12 London – Bellingcat, the investigative website that got Vladimir Putin in trouble, is the big winner of this year’s DIG Investigative Journalism Award, winning the 2022 Watchdog Award for its work that “expands the frontiers of investigative journalism and strengthens it with new applications.” , languages and technologies”, according to the jury.
The award is part of the DIG Festival, sponsored by an Italian-based association that promotes independent journalism and selects the best research reports, podcasts and documentaries published or broadcast in various countries. 400 applications were submitted this year.
DIG is the English word for “dig” and means Documentari, Inchieste, Giornalismi in Italian (“Documentary, “Investigations”, “Journalism”). Of the seven works awarded this year, two are about Russia, one is co-authored by Bellingcat.
Outstanding investigative journalism
The DIG Festival has been held annually since 2015 and was held in Modena in 2020. The meeting serves as an opportunity for freelancers to present their work to European media outlets and recognizes the research of major organizations such as the Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera and Le Monde.
In addition to Bellingcat, a Netherlands-based investigative journalism project founded in 2015 by British investigative journalist Elliot Higgins, the award selected films, documentaries and reports that use investigative journalism techniques to expose crimes and denounce injustices.
Meet the winners (some works cannot be viewed outside of their country).
DIG Watchdog Award 2022: Bellingcat
According to the jury, Bellingcat pioneered a number of research techniques that are fundamental to investigative journalism today and are most effective in proving the existence of events that would otherwise go unnoticed or reported.
In such an age where the internet has also become a site of geopolitical conflict and propaganda, the work of this organization has shown, on the contrary, how digital tools are among the best allies of truth and journalism.
Although active for less than a decade, this organization has made a decisive contribution to reporting important events and news such as the Syrian crisis and the war in Yemen, and above all, the escalation of tensions this year. occupation. Russian from Ukraine.
Using open source research, geolocation or content verification techniques on social media, this year’s Watchdog Award winners pushed the boundaries of investigative journalism, empowering it with new applications, languages and technologies.
Also Read | Investigative journalism sites Bellingcat and The Insider spot ‘unwanted’ in Russia
Best Investigation – average time
“Shadow Nemtsov”
Christo Grozev, Yordan Tsalov, Roman Dobrokhotov
Bellingcat, The Insider, BBC Eye Studies
On February 27, 2015, Russia’s foremost opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov, was killed on the bridge in front of the Kremlin walls. Five men were convicted of her murder, but questions remained as to who ordered the murder. Who is Boris Nemtsov and why was he killed?
Produced by Bellingcat, The Insider and BBC Eye, this documentary attempts to answer these questions using rich archival footage and the memories of many of Nemtsov’s friends and colleagues.
“This is a timely investigation into the dark corners of the Putin regime that uncovers a murder spree with a strong, bold narrative and creative use of evidence,” the jurors said.
Presenting Bellingcat’s first mini-document in partnership with the BBC. @bellingcatand @the_ins_ru:
Who Killed Nemtsov?
iPlayer (English UK) – https://t.co/jBHpC1llBh
YouTube (non-UK English) – https://t.co/GiWmzqJ0DE
YouTube (Russian) – https://t.co/GiWmzqJ0DE– Eliot Higgins (@Eliot Higgins) March 28, 2022
Best Long Investigation
“Wagner, Putin’s Shadow Army”
Alexandra Jousset, Ksenia Bolchakova, France TV
Original title: “Wagner, l’armée de l’ombre de Poutine”
Wagner, Putin’s Shadow Army, is an investigation into Wagner Group, a Russian private military company. Behind these militias is Yevgeny Prigozhin, a billionaire businessman who has been affected by numerous international sanctions and is an ally of Putin.
Wagner is one of the main protagonists of the new Cold War, in which Putin incited Russia to expand its sphere of influence, campaign to destabilize the West, launch disinformation operations, and commit targeted assassinations and war crimes.
The program reveals the way the group works and reveals its close ties to the Russian state, which has always been hidden and denied, as the investigative journalism award jury pointed out:
“An ambitious, complex and dangerous investigation with stories from three continents and following the money.
The result is a compelling and visually powerful program that also details an opaque financial structure backed by corporations and complicity with the government. It’s a documentary that delves into the past and gives us a chilling glimpse of what’s to come.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpH_JVeNgsA
Best Feature Feature
“Erasmus in Gaza”
Matteo Delbo, Chiara Avesani
Arpa Films, Effe TV – Feltrinelli Real Cinema, Al Jazeera International
The documentary tells the story of Riccardo, a medical student at the University of Siena, and Erasmus (a scholarship for European students), a first in history in the Gaza Strip.
Away from his loved ones and daily family life, he immerses himself in the classrooms of the Islamic University and the wards of a war hospital. And when he becomes an adult, he will discover his vocation.
The jury said the characters’ honesty shone in “an unexpected combination of a coming-of-age story and a nuanced depiction of daily life in Gaza.”
Best Report – average length
galactionites
Anna Roch, Stephane Rybojad
2022, FR, 24′
Original title: “Les Galaxionutes”
The investigative journalism jury of the DIG Awards described Rybojad’s work as “an astonishing and entertaining film with unexpected and compelling characters”.
At a time when so many stories focus on conflict and oppression, it was important to show that a story focused on hope, community and the ability to dream has a chance to win.”
Best Feature – short term
“The Dictator’s Last Calls”
Emir Nadir
2022, United Kingdom, 15′
BBC News in Arabic
BBC News Arabic’s animated film The Dictator’s Last Calls reconstructs the last hours of former Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali remained at the helm of the country until January 2011, when a wave of protests forced him to resign and exile to Saudi Arabia, sparking a wave of revolution in the Middle East.
“This film captures a special and important moment in history with an intimate portrait of a fallen dictator,” the judges said.
“It fits the short film format perfectly and manages to reveal important information with dramatic effect.
Audio forensics and the use of animation do justice to investigative creativity. The jury appreciated the transparency regarding the verification challenges.”
Best Audio Report
“In Dark Waters”
Adele Humbert, Emilie Denêtre
Insider Podcast, Spotify
Original title: “En Eaux Troubles”
On January 15, 2004, the Bugaled Breizh fishing vessel sank in the English Channel, and five of her crew were lost at sea.
Almost two decades after the tragedy, journalists Adèle Humbert and Emilie Denètre noted the inconsistencies of an expert report crucial to the case, on which the judges based their decision to consider it an accident.
“This investigative journalism podcast introduces new elements about a false truth.
The jury unanimously appreciated the sound design, live footage and use of the soundtrack.”
best step
Mirage: Mesopotamia is in danger
Daham Alasaad, Guillaume Perrier
With €15,000 financing provided by Basis Matteo Scanni
The judges decided on an important and unexplored story suggested by a journalist and filmmaker with a strong personal connection to the region.
“HE boat movie It is a powerful narrative tool with a cinematic vision and the Turkish side of the story is suitable for original research.
The jury felt it was important to support a project at an early stage and chose it because of its potential to unleash a human-made environmental disaster in one of the world’s oldest civilizations.”
Also Read | ‘The Series’: How An Investigative Journalism Podcast Helped Free a Life Convict in the US
source: Noticias