FAIRForum for African Investigative

Reporters

Aim higher, dig deeper, find more truths

www.fairreporters.org

INVESTIGATIONSMEMBERSHIPSMENTORINGAWARDS

What is FAIR?

• The Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) is a professional association of investigative journalists in Africa. Its mission is to enhance, deepen and build investigative journalism as a profession throughout the continent.

• FAIR operates on the awareness that investigative journalists have a vital role to play in enhancing the African public’s right to information about matters of social development and justice.

What is FAIR?

Main Focus Areas:• Independence for investigative journalists to

work free from editorial pressure, physical threats and constraints on time or resources;

• Access to information and information resources, as well as to training and career development opportunities;

• Support through peer networking, legal advice and media advocacy.

Transnational Investigation 2011Pirates, smugglers and corrupt tycoons:Social bandits in Africa

What does FAIR do for its members?

• Manages a Grants Fund to assist journalists with investigations in Africa.

• It runs a yearly Transnational Investigation (TI) in Africa.

• It runs a yearly African ‘IJ’ Award and an Editors’ Courage Award.

• It holds an annual African Investigative Journalism Conference with partner WITS University.

• It runs a members’ discussion list-serve and investigations group.

What does FAIR do for its members?Since 2003 FAIR has• Increased exposure of 200+ investigative journalists in

Africa;• Assisted cross-border investigations wherever possible;• Enabled networking with colleagues in Africa and the

world;• Provided members with African business and political

information;• Liaised with publishers and media houses on behalf of

members;• Enabled access to legal and trauma support.

FAIR also:

• Connected members to publishing outlets, increasing the impact of investigative stories in Africa and globally;

• Partnered to produce a series of African investigative journalism training manuals;

• Carried out Transnational Investigations (‘Human Traffic’, ‘Killing Soccer in Africa’) and ‘Social bandits’);

• Allocated seventeen investigative grants, resulting in publication of the stories by African media and internationally

Some grants stories published:

• Kenya: Mission to cheat. How policemen went out to ensure a ruling party victory.

• Slave labour in Zambian mines.• Namibia: Black empowerment gone wrong• Benin: Poverty perpetuates cruel traditions,

and: petrol smuggling funds the powerful.• Kenya: How the African Inland Church

robbed its orphans.

FAIR member Reece Adanwenon, AIJC présentation 2011: Un Cabinet médical illégal ouvert dans une maison délabrée au

quartier Fidjrossè à Cotonou, ici même des accouchements sont faites.

t faites

The FAIR network in Africa covers 38 countries and we are reaching out to investigative journalists in the other 18 countries.

THANK YOU Abdullah VawdaExecutive DirectorForum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR)