A unique database of more than 300 investigative journalism reports from across Latin America is now available from The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, or IPYS). Called BIPYS (Banco de Investigaciones Periodísticas, or Bank of Investigative Journalism) the UNESCO-backed initiative was announced July 6 at the annual conference of Abraji, Brazil’s investigative journalism association.

BIPYS is a repository of many of the best examples of investigative journalism in the region, comprised largely of winners of the annual Latin American Investigative Journalism Awards that IPYS and Transparency International have given out for the past 13 years.

Investigations cover a wide range of topics, including corruption, malfeasance, organized crime, environment, national security, and human rights.

How BIPYS Works

The BIPYS database includes the original report, as well as a methodology guide explaining how the story was researched and reported. In some cases, it also includes an interview with the author talking about issues such as sources and impact.

The website is still under construction, and some features will be available in the coming months. There will be yearly subscriptions available to access the full database. (The fee is still being established.) Each week the site is featuring a different set of stories that readers can check out for free.

A search engine lets users search stories using such criteria as country, author’s name, year of publication, or topic.

For more information check out this video (in Spanish) by Ricardo Uceda, executive director of IPYS.