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Secret algorithms are secretly judging us. Governments across Europe are using flawed AI for law enforcement and predictive policing, quietly shaping justice and playing with people’s lives.

Join us as we go behind the scenes of a year-long investigation across the Netherlands, Italy and Spain that reveals the shocking truth behind these “decision machines”.

This episode features investigative journalist Pablo Jiménez Arandia, a member of the cross-border team of journalists behind Decision Machines, a year-long investigation into algorithms used in the criminal justice system with almost no scrutiny.

We unpack how reporters uncovered secret systems to predict recidivism among young offenders and the likelihood of prisoners committing future crimes when up for parole.

The discussion highlights the risks of predictive policing, the importance of human stories in understanding algorithmic impacts and the role of journalism in holding these systems accountable. We also touch on the shortcomings of legislation surrounding AI and the ethical considerations of using algorithms on vulnerable populations.

Credits

Host: Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI) and head of the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU).

Guest: Pablo Jiménez Arandia, Spanish freelance investigative journalist

Production and graphic: Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

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This episode takes us behind the scenes of the Border Graves Investigation, an award-winning journalistic collaboration that documented more than 1,000 unmarked graves of people who died on European migration routes.

With insights from investigative journalists Gabriela Ramirez and Daphne Tolis, the episode uncovers systemic failures in identifying the deceased, touching on personal stories, the political and institutional response to the crisis and the ongoing challenges faced by families in search of their loved ones.

Hear about the dedicated local communities in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia who continue caring for these unmarked graves amidst rising anti-migrant sentiments. The episode also explores the emotional and psychological toll on families and journalists alike, the crucial role of DNA identification and plans for a comprehensive documentary.

This powerful narrative highlights the tragic human cost of a systemic failure to identify and dignify those who perish while trying to reach the EU.

Host:

Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)

Guests:

Investigative journalists Gabriela Ramirez and Daphne Tolis

Production and graphic:

Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

bordergravesinvestigation #migration #investigativejournalism

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This episode goes behind the scenes of Bears Uncovered, a cross-border investigation exposing the surging brown bear populations in Europe and their complex relationship with humans.

With insights from investigative journalists Michael Bird and Ovidiu Stancu, learn about shifting bear management practices across 26 European countries, the ethical quandaries of culling versus conservation, and the real-world impacts of human encroachment and climate change on these majestic animals.

“I think it's a test of humans,” Bird said. “It's a test of how we can learn to coexist with such a large predator. Do we coexist with them or do we slaughter them? That’s our choice.

“And if we choose to coexist with them, we have to find a way to do it because in some ways they’re the animals closest to us. They stand on two legs. They have hands that look like us. If you look at a bear, a skeleton or a body, it’s very humanistic. They eat exactly the same food. They are very close to us in many ways.

“So it is a test of our ability to live with nature as to whether or not we can coexist with bears.”

Featuring alarming reportage and expert discussions, this episode is a must for anyone interested in wildlife conservation and investigative journalism – or anyone who likes hiking in Europe!

Credits

Hosts:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

Guests:

• Michael Bird
• Ovidiu Dunel-Stancu

Production and editing: Timothy Large

Graphic: Milica Miletić

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European firms continued supplying a mega Russian gas project after the invasion of Ukraine — until they were busted.

Hear from journalists behind Defusing a Russian ‘Carbon Bomb’, a cross-border investigation into how European companies continued to supply high-tech equipment and engineering services to a mega Russian gas project in the Arctic despite sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Discover how these actions support one of the world’s most significant carbon emission sources, undermining global climate goals and propping up Russia’s war machine.

This collaboration between newsrooms uncovers the involvement of key European firms and the broader implications for international sanctions and environmental policy. Featuring Sophia Baumann (Germany) and Louis Goddard (UK).

Credits

Hosts:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

Guests:

• Sophia Baumann, Paper Trail Media
• Louis Goddard, Anti-Corruption Data Collective

Editing and production: Javier Luque, IPI head of digital communications

Graphic: Milica Miletić

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Fifty journalists. Thirteen organisations. Damning findings. Behind the scenes of a groundbreaking investigation.

This special episode of the IJ4EU Confidential podcast features leading contributors to The Gaza Project on their groundbreaking investigation that exposed “unprecedented” Israeli targeting of Palestinian journalists.

