GIJN Webinar in Hindi: Using RTI in Investigative Journalism

Transparency and accountability of a country’s government are a prerequisite for the functioning of any democracy. Independent media and investigative journalists play a very important role in strengthening and sustaining a democratic system by digging into, and revealing, malpractices in governance. The Right to Information Act is a great tool for journalists to obtain government data and documents for their reporting.

In the past, RTI requests made by Indian journalists have paved the way to some of the best investigative stories. However, even with the existence of India’s RTI Act, getting information from the authorities is becoming tougher every day. Activists and journalists often face delays and difficulties when seeking information.

In this GIJN Webinar, exclusively in Hindi, we bring together journalists and experts who will share their experiences and suggest various ways to innovatively use the RTI Act for investigative journalism. Apart from suggesting ways to sniff out wrongdoings in government spendings, they will also offer tips on how to extract information by framing RTI queries in a creative manner.

Venkatesh Nayak is a renowned RTI activist and a media columnist specializing on right to information. He has held trainings on RTI in several states of India. He has been associated as an expert to design the RTI laws for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia. Currently he is the Director of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), India.

Poonam Agarwal is an independent investigative journalist. She started her career as a television journalist and has worked for India’s leading media channels like NDTV and Times Now. She also wrote investigative stories for The Quint and BBC. Her stories have been published on media platforms across the world. The award-winning journalist is known for her expertise in using Right to Information in investigative journalism.

Vishnu Rajgadia is a journalist and media educator. He has worked as resident editor in Hindi daily Prabhat Khabar. He has authored books on Right to Information in India, Right to Food and theories of communication. He is an expert speaker on promoting the use of RTI among journalists.