RISE Project
{{short description|Romanian investigative journalism project}}
{{About|the Romanian journalism group|the marine research expedition|RISE project}}
RISE Project is a Romanian non-profit journalism{{cite web|url=http://ajrarchive.org/article.asp?id=4458 |title=American Journalism Review |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}} organization founded in early 2012 by a group of investigative journalists, activists, programmers and graphic designers.
RISE Project uses research techniques and technology to generate complex investigative reporting on local and crossborder organized crime and corruption networks. It produces investigative articles and visual databases and it develops research and data visualization tools such as the Visual Investigative Scenarios (VIS){{cite web|url=http://vis.occrp.org |title=VIS. Visual Investigative Scenarios platform: Pages |publisher=Vis.occrp.org |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}} platform.
RISE Project is a member of the regional network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and of the Global Investigative Journalism Network.{{cite web|url=http://gijn.org/ |title=Global Investigative Journalism Network |publisher=Gijn.org |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}
Investigations
In 2012 and 2013, RISE exposed several national and international cases of organized crime and corruption with serious social, economic and political impact, such as:
- identified secret businesses and assets of high-rank Romanian politicians (The Businesses of the Power and of the Opposition){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/investigatie/afacerile-puterii-si-ale-opozitiei-2 |title=Afacerile Puterii Si Ale Opozitiei :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- revealed financial connections between prominent Church officials and organized crime (The Affairs of the Church){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/articol/afacerile-bisericii/ |title=Afacerile Bisericii :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date=2012-11-27 |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- untangled networks of hidden money transactions between large international corporations and public authorities in Romania (The Ericsson Case){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/investigatie/cazul-ericsson/ |title=CAZUL "ERICSSON" :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/ccwatch/cc-watch-indepth/1869-ericsson-accused-of-bribes-by-exec |title=Executive Alleges Bribery at Ericsson |publisher=Reportingproject.net |date=2013-03-05 |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- worked on large tax evasion cases involving cross-border food import-export structures (The Market Sultans){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/investigatie/sultanii-pietelor/ |title=SULTANII PIEȚELOR :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}} and The Horse Meat Affair{{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/investigatie/industria-alimentara/ |title=Interesele Din Spatele Industriei Alimentare :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- traced Egypt's public money hidden in Romania and abroad by Hosni Mubarak and his associates (Mubarak's Money Hidden in Romania){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/investigatie/banii-lui-mubarak-ascunsi-in-romania |title=Banii Egiptului, ascunsi in Romania :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date=2012-01-05 |access-date=2015-05-01}} and that of Syria's dictator Bashar Al Assad (Bashar's Clan Runs Business in Romania{{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/articol/clanul-lui-bashar-al-assad-face-afaceri-in-romania |title=Clanul lui Bashar Al-Assad face afaceri la Bucuresti :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date=2012-05-16 |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- uncovered and prevented fraud in Romania and Moldova (The Bingo Fraud Exported to Moldova){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/articol/teapa-bingo-exportata-in-republica-moldova/ |title=Teapa "Bingo", exportata in Republica Moldova :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date=2012-06-13 |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- disclosed agreements and corruption cases behind a major gold exploitation project in Romania (The Rosia Montana Affair){{cite web|url=http://www.riseproject.ro/articol/documentele-confidentiale-ale-afacerii-rosia-montana/ |title=Documentele confidențiale ale afacerii Roșia Montană :Rise Project |publisher=Riseproject.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}
- an assassination attempt on a Russian banker which led the Moldovan government to ban the pro-Russian political party Patria from the 2014 elections and the party's leader to flee the country (investigation made along with colleagues from RISE Moldova.{{Cite news
|url=http://www.rise.md/video-asasin-in-lege/
|title=Asasin-in-lege
|publisher=Rise.md
|date=2014-11-28
|access-date=2015-05-01
|url=https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/ccwatch/cc-watch-briefs/2734-moldova-pro-russia-party-banned-from-elections-after-occrp-expose
|title=Moldova: Pro-Russia Party Banned From Elections After OCCRP Expose
|publisher=Reportingproject.net
|date=2014-11-28
|access-date=2015-05-01
}}
