For five days – between November 15 and 20, 2017 – 1,200 investigative journalists from 130 countries gathered in Johannesburg to discuss their business: investigative journalism; successes, challenges, ways forward and of course, networking and partnership. It was a conference like no one. YEKEEN AKINWALE, who was a delegate to the conference, brings back memories from the explosive assembly of Investigative Journalists.

The journey was tiring, but our spirits were high; like students going on excursion for the first time, the world’s troublemakers were going for their annual fraternal meeting. Ten hours in the sky, Johannesburg was on everyone’s mind. The University of Witwatersand was the centre of attraction; the 2017 Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) was the event. That was the first time in Africa.

AND THE FRATERNITY BEGINS

When  the conference kicked off on Wednesday November 15, a workshop  — Psychological Safety for Investigative Reporting where Bruce Shapiro, Gavin Rees, Patricia Evangelista, Amantha Perera, Ismail Einashe and Elana Newman  — was just the impetus to prepare delegates psychologically for the remaining days of lectures, knowledge sharing, mentoring, networking, peer group review and future aspirations.

The workshop dissected the complex facets of trauma faced by investigative journalists around the globe. Cait McMahon, psychologist at Dart Centre Asia South Pacific, offered the so-called BDA approach, which provides practical tips that working journalists can implement before, during and after reporting on trauma.

But this was nothing compared to the welcome reception at the Wits Alumni Club House. There, delegates wined and dined, and it was a night you wouldn’t want to end or miss, as it offered a lifetime opportunity of meeting colleagues and accomplished investigative journalists whose works often form inspirations and guides for many of their colleagues across the world.

The Great Hall on Witwatersrand campus on Thursday  November 16 was filled to capacity during the plenary. While panelists David Cay Johnson, Ritu Sarin, Patricia Evangelista, Ewald Scharfenberg, Elena Milashina, Mzilikazi wa Afrika discussed ‘The New Autocrats” moderated by Ferial Haffajee, Muckrakers, as they are called, were already well-seated; the stage was set for an engaging and enthralling conference. Moments before the plenary, the magnificent frontage of The Great Hall provided the ambience and perfect ground for delegates to enter into one another,exchanging greetings, pleasantries, ideas and contacts.

Antorn Harber, Caxton Professor of Journalism at Wits, described this as “the world’s most troublesome journalists under one room”. This is, of course, the truth, because as David Cay Johnson puts it, “investigative journalists are the only ones in the occupation paid to tell the truth and unearth wrongdoings.” This is why we are troublemakers; we uncover what they try to cover, unearth the lies, corruption, documents and the underhand deals they are burying. “I’ve never seen so many troublemakers and the world’s worst nightmares gathered under a single roof,” Haffajee said.

So when these troublemakers meet, relegating biases  — religion, gender, status, race and other forms of divisive perceptions  — to the background, the fraternity was outside of this world. Laughter, banters, jaw-jaw defined the moment.

THE NIGHT OF HONOUR FOR NIGERIA

Before that glorious evening for Nigeria, African Muckraking, a collection of 41 investigative journalism stories written by Africans about Africa and edited by Anya Schiffrin and George Lugalambi, was all doubting Thomases needed about the exploits of African investigative journalists.

But an icing on the cake for the African race was the Global Shinning Light Award won by Emmanuel Mayah, a freelance journalist with Premium Times. Nigeria was well-represented at the conference, with about 100 delegates. Therefore, when the winner was announced, the Great Hall erupted in jubilation and it was indeed a night of honour for Nigeria.

The prize honours investigative journalism conducted in a developing or transitioning country, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions. Mayah won first place for a two-part story on the extrajudicial killings of IPOB protesters: ‘Inside the Massive Extrajudicial Killings in Nigeria’s South-East‘‎ and ‎’How the Onitsha Massacre of Pro-Biafra Supporters was Coordinated.’‎

The two-month long investigation uncovered multiple mass graves, lending support to allegations that police and military forces targeted innocent and defenceless civilians for abuse and extrajudicial killings.

Following reports that included photo evidence, human rights groups called for an independent probe and the army announced another investigation.

KNOWLEDGE-BASED CONFERENCE

When the curtain was drawn on the conference on Sunday, November 19, GIJN 2017 had offered immeasurable knowledge to participants, the type that can only be acquired at the gathering of 1,200 journalists. Many participants had testimonies to share. Ebenezer Wikina, a Nigerian and NDlink Project Analyst, said the conference expanded his media horizon.

“The Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2017 expanded my media horizon. The workshops and accomplished media professionals I met in Johannesburg were exactly what I needed to move my career to the next level,” said Wikina.

“As journalists, our stories can change the world, and seeing the impact various journos who attended GIJC 17 are making around the world, I’ve been inspired to dig deeper, speak louder, and work together with other journalists to uphold truth and bring proffer solutions to societal problems via my stories.”

One of such exciting new tools given out during the conference was data journalism tips and tools presented by some of the best data journalists in the world.

You know the power of data journalism; it helps to contextualize your reports and take its meaning to the audience as intended. Again, from subjects such as ‘ABC of Investigative Journalism’ taught by Cheryl Thompson to ‘Editing the Investigative Story’ handled by Marina Walker Guevara, Musikilu Mojeed and Mark Schoofs, as well as ‘Multimedia Storytelling: Science Journalism and Data Visualisation’, there were many takeaways for participants. Also, in ‘The Art of Interviewing’, the best way to handle sources was given out. Then, Undercover Reporting was handled by Lkhagva Erdene, Rana Ayub of India and ‘Fisayo Soyombo, a Nigerian and multiple award-winning journalist known for his daring undercover reporting skills.

For Salome Kitomari, Senior Reporter at The Guardian of Tanzania, learning undercover reporting skills was a great takeaway from the conference. “What I gained from the conference was getting experience from investigative journalists worldwide on how to report undercover.”

But that was not all from Kitomari. She added, “I now know how to have a good investigative report under hard regimes like what is happening in Tanzania now, how to engage with hard regime. I also learnt about mobile journalism and online investigative reporting.

“But most important is to hear from western journalists that they are facing challenges as we have in East Africa, for instance, the issue of freedom of expression.”

There is need to emphasize the new synergies between journalists that were formed during the five-day conference. Journalists see opportunities in working together across borders and making more impact in sharing stories. Sources for funding, perhaps, one of the major challenges hindering Investigative Journalism formed substantial parts of discourse.

Die Burger, a South African and a reporter at Malherbe Nienaber, urged Nigerian and South African journalists to strike partnership in reporting issues affecting the well-being of their respective countries.

HAMBURG 2019: HERE WE COME

After five days of intensive discussions, ideas exchange, networking and mentoring, GIJN members decided by vote on the next city to host the 2019 edition of the conference. And Hamburg, Germany, won the hosting rights!