This October and November, member representatives of GIJN will vote to elect seven members of the 15-person Board of Directors. Voting will take place between October 28 and November 11, 2024.
Below is a list of candidates who have submitted their names for GIJN’s Board of Directors. GIJN members can vote for a maximum of four at-large board members.
Regional members from North America, Latin America/Caribbean, and Middle East/North Africa are also eligible to choose one member to represent their respective regions. Ballots will be emailed to designated member representatives. If you are unsure who your representative is, contact us here.
For election background and rules, see our post on GIJN’s 2024 Board Election.
Candidates for Board of Directors
All candidates are listed below in alphabetical order.
Guilherme Amado (Latin America/Caribbean)
Rawan Damen (Middle East/North Africa)
Malek Khadhraoui (Middle East/North Africa)
Christian Locka (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Kiran Maharaj (Latin America/Caribbean)
Rana Sabbagh (Middle East/North Africa)
Elza Sandrine Sawadogo (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Estacio Valoi (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Marina Walker Guevara (North America)
Guilherme Amado (Latin America/Caribbean)
Guilherme Amado is an investigative journalist, born in Rio de Janeiro, with extensive experience in reporting on corruption, organized crime, drug trafficking, and human rights violations. He served as vice president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) and was a director of the organization for six years. Amado has worked for some of Brazil’s leading media outlets, such as O Globo, Veja, and Época, and currently works for Metrópoles, one of the country’s top news websites. As an author, Amado published “Sem máscara — o governo Bolsonaro e a aposta pelo caos” (“Unmasked — the Bolsonaro government and the bet on chaos”). In 2017-2018, he was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, where he studied collaboration among investigative journalists. Amado is also a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). He has received several of Brazil’s most prestigious journalism awards, including the Esso, Tim Lopes, and Comunique-se awards.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Amado says:
Collaboration at different levels among investigative journalists is one of my greatest professional interests. Over the past decade, I have worked to strengthen these ties in Latin America, not only through Abraji but also through the creation and participation in new journalism consortia and other established ones, such as ICIJ.
I believe there is still much room for innovation, on a global scale, in bringing investigative journalists closer together. I thought about some of these strategies between 2017 and 2018, when I was at Stanford University, at the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, studying exactly how to make investigative journalists collaborate more.
As a representative of Latin America on the board of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, I hope to contribute with my knowledge and experience so that investigative journalism continues to grow stronger and more impactful around the world. In Latin America, I would like to encourage GIJN to pay special attention to the countries where democracy and, consequently, independent journalism are most at risk, in order to contribute on different fronts to the protection and professional development of these journalists and to the strengthening of investigative journalism. There are many resources and contacts that GIJN can bring to the countries in the region to achieve this goal, and I would like to hear from the members on how GIJN can assist them.
In short, it would be an honor to serve as a member of the GIJN Board of Directors, an organization I admire and regard as one of the best positioned to strengthen investigative journalism around the world. Only through effective collaboration among journalists, in reporting, strong networks, and the sharing of knowledge and protection, will we truly be able to hold the powerful accountable.
Rawan Damen (Middle East/North Africa)
Rawan Damen is a media consultant with 25-plus years of experience in television, digital production, and training in addition to media management. Before joining Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) in January 2020, she worked on producing and directing more than 30 hours of documentaries and investigative TV stories, published in different languages. She was a senior commissioner at Al Jazeera Network for 10 years (2006-2016), leading a team that produced more than 250 documentary and investigative TV episodes. She has also led large interactive multi-language international platforms and received a Master’s degree with honorable distinction in media and communication from the University of Leeds, in the UK, in 2003. She was also awarded the Media Creativity Award from the Arab Thought Foundation in Beirut in 2015.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Damen says:
I have followed GIJN for over eight years, attended the 2019 Hamburg conference, and attended (with 30 of ARIJ’s editors and journalists) the 2023 Gothenburg conference. I would therefore love to help GIJN to steer towards even greater success.
