"El objetivo del presente documento es brindar a los periodistas una herramienta práctica para ejercer vigilancia a los procesos de contrataciones públicas. El énfasis está en el trabajo con bases de datos, en tanto la información que se genera como producto de los actos de contratación en los
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tres niveles de gobierno es muy voluminosa; por lo tanto, es necesario que el periodista desarrolle habilidades y métodos de trabajo que le permitan procesar y analizar este tipo de información en el menor tiempo posible, para identificar actos o patrones anómalos que puedan ser materia de denuncia pública." (Presentación)
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"Although various studies have investigated the link between corruption and politicization, there is still a lack of comprehensive reflection in the literature on both this topic and the idea of politicization itself. Analyzing the politicization of an issue necessarily implies considering the publi
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c sphere and then the role of the media. Considering its penetration and its role as a news source for citizens, social media today is a particularly intriguing object of research. Our study shows that while social media may assist in raising awareness about and curbing corruption, it can also become dysfunctional in some circumstances. The multiplicity of the actors who intervene in corruption and the diversity of interests that characterizes their actions make online discussion complex and adaptable to different objectives. Discussions on corruption in Italy are highly polarized, favoring the political instrumentalization of the issue for different goals." (Abstract)
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"All aid organisations rely on whistleblowing to find out about corruption and other irregularities; however, significant variations exist in their policies and practices. There is a need to tailor whistleblowing channels to specific contexts, operational environments, and target audiences . while e
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nsuring gender and inclusivity considerations . to improve accessibility. Best practices include engaging with trustworthy local organisations for receiving alerts, and relying on locally trained staff for face-to-face interactions. Whistleblowing management processesemphasise the principles of anonymity and confidentiality, security, and credibility, with a victim-centred approach. Yet, some departments in aid organisations lack independence in handling reports, potentially compromising response capabilities and prioritising organisational interests over individuals. Best practices emphasise a 'speak-up' and anti-corruption culture supported by the top management, as well as an ombudsperson providing neutral ethical advice. The ability of aid organisations to ensure whistleblower protection in recipient countries is limited by diverse legal frameworks and power dynamics. Enhancing whistleblower protection would require securing collaboration with legal authorities and offering guidance to potential whistleblowers." (Main points, page 3)
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"The two essays in this report highlight ways in which two global authoritarian powers, Russia and China, provide surge capacity to kleptocratic networks in Africa. In his essay J.R. Mailey dissects the Wagner Group’s illicit activities in key parts of Africa. The Wagner Group’s activities are c
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omplex, but Mailey zeroes in on the fact that the military support offered to African kleptocrats has little to do with providing security and stability for the African people. Rather it is focused on extracting resources, advancing geopolitical goals, and serving as a brutal cog in the authoritarian mutual support machinery. Even if the ultimate fate of the Wagner Group remains unclear, these trends are unlikely to abate. The opaque economic relationships that the Wagner Group has developed on the continent no doubt are too lucrative for the Kremlin to surrender [...] Andrea Ngombet Malewa’s essay highlights the ways in which Beijing facilitates Congo-Brazzaville’s deeply kleptocratic regime. In addition to long-standing Chinese involvement in the timber and extractive industries, Ngombet’s analysis spotlights the establishment of a Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa that could allow kleptocrats to bypass the transparency requirements of Western-linked banks, thereby affording opportunities to launder money with impunity. This development has significant implications for accountability norms worldwide." (Executive summary)
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"Das gezielte Aufdecken geheimer Informationen durch Insider („Whistleblowing“) wird innerhalb von Unternehmen, Organisationen und Behörden oft kritisch gesehen, die Enthüllung von Staatsgeheimnissen häufig sogar strafrechtlich verfolgt. Auch demokratische Rechtsstaaten tun sich schwer mit Wh
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istleblowern und ihrem Tun. In fast allen Mitgliedsstaaten der Europäischen Union gibt es mittlerweile sogenannte Hinweisgeberschutzgesetze, mit denen eine entsprechende EU-Richtlinie zum Schutz von Whistleblowern in nationales Recht umgesetzt wird. Nicht nur das deutsche Umsetzungsgesetz nimmt dabei die Weitergabe von Geheiminformationen, die wesentliche Sicherheitsinteressen des Staates berühren, von diesem Schutz aus." (https://www.bpb.de)
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"Based on Articles 10 and 13 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as an entry-point and building on recent developments in international human rights and multi-stakeholder initiatives focusing on anticorruption, transparency and openness, this Guide documents the importance of
