Backlight

Trust in the media is at an all-time low. So what’s going wrong? Who’s actually fixing it? And what can we learn from alternative news models emerging around the world?To tackle these questions, Beatriz and Tessa speak with Ed Lee, who led the New York Times Trust Team, independent journalist Joi Lee and Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle News.Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Elli Xypolitaki / SpoovioMusic by mobygratis Website - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

Everyone loves to win awards. But what does it mean to reward good journalism? In the latest Backlight episode, Beatriz and Tessa speak to Jennifer Athanasiou-Prins, executive director of the European Press Prize, and Patrick Boehler, founder of the Gazzetta research lab, aboutThe influence of awards on journalismThe pitfalls of award categories How awards can be reimagined to value journalism that serves the public interestHosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Elli Xypolitaki / SpoovioWebsite - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

People in Sudan are facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Telling stories about what is happening on the ground has never been more urgent, or more challenging. In the context of our latest investigation exposing ethnically motivated atrocities against civilians by the Sudanese Armed Forces, Beatriz and Tessa speak to Lighthouse editor Aziz Alnour and digital reporter Sabrina Slipchenko aboutThe challenges of reporting on Sudan and how we overcame themHow we gather and verify open source evidence, and how we conducted on-the-ground interviews with survivorsHow the work can increase public attention on Sudan, contribute to international accountability and achieve justice for survivors.Investigations mentioned: The Kanabi KillingsThe Killing Fields of Al FashirHosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Elli Xypolitaki / SpoovioWebsite - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

Reporting live from the world’s biggest investigative journalism conference in Malaysia last year, Tessa and Beatriz bring you a crash course on how to make an investigative podcast. Covering everything from identifying a good story, to constructing an intriguing narrative, and building good characters. We take you inside The Global Investigative Journalism Conference with some behind-the-scenes audio and Beatriz’s first try of the world’s smelliest fruit.Guests featured in this episode:Susanne Reber, Founder and Executive Producer, Piz Gloria ProductionsSue-Lin Wong, Asia Correspondent, The EconomistRoby Alampay, Founder, PumaPodcastHosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions Website - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

You’ve seen it in movies, but what does undercover reporting actually look like in real life?In this episode of Backlight, we go behind the scenes of two undercover investigations and explain everything you need to know: from how to build your cover identity to what planning an undercover operation really looks like. Beatriz and Tessa talk to their Lighthouse colleagues, Crofton Black and Emmanuel Freudenthal, about their recent undercover investigation, Surveillance Secrets. They walk us through the creation of their character, a shady businessman named Albert, and the prep work in their back office before the big day. Next, they speak with Jean Peters, a senior reporter at Correctiv, about how he infiltrated a secret meeting with neo-Nazis and members of Germany’s far-right party, AfD. He talked us through the process of creating a fake persona while his colleagues followed him from a sauna boat. Finally, they speak to Veena Holkar, director of the non-profit organisation, Wildlight, who explained why it’s crucial to master your gear before going undercover and why women often make the best undercover reporters.Investigations mentioned: Surveillance Secrets Secret plan against GermanyWildlightHosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions Website - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

What is the role of accountability journalism in post-Assad Syria? We explore this question with Syrian journalists Lighthouse digital investigator Bashar Deeb and investigative journalist Mais Katt, who talk about their first investigation in a newly free Syria. Under the Assad regime, hundreds of Syrian children were hidden in orphanages to extort their parents. A major international charity knew, but kept silent. Beatriz and Tessa speak with Bashar and Mais about the experience of reporting from Syria for the first time in 14 years and what it means to uncover injustice in a country still healing from dictatorship. We discuss the story’s impact and how the reporting empowered the families still searching for their children and for justice and accountability. They also speak with Lighthouse Senior Editor, Charlotte Alfred, who explains how this cross-border collaboration came together and why international partnerships remain vital for accountability journalism in Syria.Investigations mentioned: Syria’s Stolen Children Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound editing and design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions Website - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

