavirus outbreak.
Featuring advice on fact checking, digital security tips, interview techniques, and guidelines for editors.
The global fight against climate change depends on the actions of individual nations — so national accountability is critical.
Empower the World’s Watchdog Journalists
The GIJN Bulletin is free and distributed to journalists in more than 100 countries
A Guatemalan appeals court has ordered José Rubén Zamora Marroquín, founder of the newspaper elPeriódico, back into preventive detention. Zamora — the founder of the newspaper elPeriódico, who has faced threats and arbitrary detention for his investigations into corruption in Alejandro Giammatei’s government — was granted conditional release in October 2024 after spending more than 800 days in preventive detention. The judge presiding over the case said that he disagreed with the ruling, despite being compelled to enforce it. PEN International stated that the decision “reinforces the impunity and corruption that continue to dominate Guatemala’s judicial system."
Source: Center for News, Technology & Innovation
On March 12 the Center for News, Technology & Innovation, an independent global policy research center, released two reports on “Journalism in the Age of AI,” based on a survey of 430 journalists in more than 60 countries who were asked about government, technology, online harassment, and what it means to be a journalist these days. Key findings include that only 24% of US journalists believe the public can distinguish journalism from other forms of information; 50% of journalists globally report experiencing government overreach; and 36% of journalists say AI will have a positive impact on informing the public.
To mark International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) draws attention to cyberharassment against journalists who cover women's rights and gender-based violence. Such online attacks result in reporters self-censoring, which diminishes coverage of these issues. Nearly 60% of the journalists from over 110 countries surveyed by RSF in the report “Journalism in the #MeToo Era” know at least one journalist who has been a victim of cyberharassment due to their work on these topics. RSF has 16 policy recommendations for law enforcement, judicial authorities, digital platforms, newsrooms, and national governments to mitigate online assaults.
The Germany-based nonprofit European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) has announced a Journalists-in-Exile Programme program — underscoring its “long-term commitment to providing structured, sustained support for journalists and media professionals forced to flee their home countries.” Under the program, journalists will be designated JiE Fellows and receive targeted support for professional development and participation to help them continue their journalism work in Germany, including finance counseling and training. The offer is open to media professionals in Germany who have had to leave their home countries due to oppression or persecution.
In a move the RSF described as “emboldened” by President Trump’s rhetoric and freezing of foreign aid, on 25 February Serbian police raided the offices of the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA), the NGO behind the fact-checking website Istinomer.rs, along with three other NGOs. The public prosecutor justified the raids by citing US officials’ claims that recipients of USAID funds may have been “misused.” The operation came amid an increase in government attacks on the press in Serbia, and RSF called on institutions of the EU — which Serbia hopes to join — to condemn the targeting and criminalization of independent media.
The Associated Press (AP) has announced the launch of its Local Investigative Reporting Program to "accelerate our longstanding efforts to support newsrooms across the US," which will be led by global investigations editor Ron Nixon. Nixon and his team will work with state and local outlets to produce stories and support their reporting needs — including training for local newsrooms, for example in open source investigative techniques; using AI for local investigations; producing local investigative guides; connecting local outlets with AP editors and subject matter experts; and working with AP’s data team to provide data analysis services.
Italy’s journalists’ union has made a criminal complaint to Rome prosecutors after Giorgia Meloni’s government “shut down questions in parliament over suspicions it had illegally used spyware technology to hack the phones of critics instead of criminals.” It emerged in January 2025 that an investigative journalist and six others’ mobile phones had been targeted by an entity using Graphite — a military-grade spyware made by Israel-based Paragon. The Guardian also reported that Paragon had ended its dealings with Italy over a “breach of contract." Meloni’s office denied that domestic intelligence services or the government were behind the alleged hacks.
Source: Center for Journalism & Democracy
Howard University’s Center for Journalism & Democracy is holding a workshop for journalists titled “Protecting Your Devices, Your Sources and Yourselves” on February 24, partnering with the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University. The day-long digital security training is free, from 10am to 4pm at American University in Washington, DC. The workshop will cover digital security fundamentals, including the basics of risk assessment and account security. The workshop is the first event in a special series focused on defending independent journalism.
