At the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Lillehammer this week, the highlight of Saturday’s galla dinner was of course the announcement of the winners of the Global Shining Light Awards.
The prize, according to the Global Investigative Journalism Network, is a unique prize which honors investigative journalism in a developing or transitioning country, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions.
The GIJN states that finalists were selected from among 76 submissions received from 34 countries, for stories published during 2013 or 2014. Judging was done by a prestigious international panel of journalists.
Not all can win, but the jury this time had to hand out one Excellence and two Prizes.
One of the two prizes this was given to the story «Empire of the Ashes» from Gazeta do Povo in Brazil - and «Unholly Alliances», by the OCCRP in Montenegro (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project).
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Montenegro (2014). The team: Reporters: Miranda Patrucic; Dejan Milovac; Stevan Dojcinovic; Lejla Camdzic. Editors: Drew Sullivan, Jody McPhillips, Rosemary Armao
This year-long investigation exposed how Montenegro’s once-untouchable Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and his family bank are at the center of an unholy alliance of government, organized crime, and business. Far from a model candidate for the EU, Montenegro in effect functions as a mafia state.
Gazeta do Povo, Brazil (2014). Team: Mauri König with Albari Rosa and Diego Antonelli (Brazil); Martha Soto (Colombia); and Ronny Rojas (Costa Rica).
A five-month investigation revealed how cigarette smuggling is overtaking marijuana and cocaine as the most profitable racket in parts of Latin America. The illicit trade is reshaping the geopolitics of organized crime in South America, and is covertly led by Paraguay President, Horacio Cartes.
Yanukovychleaks.com, Ukraine (2014-15). Team: Dmytro Gnap; Anna Babinets; Vlad Lavrov; Oleksandr Akimenko; Katya Gorchinskaya; Natalie Sedletska; Oleh Khomenok; Mariya Zemlyanska; Olesya Ivanova; Maksym Opanasenko; Kateryna Kapliuk; Denys Bigus.
In the chaotic days of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution, an impromptu team of journalists banded together to rescue 25,000 documents nearly destroyed by the country’s fleeing president. Their work documented an extraordinary history of corruption and became evidence in criminal cases against Yanukovych and his cronies for stealing millions of dollars.