I have held the position of director general of ARIJ for five years, where the foundation tripled in budget, team and diversity of activities. I also served as a board member in a couple of foundations where I know what governance of a board entails.
I am committed to ensuring that I give the best I can to any organization I get involved with. I know the dedication needed for the role and can meet the time commitments required to read all papers/financial reports, and prepare for, attend, and contribute to meetings that are needed.
I get along well with others when working in a group setting and I can help others find common ground when they disagree on what decisions and/or actions to take. Sometimes, it just takes a little negotiating to help reach a reasonable agreement that benefits the foundation. I am confident that I have the skills and experience to hold this position and to be a benefit to GIJN.
Brant Houston (North America)
Brant Houston is the Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois. For more than a decade, he was executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors — where he built its membership to more than 4,000 — and before that worked as an award-winning investigative reporter and database editor at US newspapers. He was part of the staff at the Kansas City Star that won the Pulitzer Prize for its work on a hotel building collapse that killed 114 people and wrote the first overview story of the survivors. Houston is co-founder of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the Investigative News Network and advises nonprofits newsrooms in the US and internationally. He is co-author of the “Investigative Reporter’s Handbook” and author of “Data for Journalists: A Practical Guide to Computer-Assisted Reporting.” He has served as a judge for editorial awards for the Society of Publishers in Asia contest, the Selden Ring Award, the Philip Meyer Award Journalism Award, and the Forum for African Investigative Reporting.
As a candidate seeking re-election to GIJN’s board, Houston says:
I am running for the board so I can continue to ensure that GIJN remains a financially sound and ever-improving network for its members despite all the challenges and opposition we face in investigative journalism.
I have served as chair of the board of directors since 2014 and was a co-founder of GIJN in 2003. During my time on the board of directors I have helped to oversee the growth of GIJN to more than 250 member nonprofit newsrooms in 95 countries. I have been deeply involved in planning conferences, particularly the track of sessions in data journalism and the track in academic research, and have contributed articles and tipsheets on investigative and data journalism to the website.
After years of doing volunteer administrative work for GIJN, I was one of the leaders that created GIJN as a formal organization in 2014, co-writing its bylaws and hiring its first executive director. All of that led to GIJN’s careful expansion of member organizations, which meet high professional and ethical standards, and the creation of the robust website, GIJN’s innovative conferences, and the relentless advocacy of investigative journalism.
Professionally, I have stayed extremely active, which helps to give me ideas and insight into my service for GIJN. Over the years, I have conducted hundreds of workshops for professional journalists and taught investigative and data journalism in 30 countries. I have been a judge for many investigative journalism awards, including serving as a Pulitzer Prize juror.
GIJN is a crucial and inspiring network during tumultuous times. It is a place where investigative journalists can find colleagues for collaborations; be a part of a community that is extraordinarily generous with its time and knowledge; and get support and friendship from GIJN’s board and talented staff, especially when reporting becomes difficult and dangerous.
Daniel Howden (Europe)
Daniel Howden is the co-founder and director of Lighthouse Reports, an award-winning investigative newsroom that works on deeply-reported public interest stories with some of the world’s leading media outlets. He is an experienced longform writer, reporter, and investigations editor. Lighthouse’s interdisciplinary team fosters specialists from data science and money trails to open source and visual forensics with the work reaching the public on the platforms they trust. Daniel runs a 30-person team distributed across four continents, which has included staff exiled from Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Lighthouse was recognized with the IJ4EU Impact Award two years in a row. Since 2016, Howden has been focused on migration reporting, and he was a fellow at Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre, as well as a senior editor on Refugees Deeply. Previously, he spent much of his career as a correspondent for international media including the Guardian, The Economist, and The Independent.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Howden says:
Over the last five years I’ve been immersed in an investigative journalism organization, Lighthouse Reports, that has turned much of what I thought I knew about the profession on its head. I would like to take what I’ve learned and reinvest that into the global community of independent investigative newsrooms and journalists and the best way I can see to do that is by contributing to the future of GIJN.
