In conflict zones, access is rarely secured through official accreditation alone. It is negotiated through local trust, personal relationships, and an understanding of community dynamics.
In this round-up of recent GIJN Academy masterclasses on data journalism, we share practical videos on data reporting basics, using spreadsheets, and incorporating satellite imagery.
From Colombia to Nigeria, outlets are finding new audiences by adapting watchdog reporting to create digital games.
With just 12 weeks left until IJ WEEK, GIJN is offering a sneak preview of some of the event’s more than 100 speakers as well as the expert panels and networking sessions.
The most important thing to learn if you wish to integrate elements of OSINT into your investigative practice is the overall mindset behind the approach.
This small Lithuanian outlet Siena punches above its weight by publishing agenda-setting stories — but the founders say they also never want to take themselves too seriously.
In this GIJN Academy masterclass video, Helena Bengtsson, data journalism editor at Gota Media and Bonnier News Local, shares spreadsheet skills every journalist needs to tell impactful stories.
Investigative outlet Direkt36’s high-risk exposé of the Fidesz party’s secret operation to bring down the opposition party helped unseat Orbán after 16 years of illiberal rule and media capture.
This latest Top 10 in Data Journalism column also highlights rising drug-related deaths in Berlin, heatwave fatalities in Europe, and Hong Kong’s rapidly aging population.
In investigative journalism, many newsrooms have begun implementing an “impact strategy.” How can they do better and what is the goal?
One often overlooked approach for accountability reporting involves side-by-side comparisons between successful and failing institutions with near-identical resources.
ICIJ and GIJN collaborated on this guide to help reporters kick-start their investigation or deepen their knowledge of the crypto industry.
Recently, more than 400 people gathered in the Indian city of Bengaluru for VizChitra 2026, a conference on data visualization and storytelling — but that is only a small part of the story.
Launched with just a €5,000 loan in 2010 by three journalists in their twenties, this scrappy investigative outlet now plays an outsized role in setting the national news agenda.
How investigative and data journalists covered the world’s most popular sports event, from FIFA to footwear.
The journalist explains how he has built a career around long-form investigations, and delves into the process behind his recent book exposing the far-right in Portugal.
Also highlighting the civilian casualties of the first 40 days of the US-Iran war, why carbon capture won’t solve climate change, and the 370,000-plus prisoners still awaiting trial in India.
This reporting guide helps investigative journalists understand some of the nitty-gritty of the technology underlying AI and to give them a framework through which they can examine it.
The negative effects from higher temperatures can be seen everywhere, offering many opportunities for investigative journalism.
Watchdog reporters should discard the idea that damage from natural disasters is simply due to “acts of nature,” and rather think of it as a mix of hazardous events and human actions.
The open source desktop geographic information system software QGIS can be a powerful tool for investigative journalists. This resource takes you from the basics to advanced data mapping.
There is a central tension facing investigative journalists: the “AI and tech paradox.” Explore our report on the most urgent technology-related challenges facing investigative journalism today.
Featuring advice on fact checking, digital security tips, interview techniques, and guidelines for editors.
GIJN is working with cutting-edge trainers to offer a unique cyber investigations training program to a fifth cohort. The course is specifically tailored for reporters and others in watchdog journalism.
One of our most popular courses is back for a third time, this full-day session with investigative trainer Henk van Ess teaches how to use AI for source discovery and data analysis, stop hallucinations, and prompt more effectively.
Empower the World’s Watchdog Journalists
The GIJN Bulletin is free and distributed to journalists in more than 100 countries
The first festival to unite journalists from Poland, the Nordic countries, and Central and Eastern Europe, Breakwater Festival is a three-day gathering of reporters, editors, and media innovators focusing on “investigative and quality journalism in practice.” The festival will be held September 24-27, 2026 in Gdansk, Poland, with sessions organized around investigative journalism, data, art and media, sustainability, films and storytelling, and exiled media. Tickets range from E120-200, with options for discounts, fellowships, and volunteers. The festival is organized by the Reporters Foundation, an independent investigative hub for journalism in Poland.
The Netherlands-based investigative news outlet Follow the Money is looking for “ambitious investigations that reveal wrongdoing, uncover corruption, and hold power to account” and stories on “ individuals, institutions, or corporations that evade accountability, serve private interests, and undermine democracy in Europe.” Follow the Money provides substantial feedback on pitches and works closely with journalists during the reporting process. Freelancers or journalists who work with a newsroom open to collaborations should fill out a pitch form available on their website and send it to pitches@ftm.eu.
On July 27, a court in Baku sentenced five journalists and staff members from Toplum TV, an independent outlet, to prison terms ranging from 12 to almost 14 years. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the trial, which it said “illustrates the escalating crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan.” The Toplum TV staff, including its director, journalists, and a social media manager, were convicted on charges of "smuggling foreign currency" and "illegal entrepreneurship.” All have pleaded not guilty and maintain that the legal case against them is in retaliation for their reporting. Their lawyers announced they will appeal.
At the Gabo Festival in Bogotá, Colombia, the International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) announced this year’s recipients of the World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer awards. The former's recipients are Patricia Evangelista (Philippines), Mónica González (Chile), and Hungary’s independent journalists; the latter's are the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (El CLIP) and Abzas Media and Meydan TV (Azerbaijan). “This year’s recipients come from different countries, generations, and political contexts. Yet what they all have in common is their dedication to holding power to account,” said IPI executive director Scott Griffen.