RISE Project investigations have been quoted in local{{cite web|url=http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-esential-15496670-rise-project-documentele-confidentiale-ale-afacerii-rosia-montana.htm |title=RISE Project: Documentele confidentiale ale afacerii Rosia Montana - Esential |publisher=HotNews.ro |date=2013-08-27 |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=http://stiri.tvr.ro/fostul-sef-al-ericsson-romania-admite-ca-a-platit-politicieni-pentru-a-obtine-contracte_23573_relationate.html |title=Fostul şef al Ericsson România admite că a plătit politicieni pentru a obţine contracte | Stiriletvr.ro - Site-ul de stiri al TVR |publisher=Stiri.tvr.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|author= |url=https://adevarul.ro/news/bucuresti/rise-project-cei-vor-remodela-capitala-1_50f80e97dc344dc2024903a4/index.html |title=RISE PROJECT: Cei care vor remodela Capitala |publisher=Adevarul.ro |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wall-street.ro/articol/Economie/139782/fostul-sef-al-ericsson-romania-recunoaste-ca-a-platit-politicieni.html |title=Fostul sef al Ericsson Romania recunoaste ca a platit politicieni |publisher=Wall-street.ro |date=2012-11-07 |access-date=2015-05-01}} and international media,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/13/horsemeat-scandal-dutch-connection-romania?INTCMP=SRCH |title=Horsemeat scandal: Dutch meat trader could be central figure | UK news |publisher=Theguardian.com |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|author=Luke Harding |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/09/moldova-hitman-london |title=Moldovan connection: on trail of alleged hitman suspected in London hit | World news |publisher=Theguardian.com |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQPQp-mgdcE |title=Dubiose syrische Geschäfte in Wien |publisher=YouTube.com |date=2012-11-25 |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/syria-sanctions-idUSL5E8M1A1K20121102 |title=INSIGHT-In Syrian sanctions, some gains but much uncertainty |publisher=Reuters.com |date=2012-11-02 |access-date=2015-05-01 |first=Radu |last=Marinas}} and some of its members are winners of prestigious international journalism awards such as: the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting (part of an OCCRP project),{{cite web|url=https://www.reportingproject.net/offshore/ |title=Offshore Crime, Inc |publisher=Reportingproject.net |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=http://hetq.am/eng/news/5491/ |title=OCCRP Wins Daniel Pearl Global Investigative Journalism Award - Hetq - News, Articles, Investigations |publisher=Hetq.am |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web |url=http://www.icij.org/awards#w2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508022548/http://www.icij.org/awards#w2011 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-08 |title=Daniel Pearl Awards | International Consortium of Investigative Journalists |publisher=Icij.org |date=2012-02-18 |access-date=2015-05-01 }} The Global Shining Light Award,{{cite web|url=http://www.icij.org/journalists/paul-cristian-radu |title=Paul Cristian Radu | International Consortium of Investigative Journalists |publisher=Icij.org |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}{{cite web|url=http://gijn.org/awards/ |title=Awards | Global Investigative Journalism Network |publisher=Gijn.org |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}} and Investigative Reporters and Editors Tom Renner Award for crime reporting.{{cite web|last=Ricchiardi |first=Sherry |url=http://ajrarchive.org/article.asp?id=4884 |title=American Journalism Review |date= |access-date=2015-05-01}}
Following an investigation into Liviu Dragnea the Romanian Data Protection Authority (ANSPDCP) used a GDPR request to demand information on the RISE Project's sources.{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Masnick |date=November 19, 2018 |title=Yet Another GDPR Disaster: Journalists Ordered To Hand Over Secret Sources Under 'Data Protection' Law
|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181114/01491541047/yet-another-gdpr-disaster-journalists-ordered-to-hand-over-secret-sources-under-data-protection-law.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181120174443/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181114/01491541047/yet-another-gdpr-disaster-journalists-ordered-to-hand-over-secret-sources-under-data-protection-law.shtml |archive-date=November 20, 2018}}{{cite news |publisher=Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project |title=English Translation of the Letter from the Romanian Data Protection Authority to RISE Project |date=November 9, 2018 |url=https://www.occrp.org/en/16-other/other-articles/8876-english-translation-of-the-letter-from-the-romanian-data-protection-authority-to-rise-project |first=George |last=Bălăiți |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181109210657/https://www.occrp.org/en/16-other/other-articles/8876-english-translation-of-the-letter-from-the-romanian-data-protection-authority-to-rise-project |archive-date=November 9, 2018}}
Awards
In 2019, Attila Biro from the RISE Project and his colleague from Bivol.bg Dimitar Stoyanov received the Axel Springer Award for young journalists for a joint investigation into the abuse of European Union funds.https://www.ecpmf.eu/news/ecpmf/dimitar-stoyanov-and-attila-biro-win-axel-springer-award-2019 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608135632/https://www.ecpmf.eu/news/ecpmf/dimitar-stoyanov-and-attila-biro-win-axel-springer-award-2019 |date=2019-06-08 }}, European Center for Press and Media Freedom, 3 May 2019
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.riseproject.ro}}
{{Panama Papers leak}}
{{Portal bar|Economics|Journalism|Panama|Politics}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2012 establishments in Romania
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Romania
Category:Investigative journalism