How to Succeed as a Freelance Investigative Journalist • Nithin Coca

In this masterclass video, Japan-based freelance journalist Nithin Coca shares practical lessons from 10 years of independent reporting across Asia. Drawing on his experience, he offers essential tips for building a sustainable freelance career in investigative journalism.

Freelance journalism is not only reporting, but also running a business. Here, freelancer Nithin Coca shows why you must invest in your skills and reputation, stay highly organized, and network constantly to find strong collaborators. He explains how to nail your grant applications and secure editor support, while insisting that grants don’t replace newsroom payments.

He urges reporters to collaborate to go further: connect across borders, combine knowledge, and use teamwork to turn local investigations into impactful regional stories.

Credits:

• Interview: Sarah Ulrich
• Video Editing: Quentin Egloff
• Music: Lionel Marçal
• Filming: Ron Lopez, Reynald Ramirez, Hashim Hakeem
• Supervision and Coordination: Sandrine Rigaud
• Special Thanks: Glenn Chong
• With the support of The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung