13 min
Frederik Obermaier talks Panama Papers, global crime & cocktails at Dark Havens Transit Lounge
-
- Society & Culture
Frederik Obermaier on global crime & collaborative reporting, the demise of the 'lone wolf' investigative journalist, Panama Papers cocktails, writing that email to Vladimir Putin, and a thank you message to John/Jane Doe for the 11.5 million files contained in the Panama Papers.
The stories are global, crimes are global and journalism needs to be global: Frederik dishes on the complexities of working collaboratively with 400 journalists from 80 countries over a year to publish the Panama Papers.
Tax Havens + Investigative Journalism + Collaboration + Panama Papers + #DNL15
----more----
Frederik Obermaier
Investigative journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DE
"It was a difficult process, to be honest. Our editor-in-chief (Wolfgang Krach) was a big fan of collaborations, so he encouraged us to share the data. It think he's a visionary in this aspect.
We also had colleagues who asked us:
'Frederik, Bastian are you stupid?
You're sharing a scoop!
Why should you?'
Sometimes they're in this old lonely wolf mindset, journalists, especially investigative journalists being the lonely wolf not sharing anything even with his outlet... always secretive, always hunting for the scoop.
These times are over in journalism. I think in investigative journalism, it's now the pack, the power of the pack. And it's only logical because crime is not limited to one country anymore.
We're speaking about transnational organised crime groups. So it's only logical to team up as journalists to tackle this problem, to uncover it. And I think we need more. We do see a lot of collaborations currently in journalism, and I think that's good. The more, the merrier!"
Frederik Obermaier is a Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative reporter for the Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany’s leading broadsheet. He is one of the two reporters first contacted by the anonymous source of the Panama Papers, the leaked documents that prompted a global investigation involving hundreds of journalists. He also initiated the Paradise Papers-revelations. Obermaier is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ.org.
Photo by Stefanie Preuin/SZ
If you have data, contact Frederik Obermaier using a secure channel & encrypted communication. Please note that unencrypted email, skype and phone calls are highly susceptible to being monitored or accessed.
Contact details on his website
Email encryption via PGP
Threema: FPN4FKZE
Documentary: The Panama Papers (2018), directed by Alex Winter (TRAILER)
“We’ve said it again and again: some stories are too big, too complex and too global for lone-wolf muckrakers or even individual news organisations to tackle. We believe collaboration is the wave of the future in global journalism. Pooling resources and sharing information is a powerful way to investigate and expose stories that politicians, corporations and organized criminals are determined to keep in the shadows.”
Gerard Ryle, Director ICIJ
Panama Papers wins Pulitzer Prize
How the Panama Papers were unwrapped
Reporting on The Panama Papers
Reporting on The Paradise Papers
The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money, by Bastian Obermayer & Frederik Obermaier. The inside story from the journalists who set the investigation in motion.
ICIJ Investigations: Panama Papers / Paradise Papers
ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database
OCCRP: Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project
Forbidden Stories: Network of Journalists
Twitter: @f_obermaier
PANAMA PAPERS:
How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money
WATCH VIDEO: DARK HAVENS KEYNOTE
Frederik Obermaier (Investigative Journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DE). Moderated by Max Heywood (Transparency International Global Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, UK/DE).
The Panama Papers began with a cryptic message from an anonymous whistleblower. “Hello, this is John Doe,” the source wrote. “Interested in data?” In the months that followed, the confidential source tran
Frederik Obermaier on global crime & collaborative reporting, the demise of the 'lone wolf' investigative journalist, Panama Papers cocktails, writing that email to Vladimir Putin, and a thank you message to John/Jane Doe for the 11.5 million files contained in the Panama Papers.
The stories are global, crimes are global and journalism needs to be global: Frederik dishes on the complexities of working collaboratively with 400 journalists from 80 countries over a year to publish the Panama Papers.
Tax Havens + Investigative Journalism + Collaboration + Panama Papers + #DNL15
----more----
Frederik Obermaier
Investigative journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DE
"It was a difficult process, to be honest. Our editor-in-chief (Wolfgang Krach) was a big fan of collaborations, so he encouraged us to share the data. It think he's a visionary in this aspect.
We also had colleagues who asked us:
'Frederik, Bastian are you stupid?
You're sharing a scoop!
Why should you?'
Sometimes they're in this old lonely wolf mindset, journalists, especially investigative journalists being the lonely wolf not sharing anything even with his outlet... always secretive, always hunting for the scoop.
These times are over in journalism. I think in investigative journalism, it's now the pack, the power of the pack. And it's only logical because crime is not limited to one country anymore.
We're speaking about transnational organised crime groups. So it's only logical to team up as journalists to tackle this problem, to uncover it. And I think we need more. We do see a lot of collaborations currently in journalism, and I think that's good. The more, the merrier!"
Frederik Obermaier is a Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative reporter for the Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany’s leading broadsheet. He is one of the two reporters first contacted by the anonymous source of the Panama Papers, the leaked documents that prompted a global investigation involving hundreds of journalists. He also initiated the Paradise Papers-revelations. Obermaier is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ.org.
Photo by Stefanie Preuin/SZ
If you have data, contact Frederik Obermaier using a secure channel & encrypted communication. Please note that unencrypted email, skype and phone calls are highly susceptible to being monitored or accessed.
Contact details on his website
Email encryption via PGP
Threema: FPN4FKZE
Documentary: The Panama Papers (2018), directed by Alex Winter (TRAILER)
“We’ve said it again and again: some stories are too big, too complex and too global for lone-wolf muckrakers or even individual news organisations to tackle. We believe collaboration is the wave of the future in global journalism. Pooling resources and sharing information is a powerful way to investigate and expose stories that politicians, corporations and organized criminals are determined to keep in the shadows.”
Gerard Ryle, Director ICIJ
Panama Papers wins Pulitzer Prize
How the Panama Papers were unwrapped
Reporting on The Panama Papers
Reporting on The Paradise Papers
The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money, by Bastian Obermayer & Frederik Obermaier. The inside story from the journalists who set the investigation in motion.
ICIJ Investigations: Panama Papers / Paradise Papers
ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database
OCCRP: Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project
Forbidden Stories: Network of Journalists
Twitter: @f_obermaier
PANAMA PAPERS:
How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money
WATCH VIDEO: DARK HAVENS KEYNOTE
Frederik Obermaier (Investigative Journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung, DE). Moderated by Max Heywood (Transparency International Global Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, UK/DE).
The Panama Papers began with a cryptic message from an anonymous whistleblower. “Hello, this is John Doe,” the source wrote. “Interested in data?” In the months that followed, the confidential source tran
13 min