GIJN Welcomes 12 New Members from 11 Countries

The Global Investigative Journalism Network is delighted to welcome to 12 new member organizations this week. Among them are an Indian newsroom famed for its undercover work, a Peruvian data journalism pioneer, a Transylvanian muckraking nonprofit, and the training arm of a top Nigerian investigative daily. We are particularly pleased to welcome for the first time groups from Botswana, in southern Africa; the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan; and Vietnam in Southeast Asia.

This diverse group of applicants, approved by GIJN’s Board of Directors on Monday, includes reporting organizations, media development groups, and training centers. The new members bring GIJN’s global membership to 128 groups in 57 countries. For a full listing, please see our membership directory.

In keeping with GIJN policy, all are journalism nonprofits that support investigative or data journalism.

The majority of new members are based in the Global South, where investigative reporting can face dire consequences. We also note that over half of these groups have been formed since 2014. Add to that the vitality and commitment of their staffs and supporters, and we believe that investigative journalism, despite the many challenges it faces, is alive and well around the world.

Please join us in welcoming our newest members to GIJN:

Átlátszó Erdély (Romania), which means Transparent Transylvania, is a nonprofit made up of ethnic Hungarian journalists and activists living in Romania who are using investigative journalism to bring to light such topics as how tax money is spent, business interests of public figures, ownership of large investments that breach the law. Formed in 2015, the group is inspired by atlatszo.hu, the Budapest-based Hungarian center for investigative journalism and watchdog NGO.

Bhutan Media Foundation (BMF) aims to sustain democracy by developing the Bhutanese media, through initiatives to build journalistic excellence, promote media innovation, support promotion of freedom of expression, freedom of information, and freedom of the press. Investigative journalism is a core focus of the organization. Founded in 2010, BMF supports the media in enhancing skills through scholarships, internships and training, and strengthening media executive management and leadership skills.

Convoca (Peru) is an investigative journalism association formed in 2014 by reporters, data analysts, and developers who research, teach, and produce stories using database integration from different disciplines and networks. Convoca works in partnership with other independent initiatives, media organizations, and universities in the country and abroad.

DIG (Documentary Investigation Journalism) Association (Italy) was founded in 2015 in the town of Riccione by journalists involved in honoring Ilaria Alpi, a RAI correspondent killed in 1994 in Mogadishu. Today, DIG is a center dedicated to investigative reporting and professional training of Italian journalists.

Finance Uncovered (UK) was established in 2015 with the goal of increasing the quantity and quality of investigative journalism on illicit financial flows. The London-based group focuses on the developing world by providing training to investigative journalists covering business and finance, and by leveraging the network of people trained to publish innovative cross-border investigative reports.

Forum for Media and Literature (India) is publisher of the online news site CobraPost, which has earned a reputation for hard-hitting undercover investigative reporting. Founded in 2013, the New Delhi-based newsroom sees its mission as stimulating through journalism an informed, intelligent and sustained public discourse, which results in actions in the interests of the public.

INK Centre for Investigative Journalism (Botswana) was founded in 2015 to address underdevelopment of in-depth journalism in the nation’s newsrooms. The Centre supports and imparts basic investigative reporting skills to young reporters in news organizations that have significant budgetary constraints and are struggling to maintain investigative journalism desks. As a donor funded centre, INK offers its editorial services to select private media houses.

International Centre for Investigative Reporting (Nigeria) is an independent investigative news agency based in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. Launched in 2012, ICIR has focused its recent investigations on the country’s Northeast, which is afflicted by the Boko Haram insurgency, to report stories that otherwise would never have been told. The ICIR is also helping to build investigative reporting units and popularize watchdog reporting across the country.

IHECS Academy is a nonprofit lifelong training center based in Brussels, Belgium, and is located at the journalism and communication school IHECS (Institut des Hautes Etudes des Communications Sociales). The Academy provides training in the fields of communication and journalism to both students and professionals. Among its offerings is a long-term investigative reporting program (69 hours) for professional journalists.

JARING (Indonesia Network for Investigative Journalism) aims to develop media professionalism and to extend access to information in Indonesia and other countries in Asia. It does so through capacity-building programs, establishing new media in isolated locations, emergency assistance for media in disaster areas, and media content production. Formed in 2015, the Jakarta-based JARING operates under the Indonesian Association for Media Development.

Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) is the NGO arm of the newspaper Premium Times, which has gained international attention for its investigative reporting. The PTCIJ, created in 2014, is based in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Among its projects are Parliament Watch, Advancing Government Accountability and Human Rights in Nigeria, and a focus on elections, accountability, security, and insurgencies in Nigeria.

The Centre for Media and Development Initiatives (Vietnam) is a leading NGO in development of investigative journalism in Vietnam, with high-profile and respected international workshops and training activities for the country’s top journalists and editors. Founded in 2014, MDI works to serve the public interest by harnessing the power of communications to inform, debate, and educate.