We decided not to build our own platform and that pushed us to work with existing outlets (170 and counting) on every investigation we’ve done. We’ve had the chance to partner deeply with extraordinary newsrooms, reporters and makers all over the world, many of them members of GIJN.
Five years on, what looked like hard limits on media partnerships and resources now look more like barriers that can be navigated through collaborations. And, most importantly, the places where ideas and innovation come from are more diverse than I could have imagined at the outset. The potential to create impactful work, build more equitable alliances and pool risk and resources is exciting.
GIJN’s global conference (GIJC) is the place where I’ve found this energy, this purpose, and this sense of opportunity and alliance to be most alive. We applied to become members of GIJN as soon as we set up and I’m grateful for the work that the organization does in sustaining this global community. I would welcome the chance to get more involved and find new ways to support the full range of its work and the needs of the members network.
I understand the focus and the time commitment involved in supporting the next phase of GIJN and see a positive alignment between my day job and the demands of the board. I would love to contribute to the growing sense of what can be done, despite limited resources, through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Malek Khadhraoui (Middle East/North Africa)
Malek Khadhraoui is a journalist, trainer, and publication director of Inkyfada, a Tunisian magazine dedicated to investigative and long-form journalism. He is also executive director of Al Khatt, a nonprofit organization which supports independent journalism and provides solutions for creating impactful journalistic content. Khadhraoui is a consultant for several national and international organizations working in the field of training and media support.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Khadhraoui says:
I am running for the GIJN board because I deeply believe in the role of investigative journalism as a pillar of accountability and a vital tool for fostering transparency and democratic societies. GIJN plays an essential role in connecting and empowering investigative journalists across the globe, offering a platform where knowledge, resources, and expertise are shared, particularly in regions where press freedom and independent journalism are under threat.
For me, being a part of GIJN’s board is an opportunity to actively contribute to this vital mission. Having witnessed firsthand the obstacles investigative journalism faces in Tunisia and across the MENA region, I understand the need for a strong, supportive global network that can help journalists resist censorship, overcome financial constraints, and produce impactful stories that hold power to account. GIJN has already been instrumental in advancing these goals and I believe that my experiences — both as a journalist and as someone who has helped lead a media organization through these challenges — align deeply with this mission.
By joining the GIJN board, I would be able to play a more active role in ensuring that GIJN remains a strong support system for journalists, particularly those working in marginalized regions. My goal would be to help amplify the voices of those who are often underrepresented in global discussions, providing them with the resources and network to ensure their stories reach global audiences. Additionally, I am eager to contribute to discussions around the future sustainability of investigative journalism, exploring new models that will secure the integrity and independence of our work in an era of digital disruption and increasing repression.
I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve on the GIJN board, bringing both my experience and dedication to uphold the principles of rigorous, ethical journalism on a global scale.
Christian Locka (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Christian Locka is an award-winning freelance reporter from Cameroon. He has reported on corruption, illicit finance flows, human rights abuses, and organized crime. His work has appeared in such outlets as 100Reporters, The Washington Times, PRI, and USA TODAY. Locka is a former fellow of the Fund for Investigative Journalism and the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization. He is a co-founder of The MUSEBA Project, an independent, nonprofit training and news organization for freelance reporters from across Central Africa which aims to investigate and report on threats to social justice, peace, and stability.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Locka says:
Imagine a world without investigative reporting. Corruption thrives. Injustice reigns. But there’s hope. The Museba Journalism Project, Central Africa’s largest reporting network, fights back. GIJN membership fueled this mission. Now, a seat on GIJN’s board beckons. Why? To share knowledge. To inspire. To elevate global investigative journalism. Picture the possibilities: expanded networks, groundbreaking exposés, societal change. Together, we’ll push boundaries. We’ll uncover truths. We’ll reshape journalism’s future. Join me in this quest. Let’s take investigative reporting to new heights, united in purpose and passion.
