LexisNexis Partners with Global Investigative Journalism Group to Support Rule of Law

AS WARS AND AUTHORITARIAN MOVEMENTS THREATEN THE RULE OF LAW ACROSS THE GLOBE, the existence of a robust press has become increasingly critical to the free flow of accurate information to the public. 

Recent seizures and detention of reporters in Russia have heightened awareness of the need to safeguard a free press.

The LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation has partnered with the Global Investigative Journalism Network to provide journalists across the world with tools to enhance their ability to expose conditions and events that can weaken the rule of law.

The GIJN, founded in 2003, is an international association of more than 240 nonprofit journalism organizations in 90 countries. With staff members in 24 countries, its mission is to support investigative journalism around the world “with special attention to those from repressive regimes and marginalized communities.” 

Among the activities sponsored by the GIJN are conferences and training, including the biannual Global Investigative Journalism Conference, the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. The conference is held in a different city every two years; the most recent conference was in Gothenburg, Sweden, this past September. GIJN also co-hosts an Asian regional conference, Uncovering Asia, every two years. The conferences feature a fellowship program that has resulted in the training of more than a thousand journalists from developing countries. 

“By focusing on skills and training, they have helped spread state-of-the-art investigative reporting, data journalism, and cross-border collaboration around the world,” GIJN says of the conferences. “Attendees have returned home to run groundbreaking projects into corruption and abuse of power, launch investigative teams and nonprofit centers, and spread investigative reporting to where it is needed most."

In addition, GJIN sponsors the following:

• The GJIN Resource Center, an online source of tip sheets, videos, and reporting guides in 14 languages
• The GIJN Help Desk, providing access to hundreds of experts on investigative techniques, data journalism, nonprofits, funding, safety and security
• GIJN Advisory Services, a range of resources, training, and assessments, including evaluation of a news organization’s editorial operations, business practices, fundraising, security, and legal exposure
• The Global Shining Light Awards, given every two years
  to journalists in developing or transitioning countries for outstanding investigative journalism under threat or duress

In support of the GIJN’s activities, LexisNexis, through the Rule of Law Foundation, has given GJIN members exclusive low-cost access to its collection of news resources, including:

• more than 26,000 licensed news sources from international, national, and regional newspapers, journals, newswires, and broadcast transcripts, including more than 40 years of archives
• 60,000 news and legal sources in more than 17 languages
• legal research in more than 40 practice areas
• a comprehensive collection of federal and state case law

“We are grateful to the Rule of Law Foundation for offering GIJN and its members this extraordinary opportunity,” noted GIJN Executive Director David Kaplan. “By granting low-cost access to the vast holdings in LexisNexis, the Foundation is providing the world’s most enterprising journalists with unparalleled access to news and public records. This will strengthen watchdog reporting worldwide on corruption, lack of accountability and abuses of power.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Ian McDougall, President of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, said: “Investigative journalists around the world help governments operate in fair and transparent ways; tackle corruption, poverty, and disease; and protect people from injustices. At the same time, they are also helping to increase awareness and understanding of the rule of law.”

The LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation was established by LexisNexis Legal and Professional to advance the rule of law around the world by helping leading entities from legal, judicial, academic, NGO and other sectors advance one or more of the four rule of law components: equal treatment under the law, transparency of law, access to legal remedy, and independent judiciaries.