Photo courtesy of drewsullivan.com
MANILA, Philippines—Sarajevo-based journalist Drew Sullivan sees a promising future for investigative journalism in Asia, but he says it still has a long way to go.
”There is always great reporting in places like Asia. Journalists in China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines have done inspiring work. But there needs to be so much more,” Sullivan said in an e-mail interview with INQUIRER.net.
He will come to Manila to speak at “Uncovering Asia: The First Asian Investigative Journalism Conference,” which will be held on November 22 to 24.
“I will be talking about the interconnections of organized crime around the world. Organized crime is a global $2 trillion business that crosses borders effortlessly. But governments and journalists do not move so easily,” he said.
Sullivan pointed out that the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), one of the conference hosts, aims to build global relationships so journalists worldwide could freely share information.
”Asia has not been strongly involved in the global investigative reporting world and GIJN was committed to changing that,” he added.
Guide to safety
Shedding light on the reporters’ guide to security, Sullivan will also discuss physical threats against journalists.
“I will also be talking about how to protect yourself from organized crime, drug dealers, terrorist groups and other bad people. Too often we only talk about safety after someone dies. That’s too late,” he said.
The multi-awarded journalist also stressed the need to educate media practitioners on tools that could help them identify risky situations to protect themselves.
“Too often a courageous journalist is on their own. We need to change that. We need to all work together to provide a real security regime that is as sophisticated as the people we face,” Sullivan added.
‘Outmatched and outclassed’
Sullivan led a team of reporters in exposing the corrupt practices of a Bosnian Prime Minister who was eventually indicted after he stepped down from his post.
He is also one of the founders of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a consortium of investigative centers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
During the conference, Sullivan will talk about organized crime and corruption practices in those regions.
“[Transnational criminals and corrupt politicians] have billions in assets to pay for the best services. We have next to nothing: few hundred investigative reporters, a little more than $10 million in global investigative reporting aid and deteriorating media industries,” he said.
With more sophisticated methods of committing crimes and corruptions in international politics, Sullivan said muckrakers are “outmatched and outclassed.”
“We need to change that and nowhere is that more true than in Asia.”
In the conference, Sullivan, with Filipino journalist Rowena Paraan, will lead a workshop on “A Reporter’s Guide to Security – Physical Threats,” and ,with Metta Dharmasaputra from Indonesia, a session on “Despots, Crooks and their Wealth.”
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