Why Journalism Matters
The investigative journalism awards that shine a light around the world. Google refuses to take down video on life of Jimmy Lai. And uncovering the Canadian government's addiction to spyware.
4 minute read
Honouring the best—and toughest— investigative journalism from around the world
“What these impressive projects show is that not only is investigative journalism refusing to go away – we are growing and shining more light in some of the world’s toughest places.”
—Dave Kaplan, outgoing executive director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network
Admiration, courage, determination, imagination.
Just some of the words that come to mind when telling the story of the winners of the Shining Light Awards. It is difficult enough to carry out journalistic investigations in countries where there is respect for (or at least tolerance of) freedom of the press, and where journalists work for established news outlets which can stand behind them and champion what they do.
But imagine the overwhelming threats and challenges that face journalists in countries where they can routinely be killed, kidnapped and tortured? The Shining Light Awards presented every two years by the Global Investigative Journalism Network honour those who work in environments where perseverance and bravery are the basic requirements necessary to cover the story—and to survive, so the story can be told.
These awards honour ‘watchdog journalism in developing or transitioning countries carried out under threat or in perilous conditions’.
No shortage
And there is no shortage of opportunity to work in such circumstances, covering crime, corruption, environmental devastation and large-scale human rights abuses. This year there were 419 applications for the awards from 84 countries across the network.
The current round of awards recognised stories that uncovered widespread illegal mining in Venezuela; organised murder and banditry in northwestern Nigeria; police brutality and impunity in South Africa; and Covid-19 abuse and profiteering in North Macedonia.
Not to mention the certificate of excellence awards that went to the story of a secret prison in Bangladesh and war crimes and mass graves in Ukraine.
Some of these projects involved highly advanced data investigation techniques and international collaboration by large media outlets. And others relied only on dogged determination and bravery from small outlets populated by just a handful of journalists.
As chair of the judging panel, Sheila Coronel of the Columbia Journalism School explained:
“The winners of the Global Shining Light Awards renew our faith that the muckraking tradition remains alive, even in the most dangerous and inhospitable places.”
“It is a dangerous time to be an investigative journalist and our winners have shown that with courage, skill, and the support of citizens, groundbreaking and high-impact reporting is possible despite the risks. We salute this year’s awardees. They are an inspiration to all of us.”
Outgoing GIJN executive director David Kaplan agreed. “Despite all the obstacles thrown at the world’s watchdog journalists, our colleagues are doing extraordinary work, even under the most arduous conditions.”
“What these impressive projects show is that not only is investigative journalism refusing to go away – we are growing and shining more light in some of the world’s toughest places.”
These investigations took time—months, often several years of cultivating sources, gathering evidence and analysing data, not to mention the writing, editing and fact-checking that earn the work respect and credibility.
All the stories mentioned are worthy of your attention. And along with that attention should come the recognition that a global society worth living in will depend on the resolution of the sorts of transgressions and injustices uncovered by these investigations. (See GIJN link below.)
Of the many highlights one that is emblematic of the whole is the work done by one reporter on a BBC Africa Eye investigation in northwestern Nigeria, The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara. This documentary won joint first prize in the Large Outlets category of the Global Shining Light awards
Yusuf Anka is A a 27-year-old Nigerian journalist, and he spent three years travelling by motorbike around the dangerous territory of his home region, investigating armed gangs who terrorised villagers and rival tribe members.
Anka would travel light, going into bandit territory carrying only an iPhone, a tripod, and sound recording equipment to shoot some of the dangerous scenes in the documentary. After one year of filming he and his team had shot more than 400 field videos.
Daniel Adamson, executive producer and director of documentary at BBC Africa Eye helped support Anka through this dangerous and difficult project and salutes his bravery and professionalism.
He explained: “On Nigerian social media, many people think it was an important piece of public service journalism, that it was shining a light onto a conflict that was really poorly understood and it was crucial for Nigerians to see and understand. Nigerian audiences really appreciated the bravery of Yusuf and the team, and the seriousness of the journalism.”
Reference
GIJN Shining Light Awards 2023
GIJN: One Nigerian Journalist on a motorbike
3 minute read
Google refuses request by Hong Kong government to take down Hong Konger film about jailed press activist Jimmy Lai
Jimmy Lai, billionaire, one-time press baron and jailed democracy activist has been in prison in Hong Kong for the past three years, convicted on spurious charges of fraud and unlawful public assembly.
His colourful and pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily was forced to close shortly after his imprisonment when its assets were frozen.
