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Crowdfunding Investigative Projects Turns Readers into Editors

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In a search for cash to finance investigative journalism projects, an independent Brazilian news agency is trying to turn readers into editors. The idea was greeted with great interest during a panel discussion this week at the four-day, semi-annual Global Investigative Journalists Conference (GIJC2013) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The idea is simple: those who help finance the agency can choose what journalists should investigate. With this concept, Agência Pública raised almost $30,000 from 808 backers for a project called Reportagem Pública (Public Report).

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Challenges Face Investigative Reporting on Fracking

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Pablo is a journalist who is moved by environmental exploitation of gas extraction and it’s impact on the native people in a particular region of his country. After months of pressing his editors to cover the issue, they finally relent. Extractive industries, especially oil, are increasingly becoming a contentious issue in countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Argentina, Brazil or Mexico, given that oil revenues can comprise profits for government, the  private sector, and consequently, the important role this plays on infrastructure and national services. Aware of how big an issue extraction has become, Pablo eagerly proceeds conducting research and travels to the heart of the action where they’re extracting oil, gas, mining, fracking, you name it. Upon arrival, he attempts to interview people working for the enterprise, but nobody is willing to cooperate.