Kiran Maharaj (Latin America/Caribbean)
With over 25 years of experience in media, Maharaj is co-founder of the Media Institute of the Caribbean and Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network with offices in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
She is an advocate for press freedom and freedom of expression and has worked on several research and policy recommendations in the public domain including Disinformation in the English-speaking Caribbean; UNESCO’s Media Viability Indicators; Media Analysis of the coverage of Youth Involvement in Crime and Human Trafficking (UNDP); the issue of gender and treatment of women in advertising in the Caribbean; Disaster Risk Reduction; and LGBTQI media analysis and coverage. Her 25-plus years as a media manager, owner, and journalist has allowed her to gain deep insights into the regional and global industry.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Maharaj says:
The media is facing the greatest challenge of our time as we confront the proliferation of disinformation further exacerbated by AI, eroding revenues and trust in media. There is a lack of support in our global and local ecosystems to defend the Truth. These challenges underpin the threat to our democracy and the freedom of the press. Journalists are the real superheroes as they wear the capes of hope daily and we need to support them and the media practitioners who understand the dynamics of the industry and who are willing to champion the cause. GIJN is a true Champion! I would be honored to serve on the Board to bring with me the experiences of media from twenty-two Pan-Caribbean countries and over five hundred journalists via Media Institute of the Caribbean. My motto is “Be a WArrior, not a Worrier” and contributing to an industry I am passionate about by working alongside those as passionate as I am, would be the best way I can give back to the industry in a meaningful way.
Paul Radu (Europe)
Paul Radu is co-founder and head of innovation at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). He founded the organization in 2007 with Drew Sullivan. He leads OCCRP’s major investigative projects, scopes regional expansion, and develops new strategies and technology to expose organized crime and corruption across borders. Radu initiated and led the award-winning Russian, Azerbaijani, and Troika Laundromat investigations, and coined the term “laundromat” to define large scale, all-purpose financial fraud vehicles that are used to launder billions of dollars. He is a co-creator of Investigative Dashboard — a research desk that sifts through datasets to help journalists trace people, companies, and assets — and the Visual Investigative Scenarios software, a tool that lets reporters sketch out the people, institutions, and connections in criminal networks so people can easily follow complex investigations. He is also a co-founder of RISE Project, a platform for investigative reporters in Romania.
As a candidate seeking re-election to GIJN’s board, Radu says:
I am running for another term on the GIJN board because I believe I can further contribute to the growth and success of our community at this critical time for investigative journalism. I am confident that the global investigative journalism ecosystem we have built together can be taken to a new level by intelligently leveraging the new technologies and opportunities available to us.
Initiatives I have launched, such as the Journalism Cloud Alliance, will, in my view, significantly enhance our ability to conduct investigative work that better serves the public. If re-elected, I will focus my efforts at GIJN on developing the infrastructure we all need to handle the increasing volume of data that comes our way. I will work to refine our investigative methods for a future where the quantity and variety of information we handle will far exceed what we are currently using to produce our investigations.
My vision is for every investigative journalism organization that is a member of GIJN to have the capability to analyze vast amounts of satellite imagery, video, audio, and other forms of data, so that local communities are more satisfied with our work. I am also deeply concerned about the security of our global movement, and I will draw on my experience to create better and safer legal, physical, and digital safety protocols and strategies for all.
Rana Sabbagh (Middle East/North Africa)
Rana Sabbagh is senior editor for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at OCCRP. She is co-founder of the Amman-based Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) and its inception executive director (2006-19). She joined OCCRP in 2020, working with Arab investigative journalists to produce high-quality, ambitious cross-border investigations in the largely autocratic and male-dominated region. Sabbagh has dedicated her decades-long career as a journalist, columnist, and media trainer across the MENA region to promote free speech, human rights, gender equality, independent media, and the hitherto unknown culture of “accountability journalism.” As the former editor-in-chief of The Jordan Times, Sabbagh became the first Arab woman in the history of the Levant to run a daily political newspaper. Prior to her work with the newspaper, she was a correspondent for Reuters International News Agency in Jordan and the Gulf from 1986 to 1997.
