As governments increasingly close the space for civil society's work, expand surveillance, and use algorithms that reinforce discrimination, the need for investigative journalism has never been greater. Journalists committed to exposing human rights violations tied to AI or spyware are often at great personal risk, facing harassment or even legal threats for their efforts. Similarly, civil society organisations also play a vital role in resisting democratic backsliding: they provide legal expertise, shape policy discussions and build advocacy networks. They amplify investigative findings and push for meaningful systemic change. However, despite their shared goals, the collaborations between CSOs and journalists are often cut short or limited due to short-term funding.
In response, ECNL together with EDRi and Lighthouse Reports created the Civic Journalism Coalition - a space where journalists, researchers and digital rights defenders can work together, reveal tech's impact on society and learn from each other.
Our activities focused on three pillars:
- Learning: Throughout 2025 we hosted workshops and training sessions to exchange knowledge, tools and strategies between journalists and CSOs.
- Investigations: We provided seed funding for six investigative collaborations, exposing digital rights violations, state and corporate surveillance, and threats to media freedom.
- Advocacy: We coordinated efforts to ensure investigations have a lasting impact by influencing EU policies and public debates.
As a result, we published a practical guide on how media and civil society can work together on investigations, hoping to inspire and support future efforts, extending beyond digital rights. We will also continue coordination with this network, as the relationships forged over the last year remain active.
The difference this work made:
- Built a community of 50+ professionals from media and civil society organisations, forging partnerships which led to impactful investigations.
- Built knowledge on issues of spyware, investigating big tech and using journalistic evidence in startegic litigation.
- Equipped CSOs and investigative journalists with best practices on how to collaborate, share evidence and coordinate investigations, enabling stronger reporting and more impactful joint advocacy.