We've put together a highlights reel featuring some of our favorite episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 of Backlight. This special short episode was created in anticipation of the 2025 iMEdD Conference in Athens - a global gathering of journalists, media professionals, and academics.Episodes mentioned:What journalists can learn from content creatorsDon’t leave AI reporting to the expertsHow to fund your investigationWho is journalism for?Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual ProductionsWebsite - Twitter - Bluesky , and you can email us at [email protected]

How can journalists make sure their stories reach the people they’re about? This month on Backlight, we talk to journalists who are rethinking how and who they report for. Part 1: Beatriz and Tessa speak with Cynthia Gichiri, a multimedia journalist at Africa Uncensored, who took a story about the health dangers of pesticides on the road through rural Kenya to get it to the farmers most at risk.Part 2: A conversation with Mazin Sidahmed, who co-founded Documented, a newsroom that was designed from the ground up to serve immigrant communities in New York City in the languages they speak on the platforms they already use.Part 3: 5 practical things journalists at any outlet can do to make sure their reporting reaches affected communities. Investigations mentioned:Cynthia’s ‘Poison PR’ documentaryHosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at [email protected] 

From recording the scale of war damage in Gaza, to tracking environmental crime in Brazil, remote sensing technology has become an invaluable tool for journalists around the world. This month on Backlight we’re speaking to two journalists, Lu Min Lwin and Lucelle Bonzo, who spent months working alongside the Lighthouse team to investigate the biggest re-greening program in the Philippines. Using remote sensing analysis, they found widespread illegal deforestation across more than 100,000 sites that were supposed to be protected.They talk us through the methods behind the investigation, and share resources for journalists looking to incorporate remote sensing in their own work. Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

What would journalism look like if it wasn’t written for an editor, but for your best friend over dinner?In this Backlight episode, we dive into how news content creator-journalists are redefining the way stories are told and what traditional journalists can learn from them. On this episode, we hear from news content creators Johanna Rüdiger, Johnny Harris, and Adam Cole (Howtown) about how they build trust, make complex stories engaging, and connect with audiences to make the facts feel a little more fun. Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

This month we’re sharing tips and tools to help you become an expert in financial investigations. From digging around corporate records, to tracking down public funding, money trails reporting is key to exposing wrongdoing. We speak with Margot Gibbs, senior reporter at Lighthouse, and Giacomo Zandonini, an independent investigative journalist, who share how following the money has strengthened their reporting, and tell us why you don’t have to be a numbers expert to do the same. Investigations mentioned in this episode:Lighthouse Reports: Hunger ProfiteersLighthouse Reports: Big MeatLighthouse Reports: Turkey’s EU deportation machine Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa PangSound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

Many European economies are in decline, struggling with job shortages in critical sectors. At the same time, these same countries are locking qualified migrants out of work. Our 18 month long investigation sought to find out why this is the case, the cost of this discrimination and what can be done to fix it. Beatriz and Tessa are joined by two Justin’s from the investigation – reporter Justin Yarga and data reporter Justin Casimir Braun.  Read the investigation and methodology here: https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/brain-waste/ Hosts:⁠⁠⁠⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠Tessa Pang⁠⁠⁠⁠Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

This month, we discuss how journalists can investigate the ways AI is shaping the world around us and push for accountability from the companies and governments responsible for its use.We talk to AI reporter Karen Hao and Lighthouse reporter Gabriel Geiger who share insider tips on how to get started into AI reporting and how to incorporate it into your beat.Investigations mentioned in this episode:Lighthouse Reports: Suspicion MachinesThe Atlantic: Microsoft’s Hypocrisy on AIHosts:⁠⁠⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠Tessa Pang⁠⁠⁠Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

In this episode we take you behind the scenes of our latest U.S.-Mexico border investigation, Drownings and Deterrence in the Rio Grande.  This episode is a collaboration with The Border Chronicle.  More women and children are drowning trying to reach the US as Texas and Mexico militarize the border. In collaboration with the Washington Post and El Universal, our team requested records of drowning deaths which reveal for the first time how the river separating the US and Mexico has become a graveyard for migrants. In this episode you’ll hear some of the stories of those who drowned along the river. We talked to Lighthouse editor Melissa del Bosque about how we got the data, and what the findings of the investigation say about the reality of the border post-election. Investigations mentioned in this episode: Drownings and Deterrence in the Rio Grande Desert Dumps -- Hosts: ⁠⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tessa Pang⁠⁠ Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠Instagram⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

