Development Programme for Investigative Journalism

Project Period: December 1995 – April 1997
Funding agency: Ford Foundation

In 1994 soon after the inception of News Network, The Ford Foundation was the first donor agency which stepped forward to assist News Network in accomplishing its goals. The Ford Foundation approved about 58,000 USD to implement a project on ‘Investigative journalism’. It was unique in a sense that such project was not undertaken in Bangladesh before. The objectives of the project were to promote investigative journalism, narrow down the information gaps and relate freedom of press with good governance. Under this programme, News Network produced a number of in-depth reports and news-features on various important issues such as human rights, violence against women, human trafficking, socio-economic and political aspects. These were also published in local newspapers and newsmagazines and drew attention from the media zone, the government and the policy makers.