Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The 15th Global Investigative Journalism Conference will be hosted in the Netherlands in 2027, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) and the Dutch-Flemish Association of Investigative Journalists (VVOJ) announced over the weekend. The location of the Dutch city hosting the event will be confirmed in the coming months.
The announcement came during the 14th GIJC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after GIJN’s board completed a rigorous selection process. VVOJ, which helped organise the 2nd conference in Amsterdam in 2005, will co-host the global event alongside the European Journalism Centre and Free Press Unlimited.
VVOJ, founded in 2002, has over 700 members across the Netherlands and Flanders, promoting investigative journalism through training, methodology development, and annual conferences. The organisation will mark its 25th anniversary at GIJC27. Previous GIJC events have attracted more than 1,500 journalists from over 130 countries, with over 2,100 attendees at the last European edition.
Rick van Dijk, VVOJ coordinator, said the collaboration gives the organisation a platform to strengthen investigative journalism in the Netherlands and Flanders. GIJN executive director Emilia Díaz-Struck said the partnership will help continue building a global community of watchdog journalists.
VVOJ is known for supporting groundbreaking investigations, including the 2024 De Loep award-winning report Putin refuels in Zeeland, which revealed Russia’s sanctions-busting use of decommissioned oil tankers, and the Class Justice project, showing disproportionate imprisonment rates for migrants. The organisation also recognises editors with its Flywheel Award for backing investigative projects over daily reporting.
Despite strong press freedom protections, Dutch reporters face challenges such as delays in government data access and legal pressures through SLAPP lawsuits. VVOJ works with partners like SPOON to provide resources for Freedom of Information requests under the Dutch Open Government Act.
Former VVOJ director and GIJN board member Margo Smit highlighted the role of volunteers, noting the organisation relies mainly on them with only a few paid staff. She stressed that investigative journalism requires determination, prioritisation, and cooperation, pointing to cross-border projects like the Panama Papers as examples of successful collaboration.
Smit added that public understanding of investigative journalism remains a challenge, as readers often confuse press releases or propaganda with factual reporting. Transparency, she said, remains central to the profession, and investigative reporters exemplify this through meticulous documentation and ethical reporting practices.
Discussion about this post