Millions of people disappear every year, according to the International Commission on Missing People, and organized crime is involved in many of these cases. The violence associated with drug trafficking in particular, but also wildlife smuggling, resource theft, human trafficking, and other criminal rackets, plays a key role in many of the disappearances. Journalists act […]
For our series on journalists’ favorite tools, we spoke with Sérgio Spagnuolo, founder and editor of the Brazilian data journalism agency Volt Data Lab. He has worked on disinformation and data verification before founding Volt, an independent journalism agency focused on investigating, analyzing, and visualizing data.
CNN reporter Donie O’Sullivan describes how he and a colleague were able to discover, and then prove, that the largest Black Lives Matter Facebook page in 2018 was an Australia-based scam. O’Sullivan also provides insights into the value of good archive sites and domain registration tools in investigating suspicious social media pages, in conjunction with traditional reporting methods.
The democratization of satellite technology and the entry of private companies into the field of space means it’s now possible to have access to high spatio-temporal data at a very minimal cost, leading to interesting investigative stories. In the coming years as the democratization of satellite technology gathers pace, more and more cases that had been undocumented or unreported will see the light of the day.
TikTok, a video-sharing site where users can post videos of themselves dancing, lip syncing, and doing viral challenges, has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. While many posts are focused on jokes and music, TikTok has surpassed 2 billion downloads and is popular around the world, which presents opportunities for the open source research community to use the platform in investigations. This guide explains how.
There is widespread concern that corruption will affect the use of international funds being rushed out in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GIJN has created a guide to using World Bank documents online to track the use of the Bank’s projects in more than 100 countries.
There is no singular “right” way to set up technology for an audience-centric newsroom. What’s most important is not which tool you choose, or the method by which you implement them, but that your system is well-integrated. Each part must be able to speak to all the others, allowing your data to flow seamlessly, and empowering your team with easy-to-understand workflows that help you better connect with your audience.
For our series about journalists’ favorite tools, we spoke with Craig Silverman, who leads a global beat on misinformation and media manipulation for BuzzFeed News. An author and award-winning journalist, Silverman shared some his top open source tools for digital investigations and for probing disinformation.
Freelancing as an investigative journalist is challenging in the best of times, and more so during a pandemic. GIJN’s latest guide offers broad guidance on pitching, financial support, and networking for freelancers as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Be sure to catch our free webinar — Freelance Investigative Journalism During the Time of COVID — on Thursday July 9 at 9:00 EST as part of GIJN’s Investigating the Pandemic series.
The excessive force used against anti-racism protesters around the world, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in the US, reveals the need for more visual forensic skills in newsrooms to hold police to account. GIJN identified 12 tools and 12 methods that proved effective in several recent investigations that exposed harm done by security forces.
Geospatial technologies and data can be used to contain and respond to the spread of a disease, but can also help in pre-empting and preventing them. Looking at outbreaks of malaria, SARS, H1N1 and Zika, among other viruses, Avneep Dhingra explores how maps and geospatial technology have helped during different outbreaks.
In a GIJN masterclass webinar presented to 700 journalists from 94 countries, BBC internet research expert Paul Myers described the open source tools, syntax tricks, and search techniques that can help unearth elusive content, images, and social media posts. Myers cited searches for information on COVID-19 in numerous examples, and stressed the need for logical thought in order to unlock the power of advanced search tools.
Investigative journalists can discover story leads from scrutinizing financial or asset disclosures. Data journalist Paul Bradshaw shares nine ways to find stories in companies’ accounts, including looking out for conflicts of interest, and mapping connections between companies and directors.
Entrepreneurship coach Phillip Smith explains how publishers who seek to grow their membership can invest in paid lead acquisition tactics and predict the rate of return on their investment.
What is the best way into the COVID-19 story? Pick an angle. No matter what your beat is, the pandemic is seeping into almost every story. In response, the Kampala-based African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) created a running list of story ideas on COVID-19 which stretches across beats: from agriculture and food to the economy, education, religion, sports, and arts and entertainment.
The use of open source tools, user-generated content, and advanced search filters has allowed reporters to break major stories on the COVID-19 pandemic from home quarantine. In a recent GIJN webinar, three investigative researchers shared key insights on the tools and techniques that have unearthed facts and visuals beyond the reach of traditional field reporting.
Splice Media have been running “check-in” sessions with the media startups they support in Asia to find out how organizations and individuals are coping through the coronavirus pandemic. Here are his tips for hosting an online media event like this. His takeaway? The technology is the easy part.
New tools and industry trends are making it easier for media organizations to publish translations and localized adaptations of their work, writes Patrick Boehler, executive editor of the Swiss public broadcaster’s international service — and publishing in multiple languages helps newsrooms develop new sources and fact-check. Boehler outlines three new tools for multilingual journalism from a recent “hackathon.”
Three veteran journalists on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis discuss investigative angles into the response in the first of GIJN’s webinar series, Investigating the Pandemic. Gloria Riva of l’Espresso in Italy, OCCRP Editor Drew Sullivan and GIJN Chinese Editor Joey Qi discuss the importance of source-driven investigations and dealing with disinformation and data deficits.
For our series about journalists’ favorite tools, we spoke with veteran American investigative reporter Ron Nixon. Now the global investigations editor for The Associated Press, Nixon shared the most important tools he uses for research, secure communications, and data analysis on many of his groundbreaking investigations.
Journalists are not immune to the impact of trauma when reporting on disasters and tragedies. One of the world’s leading psychologists in the field of journalism and trauma, Cait McMahon, outlines strategies journalists can use to prepare for, work on, and recover from investigations into traumatic events.
For our series about journalists’ favorite tools, we spoke with investigative reporter Susan Comrie, whose corruption exposes have helped shake South Africa’s political scene. She described some of the tools and techniques she has deployed in ground-breaking investigations as part of the team at investigative journalism center amaBhungane.
It is difficult to fathom how far the novel virus might spread, and what the ultimate consequences will be. With all the uncertainties, journalists around the world are faced with the many challenges of covering the epidemic — including combating misinformation and health risks to reporters in the field — while not fueling panic.
What reporting and storytelling techniques do you need to master as you head into your next investigation? We’ve rounded up some of GIJN’s most popular how tos from our story archives, as well as select items from our growing Resource Center.
Throughout history, whistleblowers have played an important role in bringing corruption, fraud, waste, and other improprieties to light worldwide. But journalists face serious challenges in doing this kind of reporting, especially when it involves world leaders and the federal intelligence community.
For our series about journalists’ favorite tools, we spoke with freelance journalist Sally Hayden, who has won multiple awards for her reporting on migration. She told GIJN’s Helen Massy-Beresford about the tools she uses to communicate securely with sources, record interviews, manage a freelance career, and more.
Everyone seems to produce email newsletters these days. But not everyone is doing it well. Mark Jacob of the Local News Initiative asked newsletter experts about what works and what doesn’t.
Instead of writing an entire behind-the-scenes article to explain how you carried out an investigation, consider instead incorporating this information in the investigation itself in the form of “trust nuggets” to reach more readers, writes Trusting News’ Joy Mayer.
