OCCRP Launches “Don’t Let Them Kill the Story” Campaign for Journalist Safety

To counter surging threats against journalists in its worldwide network, OCCRP is launching the “Don’t Let Them Kill the Story” campaign, which will advance the organization's ability to protect its reporters.

A toxic combination of extremism, technology, and disinformation has fueled political, online, and legal attacks on journalists, ushering in a new era that puts investigative reporters at alarming risk for doing their jobs in service of the public. 

Fueled by this growing hostility toward journalists, security incidents in the OCCRP network, which includes hundreds of reporters across six continents, have rapidly increased over the last two years. Spyware attacks, emergency evacuations, and newsrooms being forced into exile are now common occurrences.  

“OCCRP journalists have always been a target because of the kind of crime and corruption reporting we do and the dangerous places we work in,” said OCCRP Editor in Chief Miranda Patrucic. “This new reality we’re living in has escalated the urgency to shield and defend reporters in new and innovative ways, thwarting emerging attacks, and on a daily basis.” 

“Daily safety and security is fundamental to what we do,” said OCCRP Publisher Drew Sullivan. “If you cannot survive your stories, you're not going to survive as an organization. It is a matter of life and death.”

OCCRP takes a systematic, “360-degree” approach to protect journalists. The organization has doubled its in-house safety and security team to focus on six areas: digital security, physical security, 24/7 rapid response, threats against women, safety protocols in the editorial process, and partnerships to strengthen support and impact.

The “Don’t Let Them Kill the Story” campaign will run through the end of the year with a goal of raising $200,000 for OCCRP’s in-house security fund. Featuring first-person video testimonies from OCCRP’s regional editors across our global network, the campaign underscores the growing need to protect journalists and their ability to report and hold power to account.

“These are people who are so committed to truth, democracy, and fairness that the danger is secondary,” said Sullivan. They need to be protected because they fight to get the story out at great personal risk.”

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so here.

For more information, contact Communications Officer Amber Crossen at [email protected].