by Attila Biro (Context)
Last year, the global criminal industry generated a turnover of 2.6 trillion Euros, which is three times more than the funds allocated for the Recovery and Resilience plan after the pandemic and even larger than all the funds planned by the EU for the financial period between 2021 and 2027. This urgent situation demands our immediate attention and action. The criminal industry can easily outspend one of the most significant alliances created by people in modern history.
The individuals profiting from this substantial illegal industry are responsible for pushing countries towards dictatorship, fueling wars and genocide, and inflicting considerable harm on honest citizens. They are behind many modern crises, from climate change to migration, from terror attacks to large-scale disinformation. Sometimes, they may be well-dressed charismatic influencers in Bucharest, corrupt politicians in Brussels, the heart of the EU, or leaders of organized crime networks with a global reach operating from Malta or Italy.
This is a systemic problem in our world that has no easy fix. Addressing this issue is the primary goal of the S-Info project. We aim to support high-quality journalism, especially investigative reporting, as a natural enemy of the criminal industry. Journalists, armed with the power of truth, are key to uncovering the secrets of the criminal industry. However, as criminals constantly evolve and collaborate with other sectors such as the tech industry, journalism needs to adapt and foster a new breed of investigators. These are journalists and investigative reporters who can step out of their comfort zones, collaborate with experts, and fight the systemic injustices of our world. Collaboration is key in this fight.
To achieve this, we are introducing a new kind of training for aspiring investigative journalists, journalists seeking new skills, and experts from civil society aiming to combat human rights violations, gender inequality, environmental crimes, financial crimes, and corruption. This initiative is groundbreaking because we are striving to bridge two closely related but often separate worlds.
While activists aim to influence change through public demonstrations and empowering people, journalists work as observers and should remain impartial. They are supposed to report fairly without allowing their own biases to interfere. Activists often identify problems and those responsible for them.
So, how can we ensure we achieve top-quality journalism and benefit from the world of activism without turning journalists into activists or activists into reporters, thereby confusing the public? We will share best practices among our groups and incorporate them into our workflows. We will explore ways to make our work more relevant and beneficial to the public.
Our series of trainings in Romania, Malta, Belgium, and Italy will bring together some of the best experts in the field of investigative reporting. From financial investigators to OSINT (Open-source intelligence) experts, from journalists experienced in setting up cross-border teams to visual experts capable of presenting any story to the public, will showcase their skills and share their experiences. Moreover, we will also have activists advocating for democracy, LGBTQIA+ rights experts, media activists, and experts focusing on public spending and international sanctions. This will enable reporters to benefit from the expertise of activists and activists to enhance their research skills.
In this way, rather than employing large numbers of soldiers to battle a large-scale invader army, SINFO will create elite teams capable of dismantling parts of the trillion-dollar industry that is causing havoc and, at times, claiming the lives of innocent citizens.