Investigative journalism remains under threat worldwide from a “perfect storm of competing forces”, it has been reported this week.

The comments, made by leading global journalists and media lawyers at the inaugural Sir Harry Evans Global Summit for Investigative Journalism in London, also warned that an increasing disregard in many countries for the Geneva Convention and the rights of journalists had meant that attacks on them – both physical and through the courts – had become “part of the modern playbook”.

Speaking at the journalism summit which brought together more than 200 global journalists and industry experts in honour of her late husband who died in 2020, Tina Brown, Journalist and Author said: “Serious journalism is under threat from a perfect storm of competing forces.

“Misinformation, corporate timidity, legal bullying and escalating authoritarian suppression. We have all seen how the erosion of fact-based inquiry is a threat to functioning society and more sinister still is the increasing disregard for the Geneva conventions in multiple dark corners of the world which makes the profession of journalism a mortal risk for those who pursue it.”

Democrat readers do not have to travel far to find escalating authoritarian suppression. Despite the fact that we are members of The Society of Editors for the past 50 years and more, Life members of the National Union of Journalists, members of the GMB trade union and three times Scotland’s Weekly Newspaper Journalist of the Year and a media adviser to the First Minister of Scotland, we are banned by the Labour administration – we were also banned by the SNP administration – from speaking direct to press officers and official personnel of West Dunbartonshire Council. 

Evans Fellowship

Applications are now open for the 2024 Sir Harry Evans Fellowship in Investigative Journalism. Full details of criteria & how to apply before the deadline on 10 July 2023 can be found below.