Ryle to lead int’l investigative consortium

Introduction

The Center for Public Integrity, one of the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit investigative news organizations, has named Gerard Ryle director of the Center’s International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

Ryle is currently deputy editor of The Canberra Times. He has more than 25-years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor and his work has won four Walkley Awards, the top Australian award for journalism, for which he has also been a finalist 12 times.

Ryle will lead the ICIJ’s headquarters staff in Washington, D.C., as well as oversee the consortium’s 100 member journalists in 50 countries. The group’s work appears in iWatch News.org, published by the Center, as well as media outlets across the globe.

“Gerard is a top investigative reporter and editor with strong global credentials,” said Executive Director William E. Buzenberg. “He is one of the most decorated journalists in Australia and his stories have had a major impact on that country’s laws and public policy. I’m confident his strong investigative instincts will continue to advance ICIJ as a leader in cross-border investigations worldwide.”

Ryle was born in London and holds dual Irish and Australian citizenship. He spent 12 years at The Sydney Morning Herald where he held numerous positions, including investigations editor. Earlier in his career, Ryle worked for The Age and The Irish Press. Ryle has uncovered some of the biggest stories in Australian journalism – from orphaned babies used for medical experiments to police corruption and crooked land deals.

“My aim is to build on what is already an impressive track record in investigative reporting by expanding our network and by opening up a new dialogue with potential sources of information worldwide,” said Ryle. “Leading ICIJ is without doubt a very exciting opportunity – one of the best jobs in international journalism.”

Ryle is the author of Firepower: the most spectacular fraud in Australian History, which recounts the scam of the Firepower “fuel pill” that promised to cut consumption and lower emissions in automobiles.

On June 11, ICIJ received two first-place medals from Investigative Reporters and Editors for two of its international investigations. One winning project was on the international asbestos trade, and the other winning investigation uncovered a $4 billion black market for Bluefin tuna. Of the asbestos project, IRE judges said: “The statistics are more than impressive: 200 people interviewed in eight countries, a BBC documentary released in multiple languages, and 150 countries that received coverage from 250 outlets, blogs and websites in 20 languages.”

The New York Times called Looting the Seas, a project that received 462 media citations in 27 countries, “a powerful and innovative international journalistic effort…”