1. What’s the Global Investigative Journalism Conference?
Every two years since 2001, the world’s investigative journalism community has joined together in a different city, and the results have been extraordinary. This year, for our eighth gathering, we’re holding the Global Investigative Journalism Conference for the first time in the southern hemisphere, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. What’s more, we’re combining the GIJC with two other seminal events in international muckraking: Latin America’s annual COLPIN conference on investigative reporting, and the national congress of ABRAJI, Brazil’s investigative journalism association.
2. Who will be the speakers and what can we expect?
We’ll be hosting many of the world’s top investigative reporters, editors, and producers, as well as key resource people on freedom of information, media law, and security. Among our speakers: Glen Greenwald, the Guardian journalist who’s broken a series of stories on top-secret NSA surveillance programs; Catalina Botero, Freedom of Expression Rapporteur for the Organization of American States; Brazil’s Supreme Court Chief Justice, Joaquim Barbosa; Pulitzer Prize winners Sarah Cohen, Steve Doig, David Cay Johnston, and Xanic von Bertrab; and other top investigative journalists from more than 40 countries.
There will be more than 125 sessions, including collaboration workshops on the environment, corruption, and sports; a muckraker’s hackfest; a professor’s track; and 40 panels on data journalism. There will also be tracks in Portuguese with top Brazilian journalists and in Spanish with top journalists from across Latin America.
3. Where’s the conference?
The conference will be held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s first private university. It’s a school holiday so we have access to much of the PUC’s facilities, including auditoriums, lecture halls, and computer labs. Think of it as Muckraker University for a long weekend.
4. How can I register?
Registration for the conference is being handled by GIJN’s Brazilian conference partner, Abraji. Registration fee: US$245. For students: US$155.
You can REGISTER HERE. The registration page is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
5. How can I pay the conference fee?
Due to Brazilian currency restrictions, international payment is accepted only via PayPal. If you don’t have an account, you can open one on our registration page. Don’t worry – it’s as easy as making a credit card payment.
6. Where can I find the cheapest flights to Rio?
The cheapest tickets to Rio can be found through sites such as Kayak, Expedia, or Hotwire. GIJN will be working with our member organizations and conference goers to help as needed.
7. What about public transportation from the airport and in the city?
From the Airport: Abraji is working to provide conference vans (from airport to hotels) on arrival days. Attendees can also take taxis, which will cost from US$30 to US$50 (depending on the taxi, the traffic, and time of day).
In the City: There will be shuttles from some of the conference hotels to the conference site. Tourists are advised not to use public vans. When traveling by yellow taxi, use only cars that openly display company information and phone numbers as well as red license plates.
8. Do you recommend any hotel?
Abraji has identified a number of quality hotels. Here is a list of 17 hotels and hostels.
9. Do I need a visa to enter Brazil?
Citizens of Canada, the US, and Mexico, among other countries, need a visa to enter Brazil. The process may take up to three weeks, so be sure to do it now. Official letters are available from Abraji upon request. You can check here for the list of visa requirements by country.
For international visitors traveling to conferences, the Brazilian government recommends a tourist visa.
To apply for a tourist visa, the applicant must individually fill out the Form for Visa Application available in English and in Portuguese, then show up at one of the Brazilian Consular Authorities in his or her country and present several documents.
10. How can I become a sponsor?
Interested in helping sponsor the GIJC? Here’s a chance to reach and support the “special forces” of journalism around the world – the reporters, editors, and programmers who are on the front lines of battling crime, corruption, abuse of trust, and lack of accountability. You’ll join major media organizations, leading technology companies, and influential foundations. Contact us at hello@gijn.org.
