JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 07, 2016
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ISLAMABAD: Highlighting the impact of Panama Papers as epic, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) Tuesday made a plea for donations to continue the work of nonprofit journalism.
Peter Bale, CEO of the consortium, said “We – and indeed the field of nonprofit journalism in general – need more support to continue our work.” He said nearly every day since the Panama Papers investigation was revealed on April 3, the world has awoken to new revelations about the leaders who govern them, the celebrities they adore and the criminals they fear. “The impact of Panama Papers has been epic. The investigation has been cited thousands of times. Hundreds of articles in dozens of media outlets have appeared since April 3.”
He also highlighted the work of the small team that worked on Panama Papers. “Despite the scale of the investigation…you may be surprised to learn that it was coordinated by a small team of journalists literally working around the clock for months on end with extremely limited resources. The work continues with little time to rest.”
He added financial support is critical to continue such a work. “No matter how big an investigation is, there remains, as has been well documented, a constant challenge to secure the funds needed to continue doing this critical work.”
The ICIJ press release quoted the New York Times as saying: “Like so many of its peers in nonprofit journalism, the consortium [ICIJ] is subject to the financial headwinds buffeting the industry as a whole. In the nonprofit segment of the industry, which has inspired hope as a way forward, it has exposed a particularly hard truth: Financing even the most successful investigative reporting unit is hard and often inconsistent.”
Bale promised that Panama Papers will bring more change as countries around the world try to regulate tax havens and address a growing inequality. “In the meantime, we will remain diligent in our reporting, steadfast in our mission and ever vigilant in seeking needed to do this important work.”
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