How They Did It
Investigating How Pesticides Banned in the EU Find Their Way to African Countries
GIJN speaks to a Nigerian journalist about how she uncovered how banned pesticides are still exported and sold in Africa.
News & Analysis
Inside the Cross-Border Network Exposing the Environmental Crisis Facing Africa’s Longest River
Co-founded by two journalists, InfoNile has grown into a sprawling ecosystem of cross-border investigations, multimedia storytelling, and data-driven reporting.
Member Profiles
Fighting for Accountability and Press Freedom in West Africa
For almost 30 years, the Media Foundation for West Africa has supported watchdog journalism and press freedom in both democratic and authoritarian states across the region.
How They Did It
Exposing Extremism Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa Using Open Source Tools
As extremism spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, journalists are turning to open source tools to track the networks and physical movement of these often violent groups.
Gender How They Did It
Using Data to Expose Systemic Gender-Based Violence — in 10 Steps
Reporters at the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism explain how they used data to reveal systemic gender-based violence in Eswatini in southern Africa.
Getting the Story Out How They Did It
Pollution, Corruption, and Illegal Gold Mining: Investigating Nigeria’s Water Crisis
Investigative journalist and filmmaker Anu Adelakun discusses her investigation into the forces behind water scarcity and pollution in Africa’s most populous democracy.
10 Questions
From Poet to Reporter, Covering the Human Angle of Conflict in Nigeria
The managing editor of HumAngle, which covers the human costs of conflict and terrorism, discusses the challenges of investigative coverage in Nigeria.
Africa Focus News & Analysis
Resilience, Courage, Defiance: African Investigative Journalism Is Meeting the Moment
GIJN talks to our African member organizations about their challenges and successes — and the state of Investigative journalism on the continent.
Editor's Picks News & Analysis
Fake Fertilizer, Dirty Money, and a Kidnapping Epidemic: 2024’s Best Investigative Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa
Also featuring revelations about misuse of college scholarships in Ghana, a televangelist’s troubling empire in Nigeria, and a dive into a US charity’s spending in Malawi.
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Africa Focus Member Profiles
‘Sowing the Seed:’ The Museba Project’s Ambitious Investigative Journalism in Central Africa
Since its inception, the Cameroon-based journalism collective has had a double mission: first to train journalists, and then to encourage them to work together.
Africa Focus Data Journalism
How Data Journalism Is Changing the Face of Africa
Data journalism in Africa has made a powerful impact, from holding leaders accountable to refuting myths around domestic violence. But the field faces formidable challenges.
10 Questions Africa Focus
Fighting a ‘Scourge of Secrecy’ and Uncovering Corruption in Malawi
GIJN’s Benon Herbert Oluka talks to Golden Matonga, investigations director at the Platform for Investigative Journalism – Malawi, about his career uncovering corruption.
Africa Focus Case Studies
Secrets, Leaks, Rivers: How Cross-Border Investigative Journalism Is Covering Africa
Cross-border investigations are trending all over the world. GIJN talked to organizations promoting reporting partnerships in Africa about their experiences and challenges.
Chapter Guide Resource
Introduction to Investigative Journalism
Investigations have underlying principles, elements, and rigorous requirements for evidence, accuracy, and fairness. They also require strong and detailed planning.
Guide Resource
GIJN Guide to Project Management in Investigative Journalism
The comprehensive guide offers detailed advice on managing the non-investigative aspects of collaborative projects.
Chapter Guide Resource
Introduction to Fundraising for Investigative Journalism
The funding process is similar to investigative journalism: you must write a compelling narrative that makes the reader understand the importance of your work.
Guide Resource
Guide to Investigating Organized Crime in Africa
Organized crime is a global phenomenon. But Africa, with its deep-seated corruption and “resource curse,” is particularly hard hit.
Resource Tipsheet
Investigating US Government — and Trump Administration — Influence in Your Country
The US government engages with virtually every country in the world and each new president can radically change its policy. Here’s GIJN’s updated tipsheet on digging into global US influence.
GIJN Hub
GIJN Africa: Members in Sub-Saharan Africa
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GIJN Africa: Newsletters
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Resource
GIJN Africa: Tips and Tools
Experiences and deep insights shared by the investigative journalists.
Resource Tipsheet
GIJN Africa: Data Centers for African Journalists
Our curation of the most prominent data centers in Africa.
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.
Resource Tipsheet
GIJN Africa: Funding and Grants
Nonprofit organizations dedicated to offering grants in support of investigative journalism in Africa.
Resource
Awards for Investigative Journalists
A guide to prominent journalism awards and competitions of special interest to investigative journalists.
