Section: "Investigative journalism"

Winner: Gerard Ryle,  director ICIJ –  International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

With a keen sense of responsibility, in some of the most difficult circumstances in the world, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (CIGI, ICIJ in English) is a symbol of the fundamental principle of the res publica - free information as a common good. CIGI overcomes the barriers of corporate secrets, the opacity of laws, and the Chinese game boxes of rogue jurisdictions.

The effort is titanic, with revelations that periodically shake the rich and powerful. CIGI also demonstrates that the attitude of investigative information must be empathic and constructive. It's not about spying, betraying, or stealing data and documents. Identifying with those who suffer injustice due to the secrecy of tax havens, facilitating the recovery of hidden assets, revealing corporate behaviors that betray the trust of the market, are pursued in order to improve society as a whole: an attitude that makes the awardee an activist of the information, rather than a sensationalism hunter.

The Jury is therefore honored to award the 2022 Res Publica Prize for Investigative Journalism to ICIJ/CIGI, represented by Director Gerard Ryle.