At the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference currently being held in Germany, investigative journalists from around the world say they faced a lot of challenges while doing their job. They mainly point out the lack financial means, limited access to official sources of information and the government crackdown on the media.
Over 1000 participants from across the globe have attended the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference
Catherine Gicheru, an investigative journalist from Kenya working with Code for Africa says the government crackdown on the media makes it difficult for investigate journalists to do their work professionally especially when they are working on sensitive issues like corruption.
“The government tries to use technology against its people by cutting the internet especially during crucial times such as elections,” she adds.
For Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director of the International Center for Investigative Reporting in Nigeria, investigative journalism takes a lot of money and time while some news outlets struggle to pay their journalists.
“Some governments are increasingly becoming sensitive to any kind of critical reporting. Online news organizations are being muzzled and this is a threat to freedom of expression,” he says.
Ana Malbasa, an journalist from Croatia says journalists don’t get information from state institutions when they are working on sensitive issues.
“Recently, I asked for a document in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete an investigative story I was working on but have not so far got it,” she says.
Over 1000 participants from 100 nations have attended this four-day 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference which takes place once in two years.
It offers more than 160 seminars and trainings on investigative journalism, techniques, data driven journalism and more.
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