Bangkok (Thailand), 16 July 2024 – "As we continue to build our network, we shall now also show our partners what we can do as a network,” said Carmela Fonbuena, Executive Director of the Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and coordinator of the Journalists Against Corruption (JAC) network.
“We formed the JAC network based on our commitment to boost anti-corruption in the region and to help each other navigate the challenges that go with it."
The challenges include lack of specialized training, access to information, safety of journalists, among others.
Peer-support and learning are essential in the task of reporting on corruption. The JAC Network, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was formed in March 2024 to provide a platform for national and regional collaborative investigations and training opportunities.
This week, JAC members gathered in person to embrace new partnerships and learn more about the Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and the meaningful use of open data in their corruption investigation stories. This is crucial because of the cross-cutting nature of corruption. The training highlighted the role of corruption in organized crime activities related to online scams - a prevalent issue in the region.
In-person meeting opportunities like this is also critical in developing and deepening personal connections among the JAC members; inter-personal trust serves as key resource for collaboration and unites journalists in this difficult task to investigate and report on corruption. Now, the Network bring together journalists from nine out of eleven ASEAN countries and continues to grow.
As the Network grows, so do the opportunities. The network plans to offer dedicated training on human trafficking for forced criminality in scam centres - a practice where perpetrators force victims to commit cyber-scams, using fake job advertisements to lure people in. There will also be upcoming rounds of grants for investigative stories throughout 2024 and 2025.
These are not the only corruption-related concern in the region. JAC journalists are eager to learn more about reporting and investigating the corruption risks around procurement in Southeast Asia - next priority for JAC.
To read more about UNODC anti-corruption work in Southeast Asia, click here.
To read more about JAC, click here.
