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Stories

Getting the Story Out

Investigative Journalism in Africa: A Book From the Frontlines

by Manasseh Azure Awuni • July 19, 2023

The award-winning Ghanaian journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni says there are a series of challenges that investigative reporters in Africa must confront during the course of their work. Read about the difficulty of getting accurate data, the challenges of impunity, funding issues, and press freedom challenges in this excerpt from his new book.

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GIJN Africa: Members in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Resource

GIJN Africa: Safety and Security in Africa

To protect journalists from safety and security risks, some African and global organizations have set up programs that offer support to muckrakers who are in trouble, either in selected African countries or across the continent.

Resource

GIJN Africa: Access to Public Records

Resources that are available for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa who seek public information in countries with laws governing access to information.

Around the World

Kyrgyz Supreme Court Upholds Decision to Shut Down GIJN Member Kloop

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

Investigative outlet — and GIJN member — Kloop lost it appeal to the Kyrgyz Supreme Court, which upheld a lower court ruling that declared the outlet must be dissolved. That initial decision from a year ago came in the wake of Kloop's numerous corruption investigations into the country's president and other state officials. "The forced shuttering of international award–winning investigative outlet Kloop is a shameful episode in the history of modern Kyrgyzstan — a country long viewed as a haven for press freedom in Central Asia — and is a clear indication that under President Japarov this reputation no longer holds,” said Committee to Protect Journalists' Gulnoza Said.

Registration Open for AccessFest 2024, IRE’s Virtual Conference

Source: Investigative Reporters & Editors

IRE members who were unable to attend this year’s Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) conference, or the NICAR data journalism conference, can register for AccessFest, IRE’s annual “virtual-by-design” event. (Attendees can also apply to become an IRE member online.) Taking place on October 17-19, 2024, AccessFest focuses on expanding IRE’s efforts to provide more accessible training and inclusion to improve newsrooms and coverage. It will also feature the best data classes and investigative reporting sessions from IRE’s in-person conferences this past year. Journalists, students, and educators of color are eligible to apply for AccessFest fellowships.

Former Politician Convicted in Killing of US Investigative Reporter

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

A jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, found a former politician guilty of the murder of investigative reporter Jeff German. Robert Telles, previously a Clark County public administrator, lost his re-election bid in the summer of 2022 after German extensively reported on misconduct and possible corruption in Telles' office. German, a veteran reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was found dead outside his home several months later, in September 2022. "The conviction sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated,” said the CPJ's Katherine Jacobsen. “It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable.”

Journalists Arrested During Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Source: Reporters Without Borders

At least three journalists were arrested covering protests during the US Democratic National Convention in Chicago. On Tuesday, August 20, a small group of protesters gathered outside Chicago’s Israeli Consulate to protest the war in Gaza. Overnight, according to the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, more than 70 people were arrested, including three credentialed journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the journalists’ credentials were seized and that they were charged with disorderly conduct and failure to obey police. Citing press freedom concerns, RSF called for all charges against the journalists to be dropped.

Application Deadlines Approaching for Two FIJ Grants

Source: Fund for Investigative Journalism

The application periods for two different journalism grants from the Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) are coming to a close. FIJ's regular grants program provides up to US$10,000 for stories that "break new ground and uncover wrongdoing in the public or private sectors," but journalists must provide a commitment from a news outlet as part of the application. FIJ's seed grants program is aimed at freelancer reporters and offers up to US$2,500 for initial research (open-records fees, travel, logistics costs) to solidify investigative pitches. The regular grants deadline is end of day Sept. 9 and the seed grants deadline is end of day Sept. 20.

Transparency International Publishes New Report on Secret Money Transfers Between Russia and UK

Source: Transparency International Russia

A new report released by Transparency International (TI) Russia details a web of illicit digital money transfers between Russia and the United Kingdom. According to TI, this secret money channel over the past decade has allowed large e-payments via verified business bank accounts and highlights "significant regulatory gaps and the use of dark web marketplaces where these accounts are sold, often registered under false identities with genuine documents." The report also identified high-risk profiles, political exposed persons, and complex corporate structures that "exacerbated" the risk of illegal money transfers into the UK from Russia.

