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"Traffickers cross borders. We should cross borders, too." This is what a group of investigative
reporters gathered at ICFJ's workshop, Working Across Borders to Cover Human Trafficking, in Opatija,
Croatia, said as they sat around a table discussing ways they could work together.
Participant Paul Radu of Romania talked about working together to pursue trafficking
stories.
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The four-day gathering (Dec. 3-6, 2003) led to the creation of a regional network of investigative
reporters called the Regional Investigative Team on Trafficking (RITT) that will report cross-border
stories on human trafficking in Southeastern Europe.
Nineteen print and broadcast journalists came from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia,
Romania and Serbia-Montenegro. They had taken part in the three previous ICFJ workshops on improving
coverage of human trafficking in the region and had produced about 70 stories on the topic.
They are now looking into ways of taking the human trafficking story "beyond their back yard,"
following trafficking routes and money trails across borders.
The journalists elected a team of leaders who will coordinate communication, development of story
ideas and the field reporting. ICFJ trainers will continue to work with them, providing support and
guidance as needed.
The workshops were funded by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Citizen Exchanges.
More information on ICFJ's workshops on human trafficking |