Despite worldwide calls for him to be released, he remains in solitary confinement in a high security prison in Hong Kong. The 75-year-old still faces a possible life sentence in an upcoming trial under China’s Draconian National Security Law, passed in the wake of pro-democracy civil disturbances in Hong Kong.
Take comfort
But as he sits in his prison cell, Lai can take some small comfort from the fact that one big global social media company has defied attempts to silence his story.
It transpires that Google has comprehensively refused requests from the Hong Kong government to remove the video of the film of Lai’s life and campaign, ‘The Hong Konger’ from Youtube, the world’s largest video sharing platform. Four other related videos relating to the film will also remain posted on the site (owned by Google) despite the Hong Kong government wishing to have them taken down.
Freedom House, the democracy and free speech campaigning organisation based in Washington announced the development in their most recent Hong Kong Media Bulletin.
“ A Google transparency report published last month revealed that in April 2023, Hong Kong police had requested that its video-sharing platform, YouTube, take down a documentary about Jimmy Lai.
“The film, The Hong Konger, was produced by the US-based Acton Institute and has amassed over 2.8 million views since April. The police reportedly requested the removal of five videos related to the film, claiming they amounted to “seditious content,” but the company refused.
“The transparency report shows a steady increase in Hong Kong removal requests; 6 were filed in the second half of 2020, while 72 were filed in the first half of 2023. Unlike in mainland China, YouTube is not blocked in Hong Kong.”
However, the struggle for freedom of expression in Hong Kong, and indeed across China, continues.
In early November a Hong Kong judge judge sentenced 23-year-old Yuen Ching-ting to two months in prison over social media posts made when she was studying politics in Japan. The posts were critical of the Chinese Communist Party and supportive of Hong Kong protesters.
13 posts
According to case details reported by the Hong Kong Free Press Yuen had published 13 posts on Facebook and Instagram since 2018, with messages such as “I am a Hongkonger; I advocate for Hong Kong independence,” and “As long as the Chinese Communist Party exists, how can there be a home?”
Yuen was charged under the sedition law which dates back to the time of British colonial rule.
And on October 24, an elderly erhu player named Li Jiexin was sentenced to 30 days in prison after performing the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” in public. Li was convicted of performing and raising money without a permit.
On the plus side? The English-language digital platform, Hong Kong Free Press which is dedicated to free, impartial coverage of news and current affairs in Hong Kong has continued to survive against the odds for eight years. And that is despite the fact the Chinese authorities have blocked access to HKFP across the Chinese mainland since 2015.
Reference
Freedom House Hong Kong Media Bulletin
The Hong Konger movie on Youtube
3 minute read
A CBC/Radio-Canada investigation reveals the use of spyware is widespread across government departments in Canada
An investigation by Canada’s national broadcaster (CBC/Radio Canada) has discovered that several government departments have been using intelligence spyware to conduct surveillance on their employees and other private citizens.
During this investigation CBC/Radio Canada (which broadcasts both in English and French) also discovered that the department did not undertake privacy impact assessments as required by a federal government directive.
According to the report by investigative reporter Brigitte Bureau, this software can be used to ‘recover and analyse data found on computers tablets and mobile phones, including information that has been encrypted and password-protected’.
Access cloud-based data
This software can therefore follow text messages, contacts, photos and travel history. On top of that some of the software used has the capability to gain access to a user’s cloud-based data, internet search history and even deleted content as well as social media activity.
Radio-Canada also interviewed Evan Light, associate professor of communications at York University in Toronto, and an expert in privacy and surveillance technology. He said that he's shocked by the widespread use of such spyware within the federal government.
“It's worrisome and dangerous,” Light told CBC/Radio Canada. (Professor Light filed the original access to information request to find out more about how police agencies in Canada are using the technology.)
He added : “I thought I would just find the usual suspects using these devices, like police, whether it's the RCMP or [Canada Border Services Agency]. But it's being used by a bunch of bizarre departments.”
No privacy assessments
Although a directive from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) requires that all federal institutions carry out what it calls a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) before using such software, none of the departments listed said that they did.
Professor Light commented: “The fact that these assessments were never done shows that it's just become normalised, that it's not a big deal to get into somebody's cell phone. There's been a normalisation of this really extreme capability of surveillance.
“We have a right to privacy. It's not an abstract concept.”
This investigation follows on from revelations in 2016 that Montreal police were using spyware to monitor well-known journalists, including one who was investigating police corruption.
Reference
CBC/Radio Canada report on government use of spyware
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