Forbidden Stories

Description

Forbidden Stories is a media organization that continues the investigations of journalists who have been killed, threatened, imprisoned or otherwise silenced. This is so that the information they were pursuing still reaches the public. Its guiding principle is that killing a journalist will not kill the story.

Since 2017 its collaborative investigations have been run with dozens of partner media outlets, reaching tens of millions of people worldwide. They have covered environmental crimes, corruption, organized crime and drug trafficking, disinformation, cyber-surveillance and human rights violations. These include the Pegasus Project, the Cartel Project, Green Blood, the Rafael Project, Story Killers and the Gaza Project. These revelations have prompted resignations, parliamentary and judicial investigations, sanctions, and policy responses from European institutions.

Through its SafeBox Network, launched in May 2022, Forbidden Stories offers a secure mechanism for threatened journalists to store and protect sensitive investigative material, so their work can be completed by others if they are attacked. Over 100 reporters around the world now use this protection. The network has also produced its own published investigations into corruption. Forbidden Stories also welcomes job applications, and its founder and executive director, Laurent Richard, is its public spokesperson.