September 10-14, 2008 -  Lillehammer, Norway

We in SKUP, the Norwegian Foundation for Investigative Journalism, are excited to invite you to Norway next year for the fifth Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Among several hundred investigative journalists, it may not be the best etiquette to quote the former head of a powerful, international organization ridden with corruption scandals, but ”The decision is Lillehammer.”

Although this network is not as large as the Olympics (yet), this global group of investigative journalists have come a long way since Brant Houston and Nils Mulvad, respectively of Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Danish Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting, recognized the potential of such a network in the spring of 2000. A year later the first conference was held in Copenhagen. The rest, as they say, is history. We have met, discussed and shared ideas, ethics, methods and other issues concerning our profession. Today the network numbers more than 40 journalism organizations and associations across the globe. For each conference we have taken new steps forward.

Each spring SKUP organizes the investigative journalism conference in Norway with more than 600 journalists, and we are excited to host GIJ 2008. We have an excited group of local journalists in Lillehammer eager to help, and we are also involving our sister organizations in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in the planning of GIJ 2008.

The activity and communication within the global network has increased for each year. We hope to benefit from this great gathering in Toronto, and we are already inspired to continue the Global Shining Light award initiated by the Toronto organizers. These conferences and such an award is a wonderful reminder that although investigative journalists often work alone and under difficult and dangerous conditions, we are not alone.

Welcome to Norway in September 2008!
André Verløy