The IJ4EU fund has selected 10 cross-border investigative projects in varying stages of progress for short-term funding under its Publication Support Scheme, designed to get ongoing projects over the finish line.
Launched on 5 May 2020, the Publication Support Scheme is managed by the European Journalism Centre and accepts applications on a rolling basis.
The €75,000 awarded in late August goes to 10 cross-border investigations covering a range of topics, from democracy and human rights to climate change, corruption and the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigations are expected to be published in 13 European countries.
Here are details of the 10 teams and their projects:
- Shelby Wilder and Jono Namara are working on an investigation on the dangers of spreading misinformation during the COVID-19 crisis. They will receive €3,064.
- The Czech Center for Investigative Journalism, together with the Jan Kuciak Centre for Investigative Journalism, is carrying out a joint investigation supported by a grant of €6,200.
- An international team is collaborating on an environmental project in the Arctic (€5,900).
- An international team including Juliane Löffler (Germany), Margherita Bettoni (Germany), Cécile Debarge (France) and Jelena Prtorić (Croatia) is working on a cross-border investigation into the medical sector (€9,120).
- Elena Ledda (Spain) and Monica Pelliccia (Italy), together with photographer Serena de Sanctis and illustrator Andrea Lucio (Spain), are analysing the mid- to long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on vulnerable women and transgender people (€6,250).
- An international team is working on an investigation on the circular economy (€8,200).
- Michael Bird, Vlad Odobescu and Razvan Zamfira (Romania), Cecilia Ferrara (Italy) and Lina Verschwele (Germany) will investigate the status of EU migrant key workers at the forefront of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic (€10,000).
- An international team is collaborating on the topic of a “cashless society”, the private and public interests at stake and implications in terms of inclusion, privacy and human rights (€8,000).
- An international team is carrying out an investigation into the seasonal migration of workers (€9,350).
- A team led by Sara Moraca (Italy) and including Katharina Kropshofer (Austria), Silvia Lazzaris (UK) and Josh Stroud (France) is investigating online gambling platforms (€8,579).
The Publication Support Scheme, offering shorter-term financial support of up to €10,000 for investigative projects that are already underway, is accepting proposals on a rolling basis until 18 September 2020.
New investigations that have not yet started and those that are in their very early stages are eligible for support of up to €50,000 under IJ4EU’s Investigation Support Scheme, which is also open until 18 September 2020.
Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) has become a leading source of funding to support collaborative investigations. The IJ4EU Fund is funded by the European Commission, Fritt Ord and Open Society Foundations. It is managed by the International Press Institute (IPI), the European Journalism Centre (EJC) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
This text reflects the author’s view and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.