As a candidate seeking re-election to GIJN’s board, Sabbagh says:
I appeal for your wholehearted support for my nomination to serve on the board of directors of the Global Investigative Journalism Network representing the MENA region, for a third term running. I have been on the GIJN board since the first one was elected in 2014. I represent the Middle East and North Africa, the most dangerous region for journalists according to the RSF World Press Freedom Index 2024.
Since its inception in 2003, I remain fully committed to the vision and mission of GIJN and its 251 member centers in 95 countries. I have witnessed GIJN’s phenomenal growth, running multiple training programs, professional media support, organizing the world’s largest international conference for investigative journalism every other year and operating a help desk.
Personal and professional experiences connect me to GIJN’s seven Arab partners: The Public Source (Lebanon), Inkyfada and Alqatiba (Tunisia), 7iber (Jordan), Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Syria Indicator and the Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability (SIRAJ). And I remain at their service.
I have dedicated my 40-year career as journalist, columnist and media trainer across the MENA to promote free speech, human rights and gender equality, independent media and “accountability journalism.” My lifelong achievements in the field of journalism have been recognized by the ICFJ Knight Trailblazer Award 2024.
Elza Sandrine Sawadogo (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Elza Sandrine Sawadogo is an award-winning investigative journalist, and the editor-in-chief and director of publication of L’Economiste du Faso, the weekly economic newspaper in Burkina Faso. In 2016, she became an active member of the Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa (CENOZO), a project for data-based cross-border investigations in West Africa. She took on the role of CENOZO’s secretary general in 2023. Sawadogo is a member of ICIJ and has participated in a number of panels during the African Investigation Journalism Conference (AIJC). She is engaged in press freedom, and in 2022 became the local correspondent for Reporters sans Frontières (RSF).
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Sawadogo says:
During my career, I have developed solid skills in editorial management and journalism training. My 10 years’ experience in the field has enabled me to carry out in-depth investigations and support other journalists in their investigative work. On the strength of these experiences, I am now director of publication of L’Economiste du Faso and secretary general of Cellule Norbert Zongo pour le journalism investigation en Afrique de l’Ouest (CENOZO).
GIJN stands out for its support for a global community of investigative journalists. And there is considerable potential to strengthen the representation of French-speaking regions, particularly in West and Central Africa, where French is a predominant language. I want to put my expertise and commitment to the development of the network, facilitating a better integration of French-speaking journalists into the global network, through collaboration initiatives, translation of key resources, and support for investigative projects in these regions.
By joining the board, I hope to encourage the sharing of skills between journalists from different language regions, while promoting the development of training and support programs specifically tailored to the needs of French-speaking journalists. I firmly believe that this collaborative approach will enrich investigative methods and strengthen the impact of investigative projects around the world.
Throughout my career, I have worked to promote freedom of expression and defend the rights of journalists. This commitment is demonstrated through my involvement in initiatives aimed at protecting journalists and guaranteeing a fair and safe professional environment for all. I would be honoured to bring this perspective and dedication to the GIJN board, to continue to defend and promote the core values of investigative journalism.
Sam Schramski (North America)
Sam Schramski is an environmental journalist, editor, and researcher with over 15 years of experience in investigations. Currently serving as special projects editor at Earth Journalism Network, he coordinates cross-border investigative projects and develops online learning resources for journalists worldwide. With a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Ecology and extensive field experience across four continents, Schramski brings a unique blend of academic rigor and journalistic acumen to his work. His expertise spans climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development, and he has led workshops on investigative techniques in various countries. Schramski’s work has been recognized with awards from the Society of Publishers in Asia and the Pulitzer Rainforest Journalism Fund.
As a candidate seeking election to GIJN’s board, Schramski says:
My current role as special projects editor at Earth Journalism Network has given me invaluable experience in coordinating cross-border investigative projects, developing online learning resources for journalists, and fostering collaboration among media professionals from diverse backgrounds. This aligns closely with GIJN’s focus on building capacity and promoting best practices in investigative journalism globally.
