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News from the Field: As organized crime crosses borders, so must the journalists who pursue it

The "News from the Field" series presents this week a brief account of the initial steps of the implementation of the "Transnational Crime and Corruption Reporting Project". The Center for Investigative Reporting in Bosnia-Herzegovina (CIN) promotes investigative reporting as an element of a democratic culture in partnership with the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism. CIN commenced its activities started with a training workshop in Istanbul, with participation of reporters from eight countries. The trainers (reporters from The Guardian, US News and World Report and a researcher from the Transnational Crime and Corruption Center of the American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina) were assisted by a National Project Coordinator from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Several reporters started working on the first collective project which addresses gas trading and tobacco smuggling in the region. Coordinating resources and expertise, journalists from four countries brought together facts and problems during the privatization of the largest exporting company of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) which contributes nearly 10% of the country's exports. In the same vein, the project aims at investigating organized crime and making the information about corruption more accessible to the public. A series of stories will be complemented by an Online Library identifying individuals and businesses involved in organized criminal activities and raising awareness about this plague. One of the main mottos of CIN is that "as organized crime crosses borders, so must the journalists who pursue it". The project brings therefore journalists from different nations together and coordinates their knowledge and resources. Reducing organized crime strengthens democracy and accountability as well as it increases the rule of law.

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