The Bureau Local: A Hybrid Network for Local Collaborative Investigative Journalism

Abstract

Collaborative journalistic investigations rose to new prominence with the Panama Papers (2016) and Paradise Papers (2017) projects, both of which involved enormous amounts of data shared amongst an international network of journalists who coordinated their analyses. Whereas many are familiar with these cross-national collaborations when they are led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, for example, it is less widely recognised that similar processes have been undertaken among local communities and cities as well. As discussed in the introduction to Part 2, Chadwick (2017, p. 4) highlights the ‘hybrid media system’ wherein older (more traditional) norms and practices merge with newer ones, and vice versa. While existing global journalistic collaborations inspired the founding of the Bureau Local, its collaborators are somewhat different from those involved in larger efforts. Instead of relying upon journalists from traditional legacy media organisations for such cross-national collaborations (Carson, 2020; Reese, 2021), the Bureau Local engages both professional and amateur reporters from many walks of life for its diverse activities.