Stories
Data Journalism
This Week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from March 12 to 18 finds disturbing news from @NASAEarth about low Arctic sea ice and temperature anomalies in the North Pole, @seeingtheory ‘s redesigned educational website on probability and statistics and top ten ways to clean your data by @Microsoft.
News & Analysis
South Africa’s Extraordinary Year: Journalists Turn the Tide Against Corruption
Every year South African investigative journalists are recognized for their hard work when the winners of the Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism are announced. This year has provided a chance to assess the highs and the lows of our investigative reporting after an extraordinary year.
News & Analysis
The Webcomic that Tells the Story of a Bolivian River
The Choqueyapu River investigation was initially intended for the Bolivian newspaper, Página Siete. A three-month reporting project resulted in the publication of two 16-page newspaper specials. But the challenge was to transform it into an innovative digital story.
Case Studies
How They Did It: Unearthing Secrets of Hungarian Prime Minister’s Family Business
Last May, Direkt36 published its first story about how the companies of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s family were secretly benefiting from projects funded by the government – often paid from the European Union’s budget. Here the reporters break down the five most interesting parts of their reporting.
News & Analysis
Jan’s and Daphne’s Laws: How to Stop the Murder of Journalists
The cold-blooded murder of Slovak investigative journalist Jan Kuciak was also a cold slap across the face of modern Europe. That the public watchdogs could be halted simply by a brutal act of violence seems to portend a further breakdown of European values. Is it possible to legislate better security? There could be.
Data Journalism
This Week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from March 5 to 11 finds everyone keenly sharing data tipsheets from @IRE_NICAR’s NICAR18 conference, @texifter discussing how to identify bots versus humans online and @EdjNet talking to @culukaya about the shocking rates of femicide in Turkey.
News & Analysis
Puerto Rico Journalists Expose Reality of Hurricane Damage
Late last year, the number of official deaths during Hurricane Maria were at a surprising low. That’s when the journalists at Puerto Rico’s Centre de Periodismo Investigativo kicked into high gear, forcing government to be more transparent and accountable.
How to Write for GIJN
The Global Investigative Journalism Network is always on the lookout for contributors interested in writing stories about innovation in journalism, as well as tips, tools and how-tos around investigative reporting. Experts in investigative journalism, journalists who write about media, academics in media studies, media trainers as well as GIJN members are encouraged to contribute.
News & Analysis
In Media We Trust? Reinventing Journalism for a Murky Era
The recently published paper, Bridging the Gap, Rebuilding Citizen Trust in Media, probably offers the most complete list of the current projects around media and trust. But those interviewed for the project viewed trust — and the way publications can gain and sustain it — differently. However, all initiatives seem to rely on two principles to optimize trust: transparency and participation.
News & Analysis
Scenes from Slovakia: Protesting the Murder of Journalist Ján Kuciak
The murder of Slovakian journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kušnírová, both 27, have sparked protests since the killings on February 25. On Friday, tens of thousands gathered at the Slovak National Uprising Square in Bratislava to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak’s death. Feature image by Tomáš Benedikovič.
Case Studies
How They Did It: Inside a Mega-Collaboration on the US-Mexico Wall
More than 30 journalists set out to film and observe every foot of the border with Mexico, from Texas to California. The result was a fully interactive map with about 20 hours of aerial footage of the border, a seven-chapter story about the journey, 14 additional stories about the consequences of the wall, 14 mini-documentaries and an explanation of the history of the border itself. Here’s how they did it.
Data Journalism
This Week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from February 26 to March 4 finds @morgenpost setting Germany’s poll data to music, @A_agadjanian showing Google Trends data on people’s general interest in gun control a week after deadly shootings in the US and @puntofisso rounding up an interesting list of #ddj and #opendata newsletters.
Reporting Tools & Tips
Document of the Day: Bellingcat’s Open Source Digital Forensics Tools
Bellingcat, a UK-based open source and social media investigation site, put together a seriously impressive comprehensive list of open source verification and research tools. It includes satellite and mapping services, tools for verifying photos and videos, websites to archive hyperlinks and much more. Dig in!
Data Journalism
10 Steps for Small Newsrooms to Start Digging into Data Journalism
Data journalism is becoming increasingly important to newsrooms of all sizes. But how can a small newsroom begin to tackle it? Here are 10 steps your newsroom can take to improve data journalism efforts, while taking care of your limited budget.
Case Studies
Can Independent Media Save Journalism in Poland?
Six independent media start-ups in Poland are trying to counter the growing politicization and the financial pressures that have ravaged quality journalism in the country. But can these start-ups build audiences and become sustainable in a challenging media market?
Data Journalism
This Week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from February 19 to 25 finds economist @SethS_D analyzing Spotify data to find the correlation between our birth year and our music influences, @infowetrust illustrates three centuries of iconic infographics in a beautiful 17th century-styled dataviz and @EdjNet’s Stats Monitor gives you #ddj news leads on European data.
GIJN Welcomes 10 New Members from 10 Countries
The Global Investigative Journalism Network is delighted to welcome 10 new member organizations. Along with training centers in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Trinidad, our new members include a Cuban environmental reporting site, a Brazilian newsroom focused on human rights, a Mexican media lab, a Russian citizen investigative center, a Swiss startup magazine, a European reporting network and a Philippine investigative reporting center.
Reporting Tools & Tips
Tips for Working in Bahrain
A Myanmar Newsroom that Covers Buddhist Extremism
When monks in Myanmar threatened to kill Min Min for his reporting on Buddhist nationalism, they had hoped to scare him into silence. Instead, the experience inspired him to start his own news organization.
Reporting Tools & Tips
3 Quick Ways to Verify Images on a Smartphone
This step-by-step guide explains how to do a reverse image search right on your mobile phone to check whether the photo you saw on social media is the real thing.
Argentina’s Chequeado Becomes Global Leader in Fact-Checking
Launched in October 2010, Chequeado was among the first digital fact-checking projects in the world. Today it is considered one of the global leaders with continuously innovative formats, channels and approaches.
News & Analysis
Arson Attack on Ukraine’s Rivne Investigative Center
An arsonist attempted to burn down the Rivne Investigative Reporting Agency in western Ukraine on Thursday evening, according to staff members and associates. An unknown attacker entered the newsroom’s first floor office, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it ablaze. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
Data Journalism
This Week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism
What’s the global data journalism community tweeting about this week? Our NodeXL #ddj mapping from February 12 to 18 finds @MattLWilliams discussing the ethics of publishing Twitter content, @MaryJoWebster explaining several common “dirty data” problems and @MediaShiftOrg showing examples of the powerful impact of small data teams in newsrooms.
News & Analysis
Editor’s Pick: Best Investigative Stories from Latin America 2017
From uncovering Big Pharma’s influence on healthcare to investigating child rape in El Salvador or documenting Mexican families tracking their “disappeared” loved ones, Latin American muckrakers had a busy year in 2017.
Safety & Security
Can Governments Really Hack Your Webcam?
Why do people put stickers over their webcams? It’s well known in tech circles that a camera in a computer or smartphone can be turned on remotely by an attacker with the resources, time and motivation.
Member Profiles
Inkyfada: Innovative Tunisian Media Group Holds Authorities to Account
Doing good journalism in the Middle East and North African region is no easy feat. But since 2014, the journalists at Tunisia’s Inkyfada have been doing crucial investigative stories, supported by compelling visual storytelling and interactive reading experiences.