This episode we talk to reporters Tomas Statius and Elena DeBre about getting sources to talk. We cover: How to cultivate sources Three techniques on getting sources to talk Tips for new reporters We talk about all this in the context of two of our latest investigations – the False Promises of Biometrics, that relied solely on source-based evidence to uncover a string of failed mega-deals that benefited DRC elites & left ordinary people with no proof of ID. And Poison PR, which exposed a US government funded campaign from a PR company to profile and target people trying to sound the alarm about the harms of pesticides and GMOs. -- Hosts: ⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠, ⁠Tessa Pang⁠ Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Instagram - and you can email us at [email protected]

This month we discuss the hidden toll journalism can take on your mental health and share tips for staying grounded in high-pressure environments. We talk to open-source investigator Bashar Deeb about coping with traumatic content and Juliana Ruhfus, the Director of the DART Center for Journalism Trauma Europe about how to protect your sources’ wellbeing. -- Investigations mentioned in this episode: The Kutum massacre Reconstructing the Melilla Massacre -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

This episode, we dive into the essential fuel that allows cross-border investigative journalism to happen —money. Beatriz and Tessa first chat with Timothy Large from the International Press Institute who’s responsible for a scheme that gives more than 4m euro in grant funding, about how to nail a pitch application.  Later, we hear from freelance journalist and recent European Press Prize winner Andrei Popoviciu about the challenges of freelance funding and his tips for fellow journalists. IJ4EU will open their next funding round on September 2, 2024. -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: ⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

2024 is the year of elections! For public interest journalism, it's prime time to get vote-shifting findings in front of people when they’re paying the most attention to politics. So with the European elections looming this weekend we chatted to Director Klaas Van Dijken and Food Systems Lead Reporter Thin Lei Win about their eye-opening investigations on two hot issues this EU election – EU border policy and the farmers protests. Read both the desert dumps and farmers protests investigations on our website: lighthousereports.com -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: ⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠ -- ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

Journalism conferences can be an exclusive and costly space. So last month, Beatriz took her microphone to Perugia, Italy to give you some sneak peaks of the biggest trends coming out of the International Journalism Conference. This episode features three interviews she did in Perugia discussing; What truly collaborative investigations between global north and south partners look like, with Andrés Bermudez Lievano a Colombian journalist from Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP) How can journalists nail vertical video on TikTok and Instagram with Enrique Anarte Lazo, a content creator and at Openly, Thomson Reuters Foundation’s LGBT platform How journalists can empower policymakers and affected communities with solutions with Mia Malan, the editor in chief at the Bhekisisa health centre in South Africa. And here’s a link to our investigation into Syrian Women on the Run that was just nominated for the European Press Prize. -- Episode Chapters: (00:00) Beatriz’s wrap up of Perugia (07:08) Lighthouse Reports at IJF Perugia (11:58) Andrés Bermudez Lievano - Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP) (20:13) Enrique Anarte Lazo - Openly (28:37) Mia Malan - Bhekisisa health centre -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- ⁠Website⁠ - ⁠Twitter⁠ - ⁠BlueSky⁠ - and you can email us at [email protected]

This episode, we dive into the skills and techniques used in open-source reporting (yes it’s more than just stalking people on social media!). Beatriz and Tessa are joined by two of our open-source reporters Jack Sapoch and Monica Camacho. We talk about their roles in the context of a recent investigation that reconstructed the unseen events which saw 40 people suffocate to death in a migrant detention centre fire in Ciudad Juárez. We’re also joined by our investigations editor Melissa Del Bosque to explain the strategy behind the investigation and how it was received. Watch the video and read about the investigation here And read more about our most ‘brain waste’ investigation discussed in the intro of the show -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at [email protected]

Fellowship applications are now open! This month we’re bringing you a bonus episode with one of our recent fellows Jonathan Moens. We speak about his experience at Lighthouse, his biggest takeaways and his tips for applying. Lighthouse is currently hiring a part-time Data, OSINT and Reporting fellow for 6 months. Applications close April 8. -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at [email protected]

