The Panama Investigative Lab: An Initiative Promoting Transparency and Anti-Corruption

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is continuing an 18-month initiative for Panama by launching “The Investigative Lab Panama" an initiative promoting transparency and anti-corruption. As part of this project, ICFJ will work with Centro Latinoamericano de Periodismo (CELAP) and a capacity-building partner, Colombia based CONNECTAS, another longtime ICFJ partner in building human and material infrastructure in cross-border investigative reporting throughout the Western Hemisphere. ICFJ is the implementer of the “Abriendo Datos Panama” program now under way. ICFJ and its partners propose now to reinforce our growing open-data community that we are cultivating through Abriendo Datos by planting an institution dedicated to supporting investigative journalism against corruption, the Investigative Lab, hosted by our longtime partner, CELAP. At the same time, we will provide human resources, such as trained investigative editors to work with trained journalists, ingraining their skills and commitment to investigative work. We also will offer material resources, such as small grants and investigative fellowships, including not only funds, but technical assistance and mentorship, to invigorate a much-needed media vanguard for our open-data movement and help it on its way.  

The Panama ILab will include the following activities:

• Four workshops and four webinars on topics including investigative journalism, financial forensics, collaborative journalism, specialty reporting, digital security and data journalism; 
• Investigative Reporting Fund for: a) Small Reporting Grants (four), b:  Investigative Fellowships (four), c) Organizational Investigative Fellowships (two)
• Online and onsite editorial mentorship/coaching for grant recipients
• Six quarterly meetups with local journalists with showcases of open-data projects and news investigations
• Three public meetups to engage civil society, government officials and news organizations and showcase findings of news investigations produced by program participants.

Applications for this program are now closed.

This program is funded by the US Embassy in Panama City, Panama