The 2026 Double Exposure (‘DX 2026’) Investigative Film Festival and Forum will be held November 5-8 in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is On the Record: Evidence in an Age of Doubt, and the event will for the first time feature a public symposium. Feature-length films and shorts that are world, national, or Washington, DC premieres are eligible for consideration, and must not have been previously available to Washington, DC audiences. Films should have an investigative angle, based on journalist investigations, or be investigations that “reveal hidden stories ideally with a compelling public interest.” Deadline: September 13, 202
Source: Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism
Submissions for the sixth edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism are open until 31 July 2026. The Prize is awarded each year around 16 October, the day of the Maltese journalist’s assassination. Endorsed by the European Parliamnet, the award recognizes outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights. It’s open to professional journalists and teams of any nationality, who can submit in-depth pieces that have been published or broadcast by media based in one of the 27 EU countries.
Early bird registrations for the 22nd African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC26) are open. Attendees can save R1,000 (US$61) from the standard ticket price of R4,700 (US$285) if they register before August 1. Discounts are also available for students, freelancers, and bulk ticket purchases — students and freelancers can get 50% off the standard ticket price, but must apply directly with the organizers. The conference fee includes full access to the three-day programme and includes meals, coffee/tea), and the African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award formal gala dinner on November 11.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the disappearance of journalist Stanley Ugagbe, who witnesses say was seized by two armed men in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Wednesday. Ugagbe’s colleagues at Secret Reporters believe the incident was related to the outlet’s recent investigation into corruption and infidelity allegations involving a Nigerian Central Bank executive, for which Ugagbe was the lead reporter. “Authorities must swiftly investigate the whereabouts of journalist Stanley Ugagbe, ensure his immediate safety, and hold those responsible... to account,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal.
Source: USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism
The Data Fellowship, open to US -based journalists writing about health and social welfare for independent media outlets, offers training on on data acquisition, cleaning, analysis, and visualization, one-on-one mentoring, and a reporting grant to complete a project in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for Health Journalism — a major investigative or explanatory health reporting project or a series of individual data-driven health stories, and offers training. The program starts with an in-person learning session on the USC campus in Los Angeles, October 6 - 9, 2026. Applicatiojn deadline is July 22, 2026, at midnight PT.
Play the Game, an initiative run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies that promotes democratic values in world sports, is launching a fund to support independent sports journalism. Backed entirely by public donations, the fund will help journalists and researchers investigate and explain critical issues in international sports — such as corruption, governance failures, abuse of power, and human rights violations. “Much of what we know about the darker sides of international sport does not stem from official transparency. We owe it to journalism,” says Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game.
The journalist explains how he has built a career around long-form investigations, and delves into the process behind his recent book exposing the far-right in Portugal.
The award-winning South African investigative journalist says he spent years ‘in the wilderness’ digging into spreadsheets and paperwork to find his niche.
Anna Behrend is a self-taught data journalist who has found in data-driven reporting and visualization a way to combine her academic background in science with her creative interests.
Based in the Mexican border region of Chihuahua, a state where organized crime exerts a strong presence, means working “under constant threat,” but Gallegos refuses to be silenced.
In this round-up of recent GIJN Academy masterclasses on data journalism, we share practical videos on data reporting basics, using spreadsheets, and incorporating satellite imagery.
Recently, more than 400 people gathered in the Indian city of Bengaluru for VizChitra 2026, a conference on data visualization and storytelling — but that is only a small part of the story.
New York Times climate and environmental graphics reporter Mira Rojanasakul discusses how her team visualized the sea level rise threat from the melting Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica.
This small Lithuanian outlet Siena punches above its weight by publishing agenda-setting stories — but the founders say they also never want to take themselves too seriously.
The investigative outlet focusing on the Black Sea region and Turkey is not quite exiled media, not quite traditional newsroom, but a collaborative group focused on abuses of power.
Over the past decade, the nonprofit Tokyo Investigative Newsroom has published numerous longform exposés on issues ranging from gender, health, politics, and the environment.
The African Centre for Media Excellence fills a critical gap between journalism schools and newsrooms, but earlier this year Ugandan authorities ordered it to shut down and it’s now fighting for its survival.
The 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC25) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, assembled more than 1,500 journalists from over 135 countries and territories to hold workshops, share best practices, and build a community increasingly confronting funding crises, disinformation campaigns, digital surveillance, and authoritarian threats. This project is a compendium of GIJN’s coverage of the conference.
This regional spotlight series examines the world’s largest and most populous continent, which is also the host of the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Asia serves as a unique laboratory in the global media landscape, but journalists here face multifaceted challenges, from censorship to physical threats, digital surveillance to financial pressures. Despite this, watchdog reporters […]
Our third regional spotlight series examines the challenges facing our members and other outlets in the Middle East and North Africa, such as war, backsliding democracies, self-censorship, exile, surveillance and imprisonment of journalists, and the hostile legal environment — and why this reality on the ground makes investigative journalism there all the more essential.
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.
Online scams have become borderless threats that evolve rapidly in scale, sophistication, and impact. From fraudsters using the Internet to steal to phishing networks that engage in social engineering and trick individuals, scams are often backed by organized criminal groups that exploit weak law enforcement, jurisdictional loopholes, and digital anonymity.
In this free online workshop, GIJN will convene four experienced African journalists to discuss how to dig out information from repressive regimes and military dictatorships on the continent.
What innovative tools and techniques are shaping the future of data journalism? A special Lightning Round webinar with the 10 winners of the 2025 Sigma Awards, celebrating some of the world’s best data-driven investigations.
A webinar exploring how investigative journalists can document human rights abuses in war zones, with a focus on methods to ensure the information gathered can later be used by legal investigators or international courts.