Hello and welcome back to Backlight! In this episode, we talk to our investigations editor May Bulman, and social affairs correspondent from The Independent, Holly Bancroft about the exciting impact of their investigation into the Afghan commandos left behind by the British government. It’s both a deep-dive into the investigation, and an inside look at the impact-driven strategy that compelled the British Government to reverse its previous decision to deny hundreds of Afghans safety in the UK. -- Here are the links to the coverage mentioned in the episode: The write-up and video coverage from The Independent Sky News coverage BBC Newsnight coverage The investigation write-up on our website -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at [email protected]

In this episode, we’ll give you an overview of what you can expect from us this year as well as reflect on some highlights from Season 1. And here are the links to the episodes mentioned in this one: Europe’s Black Sites - May Bulman Unmasking Europe’s Shadow Armies - Nicole Vogele Suspicion Machines - Eva Constantaras -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- Website - Twitter - BlueSky - Newsletter - [email protected]

Following the West’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last August, thousands of people who served alongside European governments found themselves abandoned. At Lighthouse, a series of investigations uncovered how people working in roles linked to European governments, who were eligible for evacuation, are still living in fear under the Taliban. We verified the identities and documents of dozens of people who were subject to torture, or killed. We speak to Lighthouse contributor Abbas Azimi who played a key role in finding sources, examining documents, and interviewing people. This story is personal for Abbas too because he also left Afghanistan in August 2021, as his work for the Afghan government and international organisations like the World Bank posed a danger to his life. Read the investigations at lighthousereports.com

On the night of 13 June, hundreds of men, women and children lost their lives when a boat trying to reach Europe capsized on Greek waters. A Lighthouse reports investigation revealed how Greek coast guards attempted to hide their role in the deadly shipwreck. A follow up investigation, uncovers how the smuggling network behind the wreck had close ties to powerful Libyan militia leader Khalifa Haftar who in recent months has met with EU leaders to discuss migration related issues. Lighthouse editor Maud Jullien takes us through how the team analysed and verified key documents and spoke of the challenges throughout the course of reporting. Read more at lighthousereports.com

Europe’s biggest and most powerful farming lobby group, Copa-Cogeca, has dominated E.U. agricultural policy for decades. On the strength of its history and claim to represent all farmers, it has used its power in the past year to block crucial environmental reforms. This month we speak to food systems reporter, Thin Lei Win and editor Lionel Faull about the investigation, Europe’s Potemkin Lobby. Thin and Lionel spoke about the challenges of getting Copa-Cogeca insiders and sources within the farming community to talk, and how the investigation shows the lobby losing legitimacy and support. Read more at lighthousereports.com

A network of confidential sources in the telecom industry and unprecedented access to a dataset of global titles - reveals the hidden operations of a surveillance mastermind. This month we speak to senior reporter, Crofton Black, who lead the Ghosts in the Network investigation. Crofton spoke about how he worked with a team of journalists to build an unprecedented profile of the Swiss surveillance mastermind, Andreas Fink. The investigation reveals how Fink’s surveillance apparatus is put at the disposal of governments and companies around the world. Read the investigation at lighthousereports.com

This month on Backlight we are speaking to filmmaker and journalist Nicole Vögele, one of the reporters behind our Unmasking Europe’s Shadow Armies investigation and our latest story on Croatia’s Secret Whatsapp Group. Nicole spoke about how she gained access to border regions and helped coordinate a team of journalists to film harrowing footage of asylum seekers being brutally beaten. Read the investigation at lighthousereports.com

Unprecedented experiment on welfare surveillance algorithm reveals discrimination. This month we chat to Lighthouse investigations editor, Eva Constantaras. Read the investigation at lighthousereports.com

How refugees are being arbitrarily detained and tortured at secret facilities along EU borders before being illegally forced back across borders. This month we chat to Lighthouse investigations editor, May Bulman. Read the investigation at lighthousereports.nl

Every month we’ll be interviewing a lead contributor behind one of our investigations. This month we chat to Lighthouse investigative reporter Gabriel Geiger about The Algorithm Addiction.