Purpose and History
The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) is composed of nonprofit investigative journalism organizations that produce stories, conduct training, provide resources and encourage the creation of similar nonprofit groups. It was created in 2003 when more than 300 journalists from around the world gathered for the second Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Copenhagen. Since then it has grown to more than 40 member organizations.
GIJN holds a global conference every 18 to 24 months and has embarked on holding regional conferences with the first being held in South Africa. The initial global conference was held in Copenhagen in 2001 and other conferences have been held in Amsterdam (2005), Toronto (2007), Lillehammer (2008) and Geneva (2010). The next conference is planned for Kiev in October 2011.
A steering group of a representative from each member organization reviews and approves all major decisions while a volunteer group oversees the Web site and activities of GIJN between conferences. The members of the volunteer committee are:
Brigitte Alfter, European Fund for Investigative Journalism, Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism
Justin Arenstein, Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR)
James Breiner, Centro de Periodismo Digital
Brant Houston, Investigative News Network, Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at Illinois
Mark Hunter, INSEAD
David Kaplan, International Consortium for Investigative Journalism, Center for Public Integrity
Henrik Kaufholz, SCOOP
Nils Mulvad, Danish School of Media and Journalism
Rana Sabbagh, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ)
The web site and it’s activities are coordinated by Brant Houston.
GIJN’s web site is supported by with funds from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and from the Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting at the College of Media at the University of Illinois.
While GIJN is not a company or registered corporation, it has an organizing statment to which an addendum was approved in 2010 that formed the volunteer group to oversee the administration of the Web site and other GIJN activities. GIJN had been administered by DICAR, which has dissolved, and by Investigative Reporters and Editors.
Brant Houston, the Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting, helps coordinate the site and can be reached at brant.houston@gmail.com
Organizing Statement
The Global Investigative Journalism Network is a group of independent journalism organizations that support the training and sharing of information among journalists in investigative and computer-assisted reporting.
The aim of Global Investigative Journalism Network is to:
* help organize and promote regional and international conferences and workshops
* assist in the formation and continuation of journalism organizations involved in investigative reporting and computer-assisted reporting in all countries
* support and promote methods of best practices in investigative journalism and computer-assisted reporting
* support and promote efforts to ensure free access to public documents and data in every country
* provide resources and networking services for participating groups and for investigative journalists.
Only non-profit journalism organizations that support investigative or computer-assisted reporting can become members of The Global Investigative Journalism Network.
The Global Investigative Journalism Network will be guided by a steering-committee composed of one representative from each participating organization. At all times, the network will attempt to work through consensus. If necessary, votes may be taken on decisions and those votes will require a three-fourths majority to prevail.
The network will take no political, religious or ideological stances. It will encourage and coordinate training, resources for training, and networking services. It will not do investigations.
IRE and DICAR will provide administrative services for this network. The organizations will provide the Website, which will offer listservs and link to other organizations’ resources and help promote the member organizations’ events and services. [The addendum approved in April 2010 gave administrative duties to the volunteer group.]
The founders decided this on the 4th of May 2003 in Copenhagen.
Abraji – Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism.
African Investigative Reporters
Center for Developing of the Independent Journalism, Croatia
Center for Investigative Journalism, Nepal
Center for Investigative Journalism, UK
DICAR – Danish Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting
DJE – The Mid-Career Institute for Journalism, Denmark
DJH – The Danish School of Journalism
EJC – European Journalism Centre
Free Media Movement of Sri Lanka
Freedom of Information Center, US
FUJ – The Danish Association for Investigative Journalism
Ghana Center for Public Integrity, Ghana
Gräv – Grävände Journalister, Sweden
IJA – Investigative Journalists, Bulgaria
IJ – Institut for Journalistik, Norge
IMS – International Media Support, DK
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a project of Center for Public Integrity, US
IRE – Investigative Reporters and Editors, US
IRE-Mexico/Periodistas de Investigacion, Mexico
Latvian Media Professionals Training Centre
Mediacentar, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Media Focus, Serbia
NetMedia – Digital Media & Research, UK
Netzwerk Recherche, Germany
NSSJ – The Novi Sad School of Journalism, Serbia (Vojvodina)
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Romanian Centre for Investigative Journalism, Romania
SEENCAR – Southeast European Network for Computer-Assisted Reporting, Balkan Countries
SEENIR – Southeast European Network for Investigative Reporting, Balkan Countries
S.K.U.P – The Association for a Critical and Investigative Press, Norway
TJY – The Finnish Association for investigative Journalism, Finland
The Association of the Turkish International Press Institute, Turkey
VVOJ – Vereniging van Onderzoeksjournalisten, organisation of Dutchspeaking journalists in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands
World Press Institute, US
