Global Conference Urges Journalists to Collaborate for Survival in Authoritarian Regimes

James Ojo Adakole, a distinguished copy editor at Legit.ng, recently attended the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event, organized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network in partnership with Malaysiakini, gathered investigative journalists from across the globe to discuss pressing challenges in the field.

In a compelling presentation titled "Collaborate or Die: Journalism on the Tightrope," veteran journalist Ronna Rísquez emphasized that collaboration has become indispensable for journalists operating in authoritarian environments. The conference took place from November 20 to November 24, 2025, providing a platform for critical discussions on media safety and resilience.

The Dire Reality for Journalists in Repressive States

Rísquez highlighted the severe threats facing journalists in countries like Venezuela, where the media landscape is particularly perilous. According to her data, 16 journalists are currently imprisoned in Venezuela, while 477 have been forced into exile, making it the country with the highest number of exiled journalists in the Americas.

"Doing journalism in an authoritarian context is like walking a tightrope. When you walk that tightrope in Venezuela: on one side are the criminal groups and on the other side are the State security forces, ready to strike," Rísquez explained during her presentation.

Seven Critical Reasons Why Collaboration is Non-Negotiable

Rísquez outlined seven fundamental ways in which collaboration enhances the safety and effectiveness of journalists working under oppressive regimes:

Enhanced Multidimensional Security: Collaboration strengthens protection across physical, digital, legal, and psychological fronts. Shared reporting reduces individual exposure, while pooled resources enable stronger encryption and legal defense mechanisms.
Protection Beyond Journalists: Collaborative efforts safeguard not only reporters but also their sources, victims, sensitive information, and media institutions. Decentralizing data makes it harder for authorities to target a single entity.
Accuracy as a Defense Strategy: When multiple journalists from diverse backgrounds review materials, errors are minimized and blind spots are addressed. This rigorous fact-checking makes it difficult for authorities to discredit investigations.
Diffusion of Targeted Attacks: Simultaneous publication across multiple outlets makes it challenging for repressive governments to suppress stories. International collaboration raises the cost of retaliation and reduces individual targeting.
Transformation of Small Newsrooms: Through regular coordination, small media organizations can function as cross-border investigative units, combining local reporting with international expertise for greater impact.
Multiplication of Resources and Strengths: Collaboration allows newsrooms to share technical skills, legal expertise, regional knowledge, and global reach, enabling complex investigations that would be impossible individually.
Building Emotional Resilience: Regular collaborative meetings create spaces of solidarity that combat isolation, fear, and burnout among journalists facing constant intimidation.

The Broader Media Landscape Context

These insights come at a critical time for journalism worldwide. The conference highlighted how shrinking budgets, increasing pressure on media freedom, and growing authoritarian tendencies globally make collaboration not just beneficial but essential for survival.

James Ojo Adakole's reflections from the conference underscore that in today's challenging media environment, collaboration represents both a practical strategy and a moral imperative for journalists committed to truth-telling under difficult circumstances.

The lessons from GIJC 2025 demonstrate that when journalists unite across borders and organizations, they create a protective network that enhances security, improves reporting quality, and ultimately strengthens democracy itself.