ICIJ Europe Expansion — Promoting Democracy

An independent and free press is one of the cornerstones of democracy and a crucial tool for combating misconduct and corruption. In recent years, press freedom worldwide has been eroded at an alarming rate. Reduced revenue streams have weakened, or shut down, newsrooms. Influential individuals and organizations that wish to misuse their position in secrecy without consequences, benefit from this development.

“Reporters Without Borders” reports that an unsettling proportion—nearly one-third—of EU member states are deemed problematic in terms of press freedom, a situation that poses repercussions across the continent. Despite Europe being home to some of the most esteemed journalistic institutions, there remains an absence of a cohesive entity capable of orchestrating and fortifying these bodies to counteract the regressive trends affecting press freedom both in Europe and globally. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) stands as the preeminent network of investigative journalism, with over 280 journalists from 53 countries. This collective is dedicated to unearthing and bringing to light instances of misconduct and corruption, such as the Panama Papers, which cast a spotlight on the tax evasion tactics of the wealthy population.

In this project, the ICIJ is committed to protect press freedom and aims to amplify its impact by fostering enhanced cooperation among European journalists. This to more thoroughly uncover and reveal stories of misconduct and corruption, thereby solidifying the ICIJ’s role as a pivotal coordinating force for journalism throughout Europe.

The project is supported with 2 640 000 SEK.