Ghana Business News Editor joins acclaimed global club of investigative journalists
The Managing Editor of Ghana Business News, Mr Emmanuel K. Dogbevi is among 18 newly selected journalists to become members of the prestigious International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The ICIJ is known for its groundbreaking works of collaborative journalism such as Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and Implant Files.
He is the first Ghanaian to become a member of the ICIJ. He joins other new members from countries such as Nepal, Tunisia, Senegal and Panama.
The ICIJ’s Network Committee, which assesses potential members, in a statement said it had given approval to these additional 18 journalists, bringing the total consortium membership to 249 journalists in more than 90 countries.
The committee’s chairperson, Minna Knus-Galan, said countries such as Panama, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal and Nepal, which previously were unrepresented in the ICIJ’s membership, now would have journalists who join a global network of reporters and media organizations to collaborate on important investigative projects.
“The network committee works hard to select credible professional journalists in places that until now may have missed out on the opportunity to become part of the ICIJ network. On behalf of the committee, I’d like to welcome the new members and look forward to working with them,” Ms Knus-Galan was quoted as saying in the statement.
Mr Dogbevi has been practicing journalism for almost three decades, covering environment, health, business and finance.
He took what he describes as his biggest risk ever to set up Ghana Business News, an investigative news website. In 2014 he established the nonprofit organization NewsBridge Africa in order to train other journalists.
He was a key partner on ICIJ’s West Africa Leaks project, to date the largest journalism collaboration in West Africa. The project, which involved 13 journalists from 11 countries, was facilitated by CENOZO, a West Africa based investigative journalism organization.
He recently investigated a deal that the government of Ghana had signed with an oil company from Switzerland, uncovering the parts of the agreement that would harm local people and their trades. He also investigated illegal logging of rosewood in Ghana’s poorest region, the Upper West Region, by Chinese companies, prompting the government to respond in a statement.
He is a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business and Economic Journalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He graduated from there in 2014 with an MS in Journalism.
Some of the other new ICIJ members include:
Caelainn Barr, United Kingdom, is editor of the Data Projects team at The Guardian in London; Jacob Borg, Malta is a reporter with the Times of Malta; Joaquín Castellón, Spain, is investigations and data editor at LaSexta TV; Xavier Counasse, Belgium, works as a journalist and coordinator of investigative journalism at the Belgian newspaper Le Soir; Momar Dieng, Senegal, is the Director of the daily newspaper Tribune, the founder and director of the online news site impact.sn, and a founding member of the Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalists (Cenozo).
Kunda Dixit, Nepal is co-publisher at Himalmedia and chief editor of the weekly newspaper Nepali Times.
By Eunice Menka