Backlight

The antidote to news fatigue might be closer to home than you think.This episode dives into the strategies local outlets use to build connection with their communities and deliver journalism that truly resonates.From the UK to India and the Brazilian Amazon, we spoke to the journalists who are making it work. Interviewees:Moya Lothian-McLean, Managing Editor at Mill MediaJuliana Mori, Co-founder of InfoAmazoniaPooja Prasanna, Editorial Head of Reporting, The News Minute Hosted by Beatriz Ramalho da Silva and Tessa PangSound edited and designed by Elli Xypolitaki / SpoovioMusic by mobygratis Website - X - BlueSky - Instagram - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

Many European economies are in decline, struggling with job shortages in critical sectors. At the same time, these same countries are locking qualified migrants out of work. Our 18 month long investigation sought to find out why this is the case, the cost of this discrimination and what can be done to fix it. Beatriz and Tessa are joined by two Justin’s from the investigation – reporter Justin Yarga and data reporter Justin Casimir Braun. Read the investigation and methodology here: https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/brain-waste/ Hosts:⁠⁠⁠⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠Tessa Pang⁠⁠⁠⁠Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

In this episode we take you behind the scenes of our latest U.S.-Mexico border investigation, Drownings and Deterrence in the Rio Grande. This episode is a collaboration with The Border Chronicle. More women and children are drowning trying to reach the US as Texas and Mexico militarize the border. In collaboration with the Washington Post and El Universal, our team requested records of drowning deaths which reveal for the first time how the river separating the US and Mexico has become a graveyard for migrants. In this episode you’ll hear some of the stories of those who drowned along the river. We talked to Lighthouse editor Melissa del Bosque about how we got the data, and what the findings of the investigation say about the reality of the border post-election. Investigations mentioned in this episode: Drownings and Deterrence in the Rio Grande Desert Dumps -- Hosts: ⁠⁠Beatriz Ramalho da Silva⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tessa Pang⁠⁠ Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠Instagram⁠ - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

This month we discuss the hidden toll journalism can take on your mental health and share tips for staying grounded in high-pressure environments. We talk to open-source investigator Bashar Deeb about coping with traumatic content and Juliana Ruhfus, the Director of the DART Center for Journalism Trauma Europe about how to protect your sources’ wellbeing. -- Investigations mentioned in this episode: The Kutum massacre Reconstructing the Melilla Massacre -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound design, mixing and editing: ⁠⁠⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠ - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

2024 is the year of elections! For public interest journalism, it's prime time to get vote-shifting findings in front of people when they’re paying the most attention to politics. So with the European elections looming this weekend we chatted to Director Klaas Van Dijken and Food Systems Lead Reporter Thin Lei Win about their eye-opening investigations on two hot issues this EU election – EU border policy and the farmers protests. Read both the desert dumps and farmers protests investigations on our website: lighthousereports.com -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: ⁠Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions⁠ -- ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠ - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

This episode, we dive into the skills and techniques used in open-source reporting (yes it’s more than just stalking people on social media!). Beatriz and Tessa are joined by two of our open-source reporters Jack Sapoch and Monica Camacho. We talk about their roles in the context of a recent investigation that reconstructed the unseen events which saw 40 people suffocate to death in a migrant detention centre fire in Ciudad Juárez. We’re also joined by our investigations editor Melissa Del Bosque to explain the strategy behind the investigation and how it was received. Watch the video and read about the investigation here And read more about our most ‘brain waste’ investigation discussed in the intro of the show -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

Hello and welcome back to Backlight! In this episode, we talk to our investigations editor May Bulman, and social affairs correspondent from The Independent, Holly Bancroft about the exciting impact of their investigation into the Afghan commandos left behind by the British government. It’s both a deep-dive into the investigation, and an inside look at the impact-driven strategy that compelled the British Government to reverse its previous decision to deny hundreds of Afghans safety in the UK. -- Here are the links to the coverage mentioned in the episode: The write-up and video coverage from The Independent Sky News coverage BBC Newsnight coverage The investigation write-up on our website -- Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang Sound Design: Spoovio - Audiovisual Productions -- Website - Twitter - BlueSky - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com

Following the West’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last August, thousands of people who served alongside European governments found themselves abandoned. At Lighthouse, a series of investigations uncovered how people working in roles linked to European governments, who were eligible for evacuation, are still living in fear under the Taliban. We verified the identities and documents of dozens of people who were subject to torture, or killed. We speak to Lighthouse contributor Abbas Azimi who played a key role in finding sources, examining documents, and interviewing people. This story is personal for Abbas too because he also left Afghanistan in August 2021, as his work for the Afghan government and international organisations like the World Bank posed a danger to his life. Read the investigations at lighthousereports.com