At least 110 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of the Israel-Gaza War on October 7, 2023 – the largest number of journalists to be killed in this span of time in any modern war or conflict. In addition to facing unprecedented physical dangers, journalists in Gaza and the West Bank have faced threats, assault, censorship and arrests. Dozens of media offices in Gaza have been bombed by the Israeli military.

In July 2024, Forbidden Stories launched the results of their in-depth investigation into the deaths of journalists in Gaza as well as alleged attempts to harass, intimidate and target media workers within Gaza and the West Bank.

The Gaza Project exposes evidence of targeted attacks on journalists and media infrastructure, calling to question the army’s denials about targeting the press since the war started. The investigation’s findings suggest that at least 18 media workers were reportedly killed or wounded by precision strikes likely launched from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in violation of the laws of war.

Moderated by:

• Scott Griffen, acting executive director of the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Amy Brouillette, IPI’s director of advocacy
• Timothy Large, IPI’s director of independent media programmes

Featuring:

• Laurent Richard, founder and director of Forbidden Stories
• Hoda Osman, executive editor of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
• Manisha Ganguly, investigations correspondent and open-source lead for The Guardian
• Walid Batrawi, IPI executive board member and Palestinian media trainer and consultant

Production and graphics:

• Milica Miletić, IPI project coordinator

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We uncover the chilling realities of drone warfare in Ukraine with one of the journalists behind a groundbreaking investigation into Russia’s drone supply chain, Russia’s War, Europe’s Burden.

Discover how Iranian-made kamikaze drones and European components are fueling Russia’s war efforts despite sanctions. Learn about the devastating impact of Shahed suicide drones on Ukrainian cities and the civilian toll of these relentless attacks. Featuring journalist Sanjana Varghese.

The investigation explores the impact of drones on the battlefield and the changing nature of warfare. The conversation highlights the challenges faced during the investigation, such as navigating complex supply chains and ensuring the accessibility and relevance of the reporting.

The discussion also touches on the use of multimedia to enhance the storytelling and the potential future projects in this field.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and recap of previous episode

01:47 - The use of drones in Ukraine and the changing nature of Warfare

06:38 - European companies supplying components to Russian drones

13:53 - Covert collaboration between Russia and Iran in manufacturing drones

19:39 - Immersive exploration of Kamikaze drones in Russia's invasion of Ukraine

24:16 - Challenges faced and lessons learned

28:12 - Future projects and conclusion

Credits

Hosts:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

Guest: Sanjana Varghese

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Freelance investigative journalists Ludovica Jona Lasinio (Italy) and Quentin Noirfalisse (Belgium) will reveal how the gold in your wedding ring or hard drive may have been illegally mined in the Amazon, “laundered” in the Middle East and refined in Europe.

Learn about the intricate “gold chain” that connects Amazonian gold to European markets via Dubai, and how a lack of regulation has allowed the unlawful destruction of vast swathes of rainforest and rights abuses against indigenous people.

This podcast gives the backstory to The Gold Chain, a cross-border investigation supported by the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund.

Credits

Hosts:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

Guests:

• Ludovica Jona Lasinio, freelance investigative journalist
• Quentin Noirfalisse, freelance investigative journalist

Editing and production: Timothy Large

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From the Bialowieza Forest on the Polish-Belarus border to the depths of the Brazilian Amazon, reporters supported by the Investigative Journalism for Europe fund have left no stone unturned in pursuit of their stories.

In this year-end edition of the IJ4EU Podcast, our hosts reflect on an exceptional 12 months for watchdog journalism, recapping just a few of the stories that have made a splash in Europe and beyond.

“I’ve been amazed at just how global many of the investigations have been this year,” says Timothy Large, who leads the IJ4EU consortium. “These are stories that start in Europe but they take you to Myanmar or Sudan or Brazi or the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Investigations discussed in this episode include:

• The Gold Chain, exposing how European gold importers turn a blind eye to illegal mining, deforestation and rights abuses in the Amazon
• The West’s Next Plastics Dump, revealing how rich countries are offloading their plastic waste in Myanmar — where citizens are too afraid to say no
• The Edge of Europe, showing how a migration crisis is unfolding on an EU border in the Indian Ocean
• The Jungle, laying bare the dire conditions facing migrants and refugees in Europe’s last primaeval forest along the Polish-Belarusian border
• Bankers of Irregular Migration, revealing how a traditional system for transferring money is a boon to both smugglers and migrants
• Russian Escape, probing how easy it is for Russian oligarchs to evade the sanctions
• Dangerous Diesel, proving how EU-based companies are fueling Russia’s war machine in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region
• Russia’s War, Europe’s Burden, demonstrating that hundreds of European components have found their way into drones used by Russia in its war against Ukraine
• Defusing a Russian ‘Carbon Bomb’, showing how European companies continued supplying a Russian mega Arctic gas project after the invasion of Ukraine
• The Forever Pollution Project, a collaboration between 18 newsrooms revealing alarming levels of toxic chemical contamination across Europe

Featuring:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI
• Zlatina Siderova, programme lead for grants at the European Journalism Centre

Editing and production: Timothy Large

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Sudan is in the grip of an underreported catastrophe. Fighting between the national army and Janjaweed paramilitaries known for war crimes has devastated Khartoum and razed to the ground cities in the western Darfur region.

Against this backdrop, we speak with two investigative journalists who have exposed the European Union’s role in legitimising Sudan’s “militia state” and sowing the seeds of a conflict that threatens to spiral into all-out civil war.

Gwenaëlle Lenoir and Patricia Huon are two reporters behind The EU’s ‘Pact with the Devil’, which reveals links between Brussels, former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir and Hemedti, a warlord now fighting to take over the country.

Obsessed with halting migration, the European Union entrusted Sudan almost 10 years ago with responsibility for preventing migrants from reaching Libya, and therefore heading onto Europe. But the unintended consequences were catastrophic, the journalists say.

For one thing, the EU's decision helped put control of borders along crucial migration routes into the hands of the Janjaweed, whose leader is now at war with the commander of Sudan’s national army, they explain.

They also describe the situation today in Darfur, which they say is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis far greater than the one that grabbed the world’s attention in the early 2000s.

“Twenty years ago, during the first war in Durfur, it was a story of burnt villages,” Lenoir says. “Now it’s a story of burnt cities.”

Credits:

Hosts:

• Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute (IPI)
• Milica Miletić, project and events coordinator at IPI

Guests: Gwenaëlle Lenoir and Patricia Huon

Editing and production: Timothy Large

Graphics: Milica Miletić

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Thinking of buying a puppy in Europe? A quick Google search will bring up countless ads promising the fluffball of your dreams. You can even have a dog delivered straight to your door.

But a cross-border investigation into Europe’s booming puppy business reveals a stark reality: up to 80 percent of dogs advertised online are part of an underground trade run by highly organised criminals.

This is a story of fake breeders, bogus pet passports and cross-border smuggling — all at a colossal scale. It is also a tale of coercion, exploitation and severe health risks.

Freelance journalists Jon Erik West and Annick Hus give the inside scoop on an ongoing investigation into the movement of millions of puppies across Europe.

They find that many people are forced by criminal gangs to pose as families going on holiday with their pets when they are in fact tasked with smuggling unvaccinated puppies across borders.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, criminals even sought to cash in on people’s sympathies by “Ukrainising” puppies. This meant transporting dogs born anywhere in Europe all the way to Ukraine, just so they could get a Ukrainian pet passport, and then transporting them back to buyers in Western Europe who were eager to rescue a “Ukrainian pet”.

The health risks associated with illegally transporting vast numbers of puppies in confined spaces range from rampant rates of parvovirus, which is deadly to dogs, to airborne transmission of rabies, which is deadly to both dogs and humans.

This podcast is a teaser for an upcoming investigative documentary, “The Real Puppy Trade”. The project was supported by the IJ4EU fund for cross-border investigative journalism.

Credits:

Host: Timothy Large, director of independent media programmes at the International Press Institute

Guests: Jon Erik West and Annick Hus

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Due to the nature of their work exposing wrongdoing and holding power to account, investigative journalists are vulnerable to attack: smears, intimidation, legal perils and outright violence.

Such threats multiply in countries where media freedom is under assault. In war zones, the dangers increase exponentially.

