Lessons From GIJC 2025: Why Journalists Must Collaborate to Survive
- James Ojo Adakole, a copy editor at Legit.ng, was at the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- The conference, hosted by the Global Investigative Journalism Network and Malaysiakini, brought together investigative journalists across the world
- In this article, Ojo shared insights gained from the conference, particularly the need for journalists working in authoritarian contexts to collaborate
Journalism, from time immemorial, has been a profession associated with courage. Courage in the face of oppression, human rights abuses, and advancing public interest, even in the most difficult circumstances.
In the face of these harsh realities, concerned stakeholders have always examined ways to champion the safety of journalists, particularly those working in authoritarian contexts.
Ronna Rísquez, a veteran journalist, has a solution: collaboration.
Source: Original
At the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rísquez provided useful insights into why collaboration has become non-negotiable for journalists operating under repressive regimes.
The conference was held from November 20 to November 24, 2025.
“There is fear” - The threats facing journalists
In her presentation titled “Collaborate or Die: Journalism on the Tightrope,” Rísquez provided data on the media landscape in Venezuela to illustrate the threats faced by journalists operating in authoritarian contexts.
According to her, 16 journalists have been imprisoned in the country, while 477 journalists are in exile. This, according to her, made Venezuela “the country in the Americas with the highest number of journalists in exile."
“Doing journalism in an authoritarian context is like walking a tightrope. When you walk that tightrope in Venezuela: on one side are the criminal groups and on the other side are the State security forces, ready to strike,” she said.
Why journalists must work together to survive
Rísquez argued that to navigate this challenge, journalists in authoritarian contexts must prioritise collaboration to thrive. She also itemised ways in which collaboration helps journalists in such an environment.
1. Collaboration strengthens security on all fronts
Security in journalism is multidimensional. It is not limited to physical threats. It includes digital surveillance, legal harassment, and psycho-emotional strain. When journalists collaborate, they build protection across all these layers.
Physically, shared reporting reduces exposure. Digitally, teams can implement stronger encryption and safer communication protocols. Legally, multiple organisations can pool resources for pre-publication review and defence. Psychologically, reporters investigating high-risk stories do not carry fear alone. The emotional burden is distributed, making the work more sustainable. Therefore, collaboration creates a protective shield that is far stronger than individual effort.
2. It protects more than just the reporter
Investigative journalism involves multiple vulnerable actors. Collaboration enhances protection not only for journalists but also for sources, victims, sensitive information, personal environments, and the media houses involved.
When several newsrooms share responsibility for documents and data, no single office becomes the sole target for seizure or intimidation. Sources are less exposed because the information is decentralised. Victims are treated with greater care when more editorial perspectives are involved. Even the institutional reputation of a media outlet benefits from collective scrutiny and credibility.
3. Accuracy becomes a defence mechanism
One of the most strategic advantages of collaboration is improved accuracy. When experienced journalists from different backgrounds review the same material, errors are more likely to be caught. Blind spots shrink. Assumptions are challenged.
This depth of scrutiny does more than improve storytelling. It reduces the likelihood of successful retaliation. Governments and powerful actors under investigation often attempt to discredit journalists by attacking the credibility of their work. A rigorously fact-checked, collaboratively produced report leaves little room for such attacks.
Accuracy, in this sense, is not just professional excellence — it is protection.
4. It diffuses targeted attacks
An isolated newsroom publishing a major investigation can become an easy target. Legal threats, smear campaigns, regulatory sanctions, or economic pressure can be directed at a single organisation.
But when six media outlets across different countries publish the same investigation simultaneously, the risk equation changes. Suppressing one outlet does not silence the story. Targeting one journalist does not erase the evidence.
Collaboration makes it significantly harder for attacks to be targeted individually. It internationalises the consequences of repression and raises the cost of retaliation.
5. It transforms small newsrooms into powerful networks
Through regular coordination — weekly meetings, shared editorial processes, joint planning — small newsrooms can function as a single, cross-border investigative unit.
In such arrangements, a local newsroom may contribute on-the-ground reporting, while an international partner offers data analysis or legal expertise. Diverse cultural and political perspectives enrich the narrative. The result is deeper context, stronger analysis, and broader impact.
A binational or multinational newsroom does not dilute local identity. It enhances it by placing local realities within global frameworks.
Source: Original
6. Collaboration multiplies strengths and resources
No newsroom has everything. Some possess technical skills in data journalism. Others have legal teams. Some bring regional expertise. Others provide global reach.
When organisations collaborate, they complement one another. Gaps are filled. Skills are shared. Resources are maximised.
This multiplication of strengths allows journalists to pursue complex investigations that would otherwise be impossible for a single outlet to undertake. In an era of shrinking budgets and increasing pressure, shared capacity is strategic efficiency.
7. It builds emotional resilience
Investigating corruption, organised crime, or state misconduct can be isolating and psychologically draining. Fear, stress, and burnout are real occupational hazards.
Collaboration offers emotional reinforcement. Weekly meetings become more than editorial briefings; they become spaces of solidarity. Knowing that others share the risks and responsibilities strengthens morale. In environments where intimidation is common, solidarity can be as vital as funding.
Abia: APC blasts Otti over for “insulting” journalist
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abia caucus called out Alex Otti, the state governor, over how he addressed a journalist during a press briefing.
Recall that during the briefing, a journalist had asked the governor to provide verifiable data showing the impact of his administration’s policies on residents of the state.
But reacting, Otti, who was visibly angry, described the question as irresponsible and poorly prepared.
Source: Legit.ng