Around the World
Fellowships for Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network
The Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network (ORN) creates a “collaborative ecosystem” of journalists around the world that uncover harmful and illegal practices related to the ocean — such as fishing and extractive industries and systemic threats to marine biodiversity and coastal communities. The Pulitzer Center is now accepting applications for the next cohort of ORN fellows. At least nine journalists with a proven track record of environmental investigations will be selected for the remote program. The year-long fellowship will cover a reporter’s salary for the duration. The deadline to apply is September 12, 2025.
Registration Open for Global Disinformation Summit
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Proyecto Desconfío (Argentina), and Fundación para el Periodismo (Bolivia) have announced that registration is now open for the fifth edition of the 2025 Global Summit on Disinformation. It will be held on September 17 and 18, online and free of charge. The summit brings together journalists, researchers, technologists, educators, and organizations to focus on the effects of disinformation on democracy and news quality, as well as the impact of AI. The summit will feature thematic panels, case studies, workshops, and networking spaces with international leaders working in information, technology, and AI.
Israeli Airstrike Kills Al Jazeera Journalists
Several Al Jazeera journalists were among the casualties of an Israeli airstrike on a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City on August 10. Anas Al Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with photojournalists Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufa were killed, along with a local freelance reporter Mohammad Al-Khaldi. Israel's military said it targeted Anas Al Sharif — alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera disputed this claim, and the UN and journalists’ groups denounced the killings. Al Sharif was part of a Reuters team that won a 2024 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Georgia Jails Journalist Mzia Amaglobeli for Slapping Police Chief
A court in the Georgian city of Batumi has given journalist Mzia Amaglobeli — the founder of online media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti — a two-year prison sentence for slapping a police chief in a heated encounter during nationwide protests in January 2025, after Georgia's ruling party halted EU accession talks. Press freedom groups condemned as being “disproportionate and politically motivated.” A joint statement by 24 Western diplomatic missions, including European Union countries, Canada, and the UK, condemned Amaglobeli's sentencing and the Georgian government's "escalating intimidation of journalists.”
International Center for Journalists Offers Data Journalism Scholarships
The International Center for Journalists is offering full scholarships for international data and investigative reporters to attend the data journalism training program at the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Applicants need to have at least five years of experience. If selected, recipients will have six months to participate in four online courses and a final project, and participate in virtual discussions with experts and fellow international journalists. Journalists from around the world (excluding the US) are eligible, as are freelance journalists. The application deadline is August 10, 2025.
Cross-Border Investigative Training Workshop: September
Applications are now open for the Next-IJ Cross-Border Investigative Training in September 2025, for mid-career investigative journalists based in Europe who want to sharpen their skills with cross-border investigative training. The full-day training will take place on September 20, 2025, delivered by investigative experts from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Transcrime — Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The training focuses on the latest techniques, tools, and cross-border strategies used in real-world investigations. The application deadline is September 1, 2025.
New Investigation Looks Into Organized Crime and Journalist Deaths in Paraguay
Global investigative site Forbidden Stories has partnered with a consortium of other news organizations — Cuestión Publica (Colombia), Revista Piauí (Brazil), La Nación (Argentina), La Diaría (Uruguay), IRPI (Italy), DDoSecrets, and ABC Color Group (Paraguay) — to launch Alianza Paraguay, a new project looking into lawlessness and illicit activity along the border region between Paraguay and Brazil. The investigation delves into how organized crime has run rampant in the area as well as the 21 journalists who have been killed there in the past three decades.
IWMF Announces Winners of the 2025 Courage in Journalism Awards
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) Courage in Journalism Awards honor women who have reported under duress. The 2025 recipients are Sana Atef, who works under a pseudonym in Afghanistan; Juliana Dal Piva, a Brazilian investigative journalist; Yousra Elbagir, a Sudanese-British broadcast journalist; and US-Mexican news founder Maritza L. Félix. Azerbaijani journalist Aynur Elgunesh received the 2025 Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award, which honors a journalist unjustly detained, jailed, or imprisoned. “In a time when press freedom is under siege, the courage of these women cuts through silence and fear,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Muñoz.
Seven Journalists Sentenced to Prison in Azerbaijan
Seven journalists from Abzas Media and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in a court in Baku, Azerbaijan. The group, which included Abzas Media's director, Ulvi Hasanli, and editor-in-chief, Sevinc Vagifgizi, were accused of numerous crimes and operating as an "organize group" in retaliation for their reporting. The charges included smuggling, illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, forgery, and use of false documents. Vagifgizi said that the corruption investigations Abzas Media published involving top officials and members of the Azerbaijan president’s family were the real reason behind the criminal charges. Hasanli added: “We have lost our freedom for the sake of free speech and independent media."
