In a very difficult year for journalism, newsrooms around the Bangla-speaking region have produced significant investigations to reveal and expose modern day slavery, corruption, abuse of public funds, and more.
Compiling a list of the best investigative podcasts of 2019 may well be an impossible task. In the five years since Serial became a break-out hit, an avalanche of investigative podcasts has followed — and no, not all of them about true crime — with more coming out every year. With that in mind, here are just some of the most interesting investigative podcasts that aired in 2019.
GIJN in Russian Editor Olga Simanovych focused her selection on stories that used innovative approaches or new tools, or shed light on topics not usually covered.
Instead of recommending “the best” stories of the year, Spanish Editor Catalina Lobo-Guerrero decided to try a different approach with her 2019 selection.
GIJN’s French editor Marthe Rubio selected some of the best investigative stories published in French in 2019, Morocco to Switzerland and from Belgium to Tunisia.
US professor Bruce Bagley was frequently quoted by media outlets as an expert on corruption. But according to federal prosecutors, he also put his expertise into practice. They announced that he was arrested on money laundering charges last week.
Hundreds of Arab and international investigative journalists met in Amman from November 22 to November 24 for the ARIJ19 conference, where they discussed “the role of media in a radicalized world” – a global challenge amidst an explosion of digital tools and widespread online attacks against journalists.
Journalists in Brazil are coming under attack more than ever, both on and offline, says Leandro Demori, executive editor of investigative site The Intercept Brasil. This is happening in a context of increasing political polarization in the country.
Within the borders of China and Russia, the use of invasive information controls and techniques is well-known and widespread. But the use of these technology systems to suppress citizens’ fundamental human rights goes beyond what is happening inside any one country’s borders. Increasingly, authoritarian actors are exporting these tools and know-how to other countries, a new report finds.
This year, the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference opened up to citizen investigators as never before, with a series of workshops and events dedicated to the successes, challenges, and opportunities presented to non-journalists who investigate wrongdoing. Megan Clement wrote about it for GIJN.
Revenue options for nonprofit newsrooms now include everything from story sales and membership to crowdfunding and even cryptocurrency tokens. But experts say fundraising – for better or worse – remains the foundational key to the survival and growth of nonprofits around the world, writes Rowan Philp for GIJN.
Journalists for the Daily Trust in Nigeria told the Committee to Protect Journalists that the military conducted forensic searches on their computers and mobile phones following the publication of a story about a military operation. CPJ’s Jonathan Rozen writes that these raids are emblematic of a global trend of law enforcement seizing journalists’ phones and computers — some of their most important tools.
This past week, the Pen Chapter of San Miguel de Allende honored the 16 journalists murdered this year with an offering typical for Día de Muertos celebration in Mexico. In each home, those who have passed away are remembered with an altar, decorated with flowers, candles, objects, and food that those who have passed away liked when they were alive.
So you’ve spent your own money to report from the field on an investigative story for which you have a modest contract. This is the moment where freelancers have an opportunity to make a true net profit, and gather the nuts for the coming financial winter. Rowan Philp rounded up tips for GIJN on how freelance investigative journalists can seek multiple sales opportunities for every reporting expedition.
Venezuelan investigative news site Armando.info was recently rewarded with a special mention in the Maria Moors Cabot Prize. In a Q&A with the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, the site’s co-founder Joseph Poliszuk talks about the challenges of continuing their work with part of the team now in exile.
Journalismfund.eu is an independent nonprofit that promotes cross-border and in-depth journalism in Europe. In this interview, Journalismfund.eu’s Managing Director Ides Debruyne shares his thoughts on “impactful” journalism and why investigative journalism is booming.
Reporters, especially the most independent, critical, and investigative ones, have long been at the receiving end of autocratic governments’ intolerance of dissent. What’s new is the use of the internet and social media platforms to undermine journalists’ credibility, combined with a more sophisticated application of legal instruments and bureaucratic punitive measures, writes GIJN Spanish Editor Catalina Lobo-Guerrero.
By popular demand, we are publishing the prepared remarks that Rappler’s CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa delivered during a rousing keynote speech at the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg.
Standing in front of every shadowy network of international criminals are legitimate businesses, such as banks and law firms. But these gatekeepers can also provide a way into your story, writes Megan Clement for GIJN.
When the Bureau of Investigative Journalism asked to see a contract between property developers and the North London borough of Haringey, its reporters were disappointed to receive a heavily-redacted document. This was part of a drive by the UK nonprofit to test the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, which gives citizens and journalists the right to access the accounts and related documents of city councils and other local authorities.
One of the most fundamental parts of investigating disinformation is looking for the network around a social media account or website. Craig Silverman, media editor at BuzzFeed News, offers up some tips and tools on digging in.
Russ Buettner showed up at strangers’ doorsteps with an overstuffed file under his arm, while he was reporting the Pulitzer Prize-winning expose on how Donald Trump got his money. It was part of a “first contact” strategy for the team of three New York Times reporters to ensure that high value sources helped with key details.
The dominance of the English language might be skewing local and international reporting — as well as the global media development space — writes GIJN’s Managing Editor Tanya Pampalone. She wrote the opening essay for Hostwriter’s new book “Unbias The News: Why Diversity Matters for Journalism.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists has released its latest ranking of the world’s most censored countries, with Eritrea at number one. This Top 10 list is based on CPJ’s research into tactics to muzzle independent reporting, which range from imprisonment to surveillance and restrictions on internet access.
Last week Twitter and Facebook suspended some accounts which originated in China and acted in a “coordinated fashion” with intent to disrupt the recent protests in Hong Kong. We asked Sophia Xu, a China-based social media specialist, to help us better understand the trends in Chinese social media, as well as how to counter fake news and disinformation in the country.
Turkey captivated the world’s attention recently as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s seemingly unstoppable accumulation of power ground to a halt in a series of humiliating defeats in local elections. To the surprise of many, digital news media emerged as a potent medium for information and mobilization for the largely victorious opposition forces in the campaigns.
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from July 15 to 21 finds Information Is Beautiful’s sharing its gallery of must-read data visualization books, Datajournalism.com highlighting pitfalls in creating charts, the FT analyzing the age of Wimbledon players, and WDR scrutinizing Germany’s opera repertoire.
Storybench identified four areas of emphasis – data, local news, social media, and business models – that will be crucial for journalism students to spend time on, and interviewed five journalism educators across the country who lead especially forward-looking programs and courses.