Yet the work continues — despite bombs, death threats, harassment and countless other ways to silence independent media. And increasingly, investigative journalists working in difficult environments find it pays to collaborate across borders.

This may mean publishing in other countries or teaming up with colleagues elsewhere. In extreme cases, it may mean relocating entire newsrooms to safer havens.

In this special edition of the IJ4EU Podcast to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2022, host Timothy Large speaks with journalists from Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Romania, all of whom have fostered resilience through cross-border collaboration.

These are tales of adaptation, ingenuity and survival.

The Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) programme is Europe’s leading support scheme for cross-border journalism. Led by the International Press Institute, it provides grants and other assistance to journalistic teams collaborating internationally on stories in the public interest. Visit the IJ4EU website for more.

Credits:

Host: Timothy Large, IJ4EU programme manager at the International Press Institute

Guests:

• Roman Anin, founder of independent Russian investigative news site Important Stories (iStories)
• Oleg Oganov, editor of the Centre for Investigative Reporting in Mykolaiv, Ukraine
• Melinda Kertész, editor-in-chief of Transtelex, a Hungarian-language news site in Romania
• Dragana Obradovic, Serbia director, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

Producer and editor: Timothy Large

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Think organised crime in Italy, and chances are you think of the Cosa Nostra, Camorra or Ndrangheta. But the newest kids on the mafia block come from China — and they’re expanding their influence across Europe.

Host Timothy Large interviews Italian journalist Davide Del Monte, who leads a cross-border investigation into the criminal activities of the main Chinese criminal group in Europe. It’s a tale of violence, political connections and dirty business.

For more on this investigation supported by the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund, see Chinese Underworld.

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Frontex, the EU’s fastest-growing agency, is responsible for policing the EU’s external borders. In recent years, it has been hit by allegations of complicity in human rights abuses and revelations of secret meetings with arms lobbyists, which it then lied about.

Host Timothy Large takes you behind the scenes of two cross-border investigations from the 2020/21 Investigative Journalism for Europe programme that thrust Frontex into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

One is the Frontex Files, which showed the power of both freedom-of-information requests and late-night satire. The other is Frontex at Fault, which used open-source intelligence to prove the agency took part in illegal maritime “pushbacks”.

Together, the investigations forced an EU agency with the size of Moldova’s GDP to account for its actions before the European Parliament, the European Commission and others with an interest in safeguarding human rights at Europe’s borders.

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Journalists from Oštro, a centre for investigative reporting in the Adriatic region, discuss the challenges of exposing white-collar crime in Slovenia and Croatia — two countries on the EU’s southeast flank where the space for independent media is shrinking.

Host Timothy Large from the International Press Institute speaks with leading journalists behind  A Small Haven for White-Collar Crime, an investigation supported by the IJ4EU fund for cross-border investigative journalism.

Drawing on documents from The Pandora Papers, the biggest leak of offshore financial data in history, the investigation exposes tax evasion, fraud and the hiding of assets in offshore jurisdictions.

The project also brought home the difficulties of conducting investigative work in Slovenia and Croatia, countries with much in common — including a deteriorating landscape for media freedom.

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The latest episode of the IJ4EU Podcast takes a behind-the-scenes look at The Vapour Trail, a cross-border investigation into secret lobbying by the tobacco industry.

This cross-border collaboration between French daily Le Monde and Dutch reporters collective The Investigative Desk exposes a secret alliance between Big Tobacco and networks of U.S. oil tycoons to thwart regulations on e-cigarettes and promote laissez-faire policies in Europe.

Supported by the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund, the investigation exposes the work of fake consumer groups funded by the tobacco industry to promote vaping under the guise of defending individual freedom.

Timothy Large of the International Press Institute sits down with investigative journalists Ties Keyzer and Stéphane Horel to discuss how US oil billionaires and Big Tobacco are dusting off an old battle tactic to bring libertarianism to the heart of Europe.

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The IJ4EU fund has launched a podcast dedicated to cross-border investigative journalism.

Listen to the stories behind IJ4EU-funded investigations, from the journalists who worked on them: how they built cross-border teams to pursue their topics, carried out investigations, overcame obstacles and created impact. 

In our first episode, we look back at Black Trail, an agenda-setting investigation into the relationship between two truly cross border topics: shipping and climate change.