Bangkok, Thailand – Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Empowering the Truth Tellers – Asia Investigative Reporting Network (AIR Network) at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. This new project will support regional journalism, amplifying its potential to expose abuses of power, fight corruption, foster transparency, promote accountability, and strengthen democracy.
This new five-year, $10 million program will be implemented by Pact in conjunction with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) under the Civil Society and Media – Strengthened Together and Advancing in New Directions (CSM-STAND) program.
Steven G. Olive, the Mission Director for USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia, stated, “We are thrilled to be launching this new program to raise awareness of the harms that criminality brings upon society, resulting in a public that is more informed to respond to transnational organized crime and corruption.”
The AIR Network will contribute to a media sector in Southeast Asia that is robust and resilient, reflects diverse voices, and produces impactful investigative reporting on critical issues related to regional crime, corruption, and corrosive capital. It will directly facilitate the formation of a locally-led investigative journalism network to foster cross-border collaboration among journalists operating in at least six Southeast Asian countries.
“This new program will work with media and civic actors to spur a greater regional synergy and overcome challenges to journalists’ ability to safely investigate, publish, and amplify stories that will increase citizens’ access to information about topics important for transparent governance,” said Milica Panic, Pact’s Chief of Party for CSM-STAND.
USAID will support and connect practitioners in Southeast Asia with one another and with global counterparts to report on critical regional stories that local journalists cannot fully uncover working solely within the borders of their countries.
“Crime and corruption frequently cross borders, with consequences that ripple far beyond a single country or region,” said Aliza Appelbaum, vice president of programs for ICFJ. “Through the AIR Network, reporters will get the resources they need to produce collaborative investigations that expose wrongdoing and serve the public good.”
USAID is committed to strengthening a sustainable regional network of journalists and looks forward to the positive impact this initiative will bring to investigative reporting in Asia.
For more information on the AIR Network, please see the factsheet.