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access to information (ATI) at the transnational and national levels to support efforts preventing corruption, showcasing both existing and emerging practices. It presents examples of how proactive disclosure and reactive disclosure of information support anticorruption efforts in terms of prevention and investigation. ATI is at the heart of many international and sector-based initiatives that build on citizens’ participation to improve accountability and increase transparency in public life. The Guide is an abbreviated version of ARTICLE 19’s detailed guide, published in 2022. It presents to all anti-corruption practitioners’ examples and initiatives initiated by States Parties to the UNCAC, international organizations, civil society organizations, and the private sector to promote ATI. It also exhibits how their combined or individual efforts contribute to fighting corruption and increasing transparency." (Introduction)
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"The relationship between journalism and whistleblowers has been generally beneficial for both. Whistleblowers – whether they go to the media or directly to the authorities – must have guarantees that their actions do not lead to negative consequences, such as financial sanctions, job dismissals
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, undermining their family members or circles of friends, or threats of arbitrary arrest. When whistleblowers approach journalists, they sometimes require the protection of their identity. For this to happen, journalists need to respect the professional ethic of confidentiality and they need to not be subject to legal sanction for refusing to reveal their sources. Blowing the whistle should be understood as an exercise of the right to freedom of expression, not only as an instrumental tool to fight corruption or expose human rights violations." (Key findings)
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"In this story of persistent struggle in the name of truth, a young journalist joins forces with her older colleague in uncovering a complicated corruption case that leads to many dead ends. When the welfare of vulnerable people is at stake, it takes two mdern-day heroes to save the day, but every h
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ero has an achilles' heel." (Introduction)
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"This midterm performance evaluation of the United States Agency for International Development’s Assistance to Citizens in Fight Against Corruption Activity (ACFC) and Investigative Journalism Program (IJP) examines the outcomes the activities achieved during the first two and a half years of impl
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ementation. Both activities started in September 2019 and will end in September 2024. The evaluation concluded that the two activities increased citizens’ awareness about and confidence in anticorruption activities of civil society in directly targeted municipalities, and awareness about media anticorruption reporting at a national level. More success stories and a centralized effort to promote results and messaging should follow, and all supported media requires an improved approach to audience engagements. Despite stagnation at the national level, citizens’ engagement in anticorruption increased significantly in affected municipalities, especially through locally based informal groups and CSO initiatives, as well as through well-tailored initiatives for monitoring abuse of public resources in pre-election campaigns and public procurement during the pandemic. The lack of coordination between direct beneficiaries, and with external stakeholders, partially caused by the pandemic, made anticorruption efforts fragmented and less sustainable. The pandemic and political stalemates negatively affected the high-level advocacy initiatives with modest results only in the areas of conflict of interest and public procurement, while the ACFC grantees had some results in their advocacy initiatives. The two activities were effective in getting institutions to process corruption reports and in stopping illegal activities in some of the institutions. Investigative journalism reports resulted in several high-profile corruption cases. Even though judicial effectiveness is improving, citizens’ distrust in judicial and other institutions still hampers gains in reporting corruption." (Abstract)
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"La contratación pública es uno de los temas que puede resultar más complicado para los periodistas, pero no imposible. Las reglas que rodean este ámbito son complejas, incluso para los funcionarios públicos. Los documentos generalmente son difÃciles de entender y, en Ecuador, muchas veces has
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ta difÃciles de leer. Sin embargo, en el paÃs tenemos la ventaja de que (casi) toda la información es pública y, por lo tanto, accesible para los periodistas. Ecuador tiene un Portal de Compras Públicas bastante complejo, pero que se puede aprender a manejar. Y de esta manera, se ha convertido en una herramienta indispensable para los periodistas en la investigación de casos de corrupción. Pero no solo eso. Hablar de compras públicas es hablar de recursos de todos los ecuatorianos, por lo que la publicación de notas, reportajes e investigaciones sobre el uso de este dinero siempre va a ser interesante para los ciudadanos. Este tipo de trabajos permite identificar quién recibe el dinero público y quién provee bienes y servicios a las instituciones. Una vez que un periodista aprende a manejar temas de contratación pública, puede trabajar e investigar en todas las áreas, desde salud pública hasta gobiernos locales." (Introducción)
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"Although extensive research has been conducted into the role of the media in fighting corruption, media organisations and journalists themselves are not immune to it. The issue of corruption in the media remains understudied and has thus far mainly focused on case-studies of specific countries char
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acterised by corruption as a core societal characteristic, as well as of under-developed and developing countries. This study focuses on the issue of media corruption in Europe, based on a comparative analysis between countries of the South and North, investigating the impact of the global economic crisis on media corruption. The research presents clear evidence of increased indications of media corruption in the North of Europe in comparison to the media systems of the European South, the area most affected by the global economic crisis." (Abstract)
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