Belizean journalists learn new investigative techniques at national workshop

A group of journalists from primary media outlets in Belize, including the San Pedro Sun, participated in a two-day intensive training on investigative journalism. This workshop occurred on March 18th and 19th at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Belize City. The training was made possible through the support of Global Financial Integrity (GFI) and collaboration with the Belize Network of Non-Governmental Organizations (BNN). The sessions focused on reporting illicit financial activities, developing skills for conducting accountability interviews, accessing public records, and analyzing financial data, among other techniques.
The first day of the training commenced with remarks from Senator Janelle Chanona, who emphasized the importance of investigative journalism in financial matters. She praised the collaborative efforts between BNN and the GFI in providing Belizean journalists with the necessary skills for this vital work. The event also featured encouraging comments from Line Hammeren, the First Secretary at the Norwegian Embassy. The training received funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development. Hammeren highlighted the crucial role of financial reporting and expressed her hope that the knowledge shared during the training would enhance the journalists’ daily reporting practices.
Claudia Helms, the GIF Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, discussed the importance of understanding illicit financial flows and beneficial ownership. She emphasized the need to gather information about the beneficial owners within organizations. By knowing this information, economic crimes such as tax evasion, corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing can be prevented. Helms further explained that when a report identifies the beneficial owners of an enterprise, it can enhance financial and fiscal transparency.
Katherin Alfonso, the GFI’s Program Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, taught participants about framing narratives and identifying audiences. She explained that using shell or front companies is one mechanism for committing environmental crimes linked to illicit financial flows. Referring to Helm’s presentation, Alfonso noted that one way to combat this issue is by identifying the beneficial owners of these companies.
Additionally, she discussed with the journalists how to spot red flags and potential risks. One specific topic was the under-invoicing and over-invoicing of exports, which can divert millions of dollars to different accounts for unrelated purposes. Alfonso emphasized that this practice is widespread in regions with weak governance and limited production of the relevant merchandise.
Speaking on the importance of the training for Belizean journalists, GFI’s Caribbean Manager, Leon Dawson, stated that more reporting on these topics is needed, and knowing how to approach a potential story is crucial. “Our journalists are the ones who bring corrupt activities towards the public, and they need to have the necessary skills to bring this efficiently and effectively to their audience,” Dawson said. He noted that this training would equip reporters with the essential skills to provide accurate information.
Participants received in-depth lessons on defining illicit financial flows and understanding beneficial ownership, as well as its associated harms, on the second day of the presentations. These sessions were led by the renowned Belizean-American journalist Holly Edgell, who shared her extensive experience in journalism. Edgell discussed how to formulate an investigative story, identify the target audience, and consider the impact of the reporting. She also provided tips for organizing stories and highlighted the key elements in investigating illicit financial flows and beneficial ownership.
After the two-day training, each journalist received a certificate of completion for the program. Marla Magaña Cansino, BNN’s Executive Manager, thanked the journalists for attending the workshop. A follow-up workshop to review the topics discussed was announced for July of this year.