At the breakfast table in the breathtaking Nordic countryside, with the mountains as a backdrop, picture perfect meadows with sheep grazing and cottages with chimneys preparing for a long old winter, a group of journalists sat by the fire place, feasting before another life changing event, this one that reiterates and re-assures the path taken by journalists to hold truth to power.
The Global Investigative Journalism Conference chose Lillehammer, this little town, the former home of the Winter Olympics, a couple of hours north of Oslo in the countryside, for the second time. 900 journalists from across print, online television, social media and allied routes from 121 countries attended this, further strengthening formal and informal collaborative networks for stories underlining that every global story is also a local one.
As David Kaplan, the Executive Director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network said in his opening remarks, “We are, in fact bigger, better connected and doing more hard hitting journalism in more places than ever before” He said things that resonates so much with the spirit of Herald and in the anniversary of Herald, this little town 5000 miles away in Scandinavia had voices which resonated the Herald spirit. A David Kaplan said “And despite all the obstacles and challenges put in our way- by corrupt officials, repressive governments, organized crime, crooked businessmen..Despite all the threats and intimidation, the lawsuits, prison sentences and violent attacks.. we are growing and getting stronger.”
All this hasn’t been an easy process. And it isn’t about conferences. The Global Investigative Journalism Network GIJN has brought together and trained nearly 6000 journalists in nine conferences in seven cities in three continents. Working closely with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which fights corruption with the best cross birder watchdog journalism, the GIJN helps in guiding, facilitating, help with funding, disseminating information and even protecting journalists from the dangers of investigative reporting.
After hearing case studies about their colleagues in Angola, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Mexico, journalists, exposing and fighting corruption from 121 countries, approved the following declaration:
Given the extraordinary levels of harassment, persecution, imprisonment, and violence directed against investigative journalists and their colleagues worldwide;
Given the widespread impunity among those who employ these measures;
And given the significant contributions made by investigative journalists to exposing corruption, organized crime, abuse of power, and lack of accountability, and to strengthening civil society;
Be it resolved that the attendees of the 9th Global Investigative Journalism Conference, representing 121 countries, demand that governments, multilateral agencies, and authorities worldwide prioritize the protection of journalists and an end to impunity for those who attack us.
In the four days through which this conference was held seen and un-seen, heard and unheard heroes sprang up. From Khadija Ismaylova, the brave heart from Azerbaijan imprisoned for reporting on the corruption of Azerbaijan’s first family, to the struggles of Rafael Marques de Morais, the anti-corruption activist and Editor of news site Maka Angola who has been jailed by the repressive Angolan regime for his campaign against human rights violations by the Angolan government. He has been imprisoned, beaten and convicted for “defamation”, But he has managed to tell his story and won many international awards in the process.
Both Khadija and Rafael had one thing in common, they could have lived anywhere outside of their countries and investigated and reported on their corrupt regimes. But they chose to go back and live in their countries and write about their generals and presidents while living amongst them, As Rafael said “When you live in the jungle, you do not feel the tiger’s breath”. What he meant was that you get used to the dangers as a part of your existence.
But quite clearly the biggest take away from GIJN 2015 were actual stories of investigations shared by journalists working in countries ruled by very tough regimes. Two such stories are the subject of a path breaking documentary “Follow the money”. A Bloomberg News team headed by correspondent Michael Forsythe exposed of how relatives of China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, has earned vast fortunes in a variety of often disguised business deals. However due to business pressures Bloomberg did not run the story and Forsythe was sacked for giving interviews to other media on the dropping of the story, which New York Times later published.
Meanwhile, David Barboza of the New York Times did phenomenal research and reportage at great risk to reveal the wealth accumulated by relatives of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. Barboza won the Pulitzer prize for this work. Barboza, has Portuguese roots. He told Herald that his great grandparents were immigrants to the US in the 1890s and early 1900s into Massachusetts from the Cape Verde Islands.
“The behind-the-scenes story of the journalists who conducted the investigations — and faced the dramatic, controversial, and often frightening consequences — is the subject of “Follow the Money.” Based on extensive interviews with most of the leading figures involved, the film chronicles the emergence of a new kind of journalism that will become increasingly crucial as reporters — and the public at large — seek to understand the dynamics of a new, wealthy, and increasingly powerful China” is how their work was described in the session notes of the conference.
“Follow the Money” is the final episode of Assignment China, a 12-part series chronicling the history of American correspondents in China from the 1940s to the present day produced by the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California. The series is reported by Mike Chinoy, a senior fellow at the Institute and former CNN Beijing bureau chief and senior Asia correspondent.
Another hero, we had the fortune to meet and here was Clare Rewcastle Brown, founder of the Sarawak Report. Rewcastle Brown started up Sarawak Report primarily to explore the issues driving the deforestation of the Borneo Rainforest in Malaysia. She also runs Radio Free Sarawak, an independent daily broadcast aimed at serving the indigenous people of the region and to give them a platform on these issues which have affected their lives.
“I want to tell the unwritten stories from this area”, adds Rewcastle Brown, who was born and grew up in Malaysia, and wanted to find out what was really going on in the country. Now, by using her computer in her London apartment, she is sharing information about Malaysia with the entire world.
She prefers to be there in Malaysia even now but cannot as she will be arrested as soon as she lands there. Her story finds resonance here in Goa since her battle was against the state which allows deforestation and plunder of the natural resources
For a change we were not just telling stories about others, but about ourselves. As David Kaplan said “Journalism is not a profession, it’s a calling. It’s focal point is accountability of power. Societies have to learn to deal with an investigative press. This is a good virus spreading around the world”
This reporter was afflicted by this virus for sure.
“It’s a good question. It puts a lot of pressure on your loved ones”, says who explains that many see journalists as their enemy. “I have cars outside watching me, and people back in Malaysia trying to hack my computer”.
This conference was all about fighters. About journalists being the voice of the people. And from Goa to Greece and everywhere in between and beyond, the voice of the people is at variance with the voice of those in power. But people’s voices are strong voices which resonate even from behind the walls of prison.
GIJC15 was by far the most global conference in the history of the Global Investigative Journalism Network. A program filled with more than 160 workshops, seminars and panels and an Investigative Film Festival with evening screenings completed the ensemble. Journalists from all corners of the world met up, and generously shared and exchanged their knowledge and experiences for the benefit of improving quality of global investigative reporting.
The last word on this and on journalism as it exists today has to be from Jan Gunnar Furuly, the Chairman of SKUP, the Norwegian Foundation for Investigative Journalism, the hosts of the conference, “We are living in a time when the business model of traditional media organizations seems to be in crisis almost everywhere. Thankfully this is met by new start-ups with a lot of creativeness. The need of networks like GIJN and the existence of conferences like GIJC15 is crucial and has never been as important as now. Investigative journalism is expensive, difficult and often dangerous, but it is needed as a game changer to put focus on wrongdoing, corruption and other sorts of power abuse. Together we can make a great impact and change”