2026 Bertha Challenge for Investigative Journalists
The Bertha Foundation, which supports activists, lawyers, and storytellers around the world with funding opportunities for those fighting injustice, is accepting candidates for the Bertha Challenge, a fellowship program that enables in-depth investigations into one pressing social issue. For the 2026 challenge, investigative journalists and activists will spend one year focusing on protecting democratic accountability. The fellowship comes with a stipend of up to US$64,900, project funding of up to US$10,000, and a “connect fund” of up to US$5,000 to encourage collaboration, training, mentorship, and networking. The deadline is July 28, 2025.
10 Questions
You Can Try Your Best and Fail, But Still You Learn: Insights from Africa’s Investigative Journalist of the Year
Blanshe Musinguzi’s award-winning investigation focused on timber smuggling in East Africa. He talks with GIJN about his career so far, and what he’s learned along the way.
10 Questions
Notes from a Small Island: Bernadette Carreon on Covering Palau, the Pacific, and the World
GIJN speaks to the veteran reporter who covered the Pacific region from the small island nation of Palau for more than 20 years.
10 Questions
Forced into Exile After Investigating Corruption, Continuing to Report on Venezuela from Afar
Tips on persistence from a permanently exiled reporter whose multi-year investigation was turned into an Emmy-nominated documentary.
10 Questions
‘Giving Sources Power’: Reporting on Indigenous Communities and Creating Compelling Investigative Podcasts
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Connie Walker discusses her favorite podcast tools, the ‘radical transformation’ of how Indigenous issues are covered, and building trust with sources.
Data Journalism
Summer Reading List for Data Journalists: For Those Who Believe in the Power of Storytelling with Numbers
Featuring books spanning four continents, these recommended reads provide a global perspective on data journalism.
Data Journalism
Data-Driven Reporting for Investigating the Cultural Sector
At the 2025 Netzwerk Recherche conference, radio journalists shared how they used data and AI tools to investigate Germany’s cultural sector and the influence of the country’s far right.
Data Journalism
From Data to Storytelling: Concept and Design Tips from the Financial Times’ John Burn-Murdoch
The chief data reporter for the Financial Times discusses how he considers the use of text, color, and annotation to aid visual storytelling through charts and graphics.
Data Journalism
Looking Back on Five Years: How the Sigma Awards Have Rallied and Inspired Data Journalism Excellence
After five years and 2,875 project entries from more than 100 countries, the Sigma Awards have become a catalyst for innovation and forever changed the face of data journalism.
Member Profiles
Civio: Data Journalism Pioneer in Spain, Still Pushing For Greater Transparency
The organization has one guiding principle: “Let the data speak.” But sometimes getting hold of the information they need is an uphill battle.
Member Profiles
Fighting for Accountability and Press Freedom in West Africa
For almost 30 years, the Media Foundation for West Africa has supported watchdog journalism and press freedom in both democratic and authoritarian states across the region.
Member Profiles
Building Memory, Documenting the Truth: The Case of Nicaragua’s Confidencial
With hundreds of the country’s reporters in exile, the press is under pressure like never before. But this outlet is continuing to report despite all its staff now being based overseas.
Member Profiles
From Sharing One Typewriter to Toppling a Corrupt President: How PCIJ Has Reshaped Watchdog Reporting in the Philippines
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, a GIJN founding member, has grown from a one-room news startup 36 years ago to a seminal force for watchdog reporting.
MENA Focus
Our third regional spotlight series examines the challenges facing our members and other outlets in the Middle East and North Africa, such as war, backsliding democracies, self-censorship, exile, surveillance and imprisonment of journalists, and the hostile legal environment — and why this reality on the ground makes investigative journalism there all the more essential.
Africa Focus
Our second regional spotlight series examines the successes and challenges facing our members in Africa and others reporting from the continent. These articles tell the stories of growing journalistic collaboration, courage, and innovation in the face of repression, legal intimidation, lack of access to information, and even physical threats.
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.
2024 Elections
Global elections in 2024 will affect more citizens than in any previous year, and will likely reset humanity’s liberty compass for years ahead. This project features an elections reporting guide, stories on cutting-edge tools for investigating campaigns and candidates, and lessons learned from the best in local watchdog reporting from around the world.
Videos
See all Videos →
Resource Video
Gathering Evidence and Documents in Conflict and War Zones — A MENA Case Study
A webinar exploring how investigative journalists can document human rights abuses in war zones, with a focus on methods to ensure the information gathered can later be used by legal investigators or international courts.
Resource Video
How to Acquire Free Satellite Imagery for Your Investigations
Satellite imagery has become a game-changer for investigative journalism, offering powerful tools to uncover hidden stories.
Resource Video
Lessons Learned from Investigating the 2024 Elections
The 2024 elections marked a seismic year for democracies worldwide, presenting investigative journalists with unique challenges and opportunities.
Resource Video
How Africa Connects to Your Story
In Africa, more than in most other parts of the world, the hurdles that journalists have to overcome to report beyond their own countries or continent are numerous.