My academic background and extensive research experience in social-ecological systems equips me with a deep understanding of complex global issues. This scientific literacy, combined with my journalistic experience, would be an asset in guiding GIJN’s strategic approach to supporting investigations on pressing environmental and social issues.
As an educator and trainer, I have developed and led workshops on investigative techniques, collaborative journalism, and specialized reporting on topics such as wildlife crime and fisheries. This experience could be valuable in shaping GIJN’s training initiatives and resource development.
I am committed to upholding GIJN’s values of transparency, integrity, and journalistic excellence. My diverse skill set, global perspective, and passion for impactful journalism make me well-suited to contribute to GIJN’s board and help advance its crucial mission in these challenging times for journalism worldwide.
Estacio Valoi (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Estacio Valoi is a Mozambican journalist and photographer who focuses on environmental crime and corruption in his country, Mozambique. He has recently worked on stories related to poaching of rhino and elephants as well as the vast amount of corruption in the gemstone and timber industries. Valoi advises Oxpeckers on a broad range of environmental problems in the region. He has covered a range of environmental investigations for the Zambeze daily newspaper and international media. He helped establish Zambeze and is newsroom chief editor in Quelimane, in northern Mozambique. His investigations have been featured by the Forum for African Investigative Reporters, German Radio Station DW, South African TV station (SABC), the Reuters Thompson Foundation, and e-TV.
As a candidate seeking re-election to GIJN’s board, Valoi says:
Doing journalism for over 12 years, not only in the written press but also photography and radio documentary, has contributed a lot to not only broadening my horizons but also those of my colleagues, including giving them training and creating bridges with other media organizations across Europe. In current times, this learning and the expansion of a network on transnational reporting becomes increasingly necessary, though I feel that there is more to be done when it comes to promoting African investigative journalism, particularly in southern Africa where we still face various funding and budget obstacles.
As with most countries in the region, investigative reporting in Mozambique is weak — owing to a number of reasons, not least the lack of training on cutting-edge investigative techniques. Being part of the GIJN board serves as a bridge to further promote freedoms of the press and expression in a region where dictatorial regimes are increasingly trying to stifle voices in the press.
Marina Walker Guevara (North America)
Marina Walker Guevara is the Pulitzer Center’s executive editor. Before joining the Center, Walker Guevara was deputy director of ICIJ. She managed two of the largest collaborations of reporters in journalism history: The Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers, which involved hundreds of journalists using technology to unravel stories of public interest from terabytes of leaked financial data. Her work as a journalist started in her native Argentina. Her stories on topics ranging from environmental degradation by multinational companies to the global offshore economy have appeared in leading international media, including The Washington Post, Miami Herald, Mother Jones, Le Monde, and the BBC. She has won or shared more than 50 national and international awards, including the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. She is a co-founder of the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP).
As a candidate seeking re-election to GIJN’s board, Walker Guevara says:
My career’s core focus has been to bring together and support journalists from all over the world so they can collaborate on high-impact cross-border investigations. At the Pulitzer Center we believe that there is no better way for journalists to tackle the biggest stories of our time — whether it is the environment or organized crime — than through global reporting teams, skilfully managed and built on trust and the highest journalistic values and principles.
Through the Global Investigative Journalism Network, I will join other colleagues in spreading the skills, the methods, and the tools that lead to successful collaborations so we can see more world-changing, low-drama cross-border reporting in the years to come. We cannot be complacent and have to constantly ask ourselves if we are upholding the values of true and equitable reporting collaboration.
I also believe investigative journalists have the urgent mission not only to leverage AI technologies for story discovery and reporting but also to deeply investigate the impact of algorithms on society, following the money and power of Big Tech around the world. I want to share my experience in this field so we can continue to raise awareness and train journalists on the opportunities and challenges AI technologies bring to our newsrooms.
Thank you for your support and for the opportunity to continue to serve this growing movement through the board of GIJN.
