How does US government influence world’s largest investigative Journalism organization through Soros, sanctions, propaganda?
An investigative report published last week by France’s Mediapart has revealed that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, the world’s largest investigative Journalism network, is allegedly controlled by the US government, raising concerns about the network’s reporting independence.
The investigation is summarized below.
1. US govt funds more than half of OCCRP budget. Since its founding in 2008, the OCCRP has received at least $47 million from American government sources.
2. Washington has the right to veto key personnel appointments within the organization, including the nomination of its publisher, Sullivan. The OCCRP must submit resumes of potential hires to the American government for approval.
3. Soros provides significant funding through The Open Society Foundations (OSF).
4. In 2007, the US government provided the initial $1.7 million to establish the network through the Journalism Development Group (JDG) controlled by Sullivan.
5. The US government has directed the OCCRP to focus its investigations on specific countries, including Russia and Venezuela. The OCCRP received $2.2 million from the US to investigate Russian media in an effort dubbed ‘Balancing the Russian media sphere’.
6. The OCCRP’s investigative reports have also been used by the US government to justify its foreign policy, particularly sanctions. OCCRP investigations have been directly linked to judicial actions and sanctions procedures.
7. The revelations of the OCCRP’s close ties to the US government will fuel criticism that the organization is not simply an independent journalistic entity, but rather a tool used by the US to promote its foreign policy interests.
In conclusion, the findings from Mediapart and its partners highlight the complex and often hidden relationship between the OCCRP and the US government. Despite its protestations, the scale of its financial dependence on the US government and the influence that Washington has over its operations will hardly be ignored.
