News & Analysis
The Case for Free Access to FOIA-Based Public Documents Reporting
Full, unpaywalled access to public records reporting is not only good for democracy, it can increase reader trust and bolster sustainability.
Tag
Access to information
15 posts
Data Journalism
How Non-Coding Journalists Can Build Web Scrapers With AI — Examples and Prompts Included
With basic web knowledge, guidance, and examples, even non-coding journalists can build a scraper with large language models.
Guide Resource
Open Source Guide to Investigating Chinese Companies
This guide introduces journalists to valuable information sources for China-focused investigations and demonstrates practical methods for accessing and utilizing key reporting tools.
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.
News & Analysis Press Freedom
How Salvadoran Journalists Fight for Public Information Despite Increasing Obstruction
In El Salvador, the government has increasingly failed to honor public access to Information laws, forcing journalists to obtain data through other channels to hold power to account.
News & Analysis
Should Journalists Do Advocacy? Here’s a Unique Approach Out of South Africa
An investigative outfit with an advocacy program may raise eyebrows. But in South Africa, amaBhungane has scored major wins for transparency and free speech.
Reporting Tools & Tips
Journalism’s Deep Web: 7 Tips on Using OCCRP Data
OCCRP Data, part of the Investigative Dashboard, offers journalists a shortcut to the deep web. It now has over 170 public sources and more than 100 million leads for public search – news archives, court documents, leaks and grey literature encompassing UK parliamentary inquiries, companies and procurement databases, NGO reports and even CIA rendition flights, among other choice reading.
FOI’s Man in the Middle East
In 2007, Jordan became the first country in the Middle East to enact freedom of information laws — and Musab Al-Shawabkeh is the award-winning journalist who has been taking full advantage of it.
News & Analysis
Iraqi Muckraking: Investigative Journalism in One of the World’s Most Dangerous Countries
A study by Iraqi professor Dr Bushra Al-Hamdani found that journalists in Iraq are often targeted by either pro-government militias or militant opposition groups and have little protection against threats. They also face legal obstacles and a lack of government transparency.
News & Analysis
FOI Requests in 11 Countries: Implementation Is Key
With freedom of information statutes in over 100 countries today, the laws have become a key tool for journalists from India to Mexico. But their success depends on how they’re used and implemented, as Swiss scholar Vincent Mabillard explores in his recent paper, Freedom of Information Laws: Evolution of the Number of Requests in 11 Jurisdictions. We are pleased to present highlights from his paper from the University of Lausanne.