A million euros for Russian investigative reporting

Introduction

Our colleagues at the Denmark-based Scoop, which funds investigative projects in Eastern Europe, have received some very welcome news: an impressive three-year grant by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to support investigative journalism in Russia. The 950,000 Euro grant will fund reporting in northwestern Russia while Scoop will use its own funds to support investigative projects elsewhere in the country.

The new program, reports Scoop, will be implemented by Denmark’s International Media Support, Sweden’s Fojo Media Institute, the Danish Association of Investigative Journalism, and Gravande Journalister – the Swedish Association of Investigative Journalists. The group’s Russian partner will be the Regional Press Institute in St. Petersburg.

”This is fantastic,” says Henrik Kaufholz, who has been with Scoop since its founding in 2003. “For some years we have been looking for funding to support investigative reporters in Russia. Now we are able to both train them and support them during their research.”

It is indeed great news. Let’s hope this makes a major difference in Russian investigative journalism, which showed exciting signs of growth during the 1990s but has since fallen on hard times.