Author

Kickbacks: The Margin Is Growing

RELATED ARTICLE“Russian Journalists Need Help in Exposing Corruption”– Alexei Navalny and Maxim TrudolyubovThe primary mechanism of big-time corruption is known as raspil, which translated literally means “sawing”—or siphoning away funds…

Independence Buys Freedom But Also Fewer Viewers

‘Since we left Rustavi 2, Studio Monitor has had a hard time building a wide audience. Getting our stories seen by people remains a major challenge.’

In Poland, Pressures Plague Investigative Reporting

‘Most censorship is of an “inner” nature. Journalists self-censor because they are aware of their employer’s political position and thus do not submit stories in opposition to it.’

Hungarian Politics: Present in the Journalistic Mix

‘… it is not the journalists but politicians and the media owners with the circles of power behind them who decide the topics that can be covered and which stories…

Abandoning a Broken Model of Journalism

In post-Communist countries from Romania to Russia, Armenia to Georgia, Poland to Hungary, investigative reporters face formidable barriers when corruption is the topic. When evidence of illegal activity points to…

Enduring Pressures: It Goes With the Job in Armenia

‘… we have an unwritten understanding in our office not to speak about these pressures if they aren’t life threatening; our problems remain within our office walls.’

Chinese Journalists Circumvent Government’s Tight Restrictions

‘Given how information from Yihuang was spread in China, this story signaled a landmark moment in contemporary Chinese media with the emergence of microblogs … as a valuable distribution tool…

Arriving at a Sadly Familiar Crossroads

‘South Africa’s crackdown on press freedom comes at a treacherous time, as numerous countries have regressed, rather than progressed, on this front.’

Where Western Perceptions Clash With Eastern European Realities

‘In the Balkan context, what Westerners call corruption is seen as the customary tool of political organization.’

The Challenge of Cross-Border Reporting in Europe

‘Through networking, journalists contribute their part in shaping this European public sphere by investigating and illuminating its common issues.’