About Netzwerk Recherche

Netzwerk Recherche e.V. (NR) was founded in 2001 by a group of journalists and is a registered nonprofit association. As an independent and non-partisan organization, NR is committed to serving the public interest. The organization promotes high-quality journalism by supporting investigative research and fostering professional standards in reporting.

To support this mission, NR provides practical training, encourages professional exchange and advocates for strong journalistic ethics.

Conferences and professional events

Netzwerk Recherche’s annual conference is the largest event for investigative journalists in Germany. It serves as the highlight of the year, bringing together hundreds of journalists to exchange ideas on research methods, media ethics, and the pressing challenges facing the field.

Building on this flagship event, Netzwerk Recherche offers a variety of specialized conferences, workshops, and seminars throughout the year. These formats – held both online and in person – provide hands-on training as well as critical discussions on emerging trends in the media landscape. Topics range from fact-checking and freedom of information to investigative techniques such as undercover reporting.

Awards

Every year, NR presents the „Leuchtturm-Preis“ (Lighthouse Award) to honor outstanding investigative reporting. The „Verschlossene Auster“ (Closed Oyster Award) on the other hand, spotlights the year’s most notorious information blocker.

Publications

NR publishes a series of practical manuals, guides and studies. Each edition documents an event or dives into a specific topic. The manuals are not only made available to the members of the association but highly valued among other journalists, students and educational facilities.

Advocacy

In 2006, Netzwerk Recherche released its „Medienkodex“, a journalistic ethics code emphasizing a strict separation of journalism and PR („Journalists do not do PR“). This stance sparked a continued debate across Germany’s media landscape.

Together with several other organisations, Netzwerk Recherche played a key role in promoting the implementation of the German Freedom of Information Act. It came into effect in 2006, improving transparency of government processes.

As old business models are crumbling, new revenue streams are needed. NR advocates for granting media outlets nonprofit status. This will generate additional sources of income (e.g. foundation funding) and increase the outlets’ resilience.

Fellowships

To foster diversity in newsrooms and support early-career journalists from marginalized communities, Netzwerk Recherche collaborates with renowned investigative outlets to offer internships through the Investigative Journalism Fellowship.

Local journalism in Germany has been increasingly operating under extreme pressure. Through the Fellowship for Local Journalism, NR supports local and regional journalists by providing fellowships of up to six months, enabling them to focus on one specific, in-depth reporting project.

In addition, NR awards Research Fellowships, which can be applied for across different thematic areas. These include investigations in the fields of environment and ecology, climate and biodiversity, as well as general investigative topics.

Mental health

To raise awareness and provide assistance to journalists grappling with psychosocial problems, NR launched the Helpline in 2023. The peer support telephone hotline is a pioneer project in this field. It offers individual aid to journalists which is complemented by workshops for newsrooms.

Global Investigative Journalism Network

Netzwerk Recherche is a member of the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN). The partnership includes collective webinars, the distribution and translation of resources and content, and a monthly newsletter section sharing information from the global network. In 2019, Netzwerk Recherche co-hosted the Global Investigative Journalism Conference.