Support for investigative journalism

PAIR calls for Ghanaian investigative journalists who would like to apply for financial support to carry out their investigations.
PAIR is a peer-to-peer programme to facilitate investigative journalism in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. The PAIR model was developed by Danish Association of Investigative Journalists (FUJ) based on experiences from a similar support programme, which was initiated in 2003 in Eastern Europe.

In the application, the applicant – or applicants – shall provide detailed information about what they intend to investigate and why, describe their starting point and aim for the investigation, a working schedule, a budget and finally introduce themselves in short CV’s.

To receive support the investigations have to meet the following criteria:
1. The investigation will reveal new, important information of obvious public interest.
2. The investigation can be trans-national and involve cooperation with investigative journalists from other countries.
3. The investigation is based on firm publishing agreements with at least one and preferably several mass media.
4. The investigative journalist(s) already have access to key information (relevant sources, case-stories and documents) and access to additional information is realistic.
5. The investigation will not produce unacceptable risks to the journalists / media involved.
6. The journalist(s) involved will work according to professional journalistic and ethical standards.
7. Key results of the investigation will be published within a reasonably short timeframe.
8. The journalists / editors involved in the investigation will subject their material to legal advisors before publishing to avoid unnecessary conflict with the law.

Application forms can be obtained by contacting. NC in Ghana Paa Kwesi Plange: paakwesip@yahoo.com, telephone: 0248698226 or Danish coordinator Anne Lea Landsted: Landsted@mail.dk.

Applications shall be sent to the national coordinator, NC, in Ghana: Paa Kwesi Plange, who will screen them to ensure they contain the necessary information before passing them on to the committee in Denmark.

How PAIR can fund your Investigations

PAIR stands for Program to Assist African Investigative Reporters.

PAIR is open to every journalist with a good idea.

PAIR gives support to two types of journalistic investigations:

1.

National investigations in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

National investigations involve journalists from one of the mentioned countries investigating issues and stories of relevance in their country.

2.

Trans-national investigations involves journalists from two or more of the following countries Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso and covers issues of cross-border interest.

The criteria for an application:

1. The investigation will reveal new, important information of obvious public interest.

2. The investigation is based on firm publishing agreements with at least one and preferably several mass media.

3. The investigative journalist(s) already have access to key information (relevant sources, case-stories, documents) and access to additional information is realistic.

4. The investigation will not produce unacceptable risks to the journalists / media involved.

5. The journalist(s) involved will work according to professional journalistic and ethical standards.

6. Key results of the investigation will be published within a reasonably short timeframe.

7. The journalists/editors involved in the investigation will subject their material to legal advisors before publishing to avoid unnecessary conflict with the law.

8. PAIR has to be specifically mentioned when the articles are published. The published investigation will assist in promoting PAIR and the networks in the local, regional or international media community.

9. The budget for the investigation corresponds with the overall parameters of PAIR. The following items can be covered: salary, travel, access to data, access to expert assistance etc. A detailed budget must be submitted.

10. A CV of the journalist applying and examples of previously published articles should be included.

11. Application forms can be obtained by contacting. NC in Ghana Paa Kwesi Plange: paakwesip@yahoo.com, telephone: 0248698226 or Danish coordinator Anne Lea Landsted: Landsted@mail.dk.

Applications shall be sent to the national coordinator, NC, in Ghana: Paa Kwesi Plange, who will screen them to ensure they contain the necessary information before passing them on to the committee in Denmark.

The Case for More Investigative Reportage in Ghana

The media in Ghana has often been praised for engendering a culture of accountability and good governance through the exercise of its fundamental responsibility of keeping the government on its toes and making it accountable to the people. The I992 Constitution of Ghana practically places the media among the most essential organs of State which are the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. As the fourth estate of the realm the Media is clothed with powers which if well exercised would help enrich and deepen the culture of democratic governance in Ghana.
However the media in Ghana is plagued by a myriad of challenges. For the purpose of this forum i will like to discuss one of these challenges and that is the lack of capacity of our media to do investigative stories.
This scenario is not peculiar to Ghana alone. Indeed it is a global phenomenon. All over the world media houses are struggling to finance investigative reporting and are having to depend on support from foundations to fund investigations. The Pascal Decroos Fund has inspired the growth of several funds that are at present supporting investigations across the world. SCOOP, PAIR, FAIR are a few of these interventions that are doing well in Eastern Europe and Africa respectively. The Ghanaian media has a lot of potential to grow as evidenced in the work of Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the Crusading Guide who over the years has been able to churn out quality exposes that has forced the authorities in the country to sit up. After the discovery of oil in commercial quantities investigative journalists are expected to develop capacity to police this industry and make the oild find a blessing and not a curse.