Nominations for the 36th annual Courage Awards are open. Candidates must be full-time staff or freelance women or nonbinary reporters, writers, editors, photographers, or producers of any nationality, working in any country. The IWMF’s annual Courage in Journalism Awards “honor women and nonbinary journalists who set themselves apart by exhibiting extraordinary bravery, persistence and resilience.” Nominations may be made in English, Spanish, or French through links provided on the IWMF Courage Award site, and will be accepted until March 30, 2025. Self-nominations are not accepted.
According to a statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a record number of journalists were killed in 2024 — at least 124 journalists in 18 countries, making it the deadliest year for reporters since the organization started recording numbers more than 30 years ago. The statement added that 85 journalists — nearly 70% — were killed by the Israeli military in the Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli military responded that they were unable to investigate alleged incidents because not enough information had been provided, and that it takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to journalists and civilians.
In a career spanning more than 20 years, Le Monde reporter Stéphane Horel has brought a creative and, at times, humorous approach to groundbreaking environmental investigations.
The managing editor of HumAngle, which covers the human costs of conflict and terrorism, discusses the challenges of investigative coverage in Nigeria.
GIJN’s Benon Herbert Oluka talks to Golden Matonga, investigations director at the Platform for Investigative Journalism – Malawi, about his career uncovering corruption.
Investigative reporter Annie Hylton on her journey from law to journalism, overlooked stories, and advice for interviewing sources living with trauma.
GIJN shares some of the no-cost, easy-to-use data tools that NICAR25 conference panelists described as surprisingly useful but unknown by investigative reporters.
For International Women’s Day we spoke to data journalists from Argentina, Kenya, Sweden, and Turkey to find out why they chose this path and what challenges still remain.
We used WhatsApp to crowdsource information from Uber and Lyft drivers in NYC about company lockouts during a local, minimum wage dispute.
CLIP developed a collaborative database that empowers journalists to access public documents, contracts, and datasets across Latin America.
In the aftermath of a car bombing that killed one of Malta’s leading investigative reporters, her family set up an organization to fight for justice and ensure her legacy lives on.
The nonprofit newsroom — whose founders and senior leadership are all women — has taken a innovative, youth-focused approach to covering corruption.
GIJN member Mongabay is leading the way in environmental journalism with a innovative global-plus-local approach to watchdog reporting.
Since its inception, the Cameroon-based journalism collective has had a double mission: first to train journalists, and then to encourage them to work together.
Our second regional spotlight series examines the successes and challenges facing our members in Africa and others reporting from the continent. These articles tell the stories of growing journalistic collaboration, courage, and innovation in the face of repression, legal intimidation, lack of access to information, and even physical threats.
Our first regional spotlight series celebrates the achievements of our members in Latin America and others reporting from the region. These articles tell the stories of reporters across the continent, digging into the investigations that matter, and detailing how outlets are creating innovative reporting projects amid their own specific local challenges.
Global elections in 2024 will affect more citizens than in any previous year, and will likely reset humanity’s liberty compass for years ahead. This project features an elections reporting guide, stories on cutting-edge tools for investigating campaigns and candidates, and lessons learned from the best in local watchdog reporting from around the world.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, GIJN has published a series of stories and tipsheets for investigative journalists covering the war. This includes a wide range range of topics, from tracking Russian assets to investigating war crimes.
Satellite imagery has become a game-changer for investigative journalism, offering powerful tools to uncover hidden stories.
The 2024 elections marked a seismic year for democracies worldwide, presenting investigative journalists with unique challenges and opportunities.
In Africa, more than in most other parts of the world, the hurdles that journalists have to overcome to report beyond their own countries or continent are numerous.
This session was designed to provide investigative journalists with the skills to investigate the arms trade and military aid.