Applications Open for Anna Politkovskaya-Arman Soldin Prize

Source: France Diplomatie

France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has launched the second iteration of the Anna Politkovskaya-Arman Soldin Prize for Courage in Journalism, which “honors the work of journalists and photojournalists committed to carrying out their essential role of spreading information, particularly in crisis or conflict theatres.” The prize is named for Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya and French-Bosnian AFP photojournalist Arman Soldin, who were killed in the line of duty. It will be awarded in early November 2024, and the winner will receive €10,000 (US$10,921) to finance a reporting project.

Two Accused Hitmen Acquitted of Killing Greek Reporter

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

A Greek court acquitted two men accused of carrying out the 2021 assassination of crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz, citing a lack of evidence. Prosecutors had claimed that the two men, who are brothers, ambushed the well-known investigative journalist outside his Athens home, shooting him 10 times. Karaivaz had done extensive reporting on organized crime and authorities claimed that the men were carrying out a retaliatory hit. “We call on the Greek authorities to ensure that all of those involved in the deadly shooting of Karaivaz are brought to justice," said CPJ Europe representative Attila Mong.

Launch of Shireen Abu Akleh Prize for Women Journalists

Source: International Federation of Journalists

The International Federation of Journalists (IJF) and the International Francophone Press Union (UPF) have launched the Shireen Abu Akleh Prize to recognize the escalating threats and risks women journalists face. Named for the Palestinian journalist killed in the Jenin refugee camp while reporting live in May 2022, the prize will recognize the courage and commitment of women journalists. Nominations are open to women journalists and media professionals regardless of nationality, working languages, or media platform. Recipients will receive €5,000, and the inaugural award will be given out in December 2024.

Evan Gershkovich, US Reporter Held in Russia, Freed in Prisoner Swap

Source: The New York Times

Moscow released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and former US Marine Paul Whelan in a far-reaching prisoner swap involving seven countries. Sixteen people — among them dissidents and Kremlin opponents — were freed from Russian prisons; the US and its allies released eight people. In March 2023, Gershkovich was detained in Russia on espionage charges — which he and the US denied — and was last month sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony. Gershkovich and other freed prisoners were on August 1 en route to destinations outside Russia. Their release followed extensive talks between Washington and Moscow.

10 Questions

Data Journalism

Member Profiles

Projects

LATAM Focus

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.

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Man voting in Brazil while others wait in line to vote

2024 Elections

Global elections in the year ahead will affect more citizens than in any previous year, and will likely reset humanity’s liberty compass for years ahead. This ongoing project will feature an updated elections reporting guide, stories on cutting-edge tools for investigating campaigns and candidates, and lessons learned from the best in local watchdog reporting from […]

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GIJC23 conference investigative journalism Gothenburg Sweden

GIJC23

The 13th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC23), held in Gothenburg, Sweden from Sept. 19 – 22, 2023, gathered more than 2,100 journalists from 132 countries to hold workshops, share innovative methods, and celebrate a community increasingly facing censorship, corporate hacking, and authoritarian threats. This project is a compendium of GIJN’s coverage of the conference panels.

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Videos

Resource Video

Investigating the Extractives Industry in Africa

Africa is home to a substantial amount of the global mineral wealth. The continent, according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute, holds about 30% of the world’s oil, gas, and mineral resources. This includes up to 92% of the world’s platinum and chromium reserves, 56% of cobalt, 54% of manganese, and 40% of its gold. […]

Resource Video

Investigating the Israel Hamas Conflict

Seven months into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, journalists carrying out their work in the region have faced unparalleled challenges. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of April 9th, preliminary investigations show at least 95 journalists and media workers were among the more than 34,000 estimated killed since the conflict began on […]

Resource Video

Investigating Elections: Threat from AI Audio Deepfakes

Elections all over the world are endangered by a vast array of sophisticated digital threats. This year, when more voters head to the polls than ever before, AI-driven deepfakes threaten electoral processes everywhere, with potentially disastrous consequences for at-risk democracies. AI-generated audio simulations — in which a real voice is cloned by a machine learning […]

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