Astrid Dalehaug Norheim of SUJO Joined the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur

The conference was opened by Rappler editor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa from the Philippines. She has repeatedly been imprisoned and is continuously subjected to smear campaigns on social media.

"I don’t think Rappler would have survived, or that I would be out of prison if it weren’t for you", she said, looking out over the audience.

There was a sense of gravity in the room. Among the attendees were journalists who face death threats and are constantly monitored by security services in their home countries. In one session on how to trace the wealth of Russian oligarchs, the message to everyone was clear: "Do not quote anything from here until the conference is over". On stage sat a Russian journalist whose name could not be announced in the program for security reasons.

At the entrance to the conference center, bags were checked and body scans conducted before we could enter the day’s program.

But Maria Ressa did not deliver a bleak message. She emphasized that crises create opportunities.

"Now is the time for radical collaboration and creativity", she said.

Key takeaways from the conference, seen through SUJO’s eyes:

• Corruption, aggressive lobbying, illegal surveillance, recruitment of young men for war, human trafficking, drug trade: Many of the world’s major challenges cannot be uncovered nationally alone; international networks are essential.
• Data journalism was highlighted in many sessions.
• Artificial intelligence was described both as an opportunity to work more efficiently and as a source of concern. The main worries were about disinformation and the difficulty of navigating and capturing attention in an overwhelming flood of information.

An initiative was launched to create a network of academics within GIJN. Around 40 scholars attended the networking session, and work is underway to establish a system for rapid peer-reviewed articles to keep the field updated on research.

The conference is organized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), of which SUJO is a member. There were about 20 participants from Norway. Astrid from SUJO was one of three from the university sector; the other two were from OsloMet.