From Uganda to Brazil and Bosnia, journalists around the world are linking up to produce great investigative reporting. The topics vary but their commitment to exposing the truth—be it injustice, corruption, or a surprising trend—is universal. Here’s a look at what some of our colleagues around the world are investigating:

MIDDLE EAST
In the southern part of the Gaza Strip, a network of cross-border tunnels provide a lifeline for Palestinians, allowing an influx of consumer goods from northern Egypt. The Israelis argue Hamas are using the tunnels to smuggle in weapons, and targeted them in warplane attacks. Al Jazeera reporter Jeremy Young has posted this behind-the-scenes diary on how he and his crew accessed and filmed from the bomb-ravaged tunnels. You can also watch Al Jazeera’s report on the tunnels.

AFRICA
The Federation of African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) focused their comprehensive 2008 report on human trafficking across Africa, but its latest investigation concerns the trade of fish. Wambi Michael reported for the Mail & Guardian on how unsustainable practices on Lake Victoria are causing fish shortages in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Massive exports of illegally traded unprocessed Nile perch, largely to the European Union—overtaking cash crops like coffee and cotton in exports earnings—are driving up local prices and threatening the livelihoods of millions of East Africans. Nile perch, a species introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1950s, had already killed off many indigenous species of fish.

CHINA
Each year, China’s spring festival marks a massive tide of human movement. Up to 130 million migrant workers, the fuel of China’s economic engine, head home from cities and factory towns to celebrate with their families. But this year the January 26 festival was marked by widespread anxiety, with millions of workers forced out of work months earlier and stranded in their hometowns by unemployment. As overseas demand falters, production cuts and factory closures are on the rise—but so are the numbers of migrant workers seeking employment. Leading Chinese investigative magazine Caijing has a detailed report into the changes underway for the migrant labour phenomena.

BOSNIA
The Center for Investigative Reporting in Sarajevo (CIN) has taken an in-depth look into the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional court. As the country’s highest judiciary authority and the nexus between law and politics, some experts worry that the court’s independence is compromised by the appointment of judges based on their political affiliations. CIN have compiled many interviews and documents with their findings.

In December, the group also published a series of stories on corruption in Bosnia’s underperforming football scene.

BRAZIL
The Association of Brazilian Investigative Journalism has put together a project with “Mapping the Media in the Americas”. Maps created to help reporters show correlation between geographic areas of Brazil and levels of education, media coverage, political affiliations and election outcomes. View the Brazilian project here.

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