Need to contact a journalist abroad for a story? Seeking a contact in a remote part of the world? Here are nonprofit organizations worldwide that work in support of investigative journalism, listed by region. It’s a diverse group that includes nonprofit newsrooms, online publishers, professional associations, NGOs, training institutes, and academic centers in nearly 50 countries.
A few of the best resources for journalists seeking to file records requests in countries with laws governing access to information.
Busy months for GIJN. Our just-released newsletter includes the latest on the big Global Investigative Journalism Conference coming to Rio this October, including how to register, apply for a travel grant, and enter awards. You’ll find our call for proposals to host GIJC15 (the conference after Rio), some great resources in our Toolbox section, and a calendar of upcoming events. We’re also happy to report that, thanks to all of you, we’ve tripled traffic on our new website here at GIJN.org, which last month hosted visitors from more than 150 countries – that’s three-quarters of the world.
About a third of all countries in the world now require officials to publicly disclose their assets. Institutions like the World Bank and the OECD see this as a good thing. Asset declarations, they say, are crucial tools for fighting corruption and holding officials accountable. As an investigative journalist in the Philippines, I found asset statements vital to digging into conflicts of interest and the illegal accumulation of wealth by those in public office. But pushback on official disclosures is coming from an unlikely quarter.
So you’ve amassed terabytes of data, reams of documents and hours of expert testimony, all backing up your conclusions. What’s the best way to convince people you’re right?
Tell them a story.
Ideally, a compelling, colorful tale weaving in memorable anecdotes and striking details. Printed in a clear, legible font. Oh, and it helps – no kidding – if it rhymes.
At least according to Nobel-prizewinning economist Daniel Kahneman, author of the outstanding Thinking, Fast and Slow, who’s made a career out of understanding – experimentally – how our brains take in information and make decisions. It isn’t always pretty, but it does help explain why storytelling is a centuries-old means of passing on information.
