Freelancing in investigative journalism can be risky, especially when legal threats are a real possibility.
So how much legal knowledge do editors expect when freelancers pitch environmental investigations? Learn how they assess legal preparedness, what kind of support they can offer, and when publication lawyers step in to protect hard-hitting reporting.
Find out what you need to get commissioned, get published, and avoid preventable legal trouble.
This practical webinar covers the legal basics every freelancer needs to know, from evidence collection and defamation to right of reply, public interest, and fact-checking.
Speakers:
- Giulio Rubino, co-founder of IRPI and co-director of Irpi Media where he leads cross-border reporting that has been published internationally and contributed to major collaborative investigations into organised crime, corruption and corporate fraud.
- Andrew Lehren, senior editor at Mongabay, and formerly editorial director at CCIJ. He previously also reported and edited for The New York Times and NBC News, working on national, international and data-driven projects that have contributed to Pulitzer-winning work.
- Wubby Luyendijk, an experienced investigative reporter at NRC. Until the beginning of 2026 she was head of NRC's Investigative Department, and was witness of various legal challenges, not only in the Netherlands but also abroad.
The discussion will be moderated by Juliana Ruhfus, a long-standing mentor for the Earth investigations programme (see the list of investigations supported by this grant programme).
