THREAD: As the 2016 #PanamaPapers, 2017 #ParadisePapers, 2017 Azerbaijan #Laundromat, and 2020 #LuandaLeaks have shown, collaborative investigative journalism is key to linking the complex pieces of information that help explain and expose transnational kleptocracy (1/10)

@OCCRP notes that, when the #COVID19 pandemic hit, investigative journalists launched efforts to track and expose potential avenues for corruption, given the vast amounts of aid to be disbursed to meet emergency public health needs (2/10)

As the economic impact of the virus reverberates across the world, traditional funders of independent media may turn their attention elsewhere; however, investigative journalists also may be able to take advantage of unexpected opportunities for independent media (3/10)

News outlets that have demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness around their reporting during the pandemic—like @kloopnews @istories_media and KRIK—have reaped the benefits of a public demand for reliable sources of trustworthy information (4/10)

Some news outlets turned to crowdfunding to support their activities and saw a rise in interest among the public to contribute to independent journalism, both financially and through contributions to the stories themselves (5/10)