GIJN Welcomes 9 New Members – from Lebanon to Indonesia

As independent media and democracies around the world face an onslaught of obstacles and oppression, the Global Investigative Journalism Network is delighted to welcome nine new member organizations — a diverse group of nonprofit newsrooms from eight countries that are bravely holding individuals and institutions to account in tough press environments.

We are particularly excited to welcome our first member from Lebanon — The Public Source — as well as others from underrepresented nations such as Bulgaria and Indonesia.

“These are impressive newsrooms and networks committed to accountability journalism,” noted GIJN Executive Director David E. Kaplan. “If you get depressed about the state of the world’s news media, just take a look at the gutsy work these folks are doing.”

The new members were approved by a unanimous vote of the GIJN Board of Directors on December 5, and were selected from a pool of 61 applicants in the past seven months, and a shortlist of 20 finalists. These admissions now grow GIJN’s global network to 244 member organizations in 90 countries. (For a full listing, see our membership directory.)

Please join us in welcoming our newest members to GIJN:

Bivol.bg Investigative Media (Bulgaria), a member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), has produced several award-winning investigations in recent years. Working on both local and transnational accountability stories, Bivol has contributed to major collaborative investigations such as the Panama Papers, the FinCen Files, Russian Laundromat, Offshore Leaks, and Troika Dialog projects. This newsroom has continued to report on important topics despite threats and SLAPP (harassment lawsuit) attacks, and has expanded its reach with an English language version.

The Outlaw Ocean Project (US) is an innovative young watchdog nonprofit that focuses on one of the world’s most critical and under-covered topics: criminal activity on the oceans. It has already collaborated with major outlets like The New Yorker, NBC News, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Der Spiegel, and Le Monde, on topics ranging from human trafficking to smuggling to environmental crimes. Outlaw Ocean has even collaborated with artists and musicians, and recently launched a popular podcast series.

Environmental Investigative Forum (France) is a global consortium of environmental investigative journalists. EIF comprises six volunteers, dozens of members, and a network of contributors from the Balkans to the US and East Africa. Focused on covering all things environmental, from water privatization to illicit mining, the organization works collaboratively to dig into some of the world’s most complex and important issues. EIF has already played a key role in more than 20 environmental investigations. Its director described some of its cutting-edge approaches in this GIJN story.

The Public Source (Lebanon) is an independent, Beirut-based publication that focuses on structural inequities, and on the rights and plight of poor and dispossessed communities. The site describes itself as offering “uncompromising journalism and critical commentary from the left,” and it is winning awards with its use of diverse sources and sound reporting on pressing issues. It also hosts a secure whistleblower platform, and runs an on-going investigative series on the drivers and impacts of inequality.

Belarusian Investigative Center is the only specialized investigative media outlet for Belarusian audiences, despite being forced to report from exile in the Czech Republic. An energetic member of OCCRP, BIC won the Belarusian Association of Journalists’ investigative Free Word prize for three consecutive years after its founding in 2018, and has contributed to international projects like the Pandora Papers. The newsroom complements its biweekly investigations with weekly “Top Fake” fact-checking analysis, and generates new shows and mini-documentaries that are among the most popular Belarusian-language videos on Youtube.

Indonesian Data Journalism Network is a nonprofit organization that promotes and teaches data journalism in Indonesia, and also actively collaborates with news organizations. In an effort to lower technical skills barriers for reporters and developers, IDJN has held four data journalism “hackathon” events — involving 124 journalists — since its founding in 2019. It has also produced more than two-dozen data-driven environmental stories, on topics from forest fires to the shrinking habitats of endangered dolphins.

Maldita.es (Spain) is a center for investigative reporting, journalism education, and fact checking in Spain, with a reputation for integrity and support from major European institutions. In addition to collaborations with Spanish media, Maldita.es has worked with groups like Germany’s CORRECTIV and Tactical Tech, while its data project (Maldita Dato) has dug into COVID-19 hoaxes. And it recently collaborated with the Catalan TV program Planta Baixa to reveal pandemic-related failures at Spanish airports. The organization also offers advanced educational courses in investigative and data journalism.

JournaFONDS (Switzerland) is a small news organization that plays an outsized role in promoting and developing investigative journalism in Switzerland. With a primary focus on quality financial stories — and a deep interest in empowering diversity and young reporters — JournaFONDS supports watchdog projects, and promotes collaboration and reporting skills. An initiative of the association “Pacte de l’Enquête et du Reportage” (Investigation and Reporting Pact), its goal is to not only dig up information crucial to the public interest, but also place those facts in a relevant and well-informed context.

Tucson Sentinel (US) is an award-winning regional nonprofit news site, and a recognized pioneer in rebuilding local news in the United States. Based in the US Southwest, it offers bilingual coverage, in English and Spanish, and is frequently referenced by national news outlets. This 12-year-old newsroom is a mission-driven organization committed to independent journalism and investigative reporting. Its investigations into the treatment of migrants in this “borderlands” region of Arizona are especially notable — such as its award-winning revelation on skyrocketing costs to get migrants out of US jails.

Additional Resources

From South Africa to Turkmenistan: 8 New Journalism Groups Join GIJN

Remote Sensing and Data Tools for Environmental Investigations

From Paraguay to Palestine: 16 New Journalism Groups Join GIJN

Rowan Philp is GIJN’s senior reporter. He was formerly chief reporter for South Africa’s Sunday Times. As a foreign correspondent, he has reported on news, politics, corruption, and conflict from more than two dozen countries around the world.