New record: 19th edition of the Abraji Congress is the biggest in its history

The 19th International Congress of Investigative Journalism, wrapped up on July 14, 2024, was the biggest on-site edition held by Abraji in the organization's history - which began with a record number of suggestions sent in by the public, with 253 registrations. The event brought together around 1,830 people over four days, including the online format, and has established itself as one of the most important conferences in the American continent, earning the friendly nickname of “ Brazilian journalism's Lollapalooza” on social media, thanks to the wide range of different activities that took place.

This year, the Congress aimed to reflect the different contexts of investigative journalism in Brazil. Data from Abraji shows the participation of speakers from 20 states, representing 157 municipalities. Black, brown, yellow and indigenous speakers made up 36% of the total, an increase of 4 percentage points compared to 2023. The event also offered accessible communication resources for People with Disabilities in both on-site and online formats.

Among the speakers, the majority were cisgender women (59.4%), followed by cisgender men (36.4%), transgender women (1%), non-binary people (1%) and transgender men (0.6%).

Content

There were 163 in-person activities (including the Congress and Data Sunday) - over 244 hours of content offered -, as well as 16 book releases and a further 27 online activities, including broadcasts and new content, available on the event's online platform. This year, 34% of the programming included workshops focused on improving technical skills - a long-standing request from participants in other editions. 

Tickets for the on-site event sold out, for the second time in a row, a week before the event. More than 20 international speakers from countries such as Argentina, Bahrain, Colombia, the United States, the Netherlands, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the United Kingdom and Venezuela took part, speaking on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, misinformation, open source mapping and the sustainability of journalism.

The event also featured Brazil's Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, and the President of the National Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, for interviews that were broadcast live by Abraji.

Participants 

Among the participants, 33.4% were black, brown, indigenous or yellow - an increase of almost 1 percentage point compared to the previous year (32.5%). Cisgender women accounted for 63.6% of participants, followed by cisgender men (32.9%) and non-binary people (0.5%). 

Among the speakers and participants, all Brazilian states were represented, thanks to partnerships that guaranteed 87 fellowships for journalists and communicators, such as Jornada Galápagos, the Environmental Protectors program, Abraji's Caravana project, researchers from the 11th Research Seminar on Investigative Journalism and female black journalists chosen in a new initiative, funded by director Basília Rodrigues in collaboration with Youtube, the Lemann Foundation and Natura.

Sponsorship

The Congress introduced new sponsorship arrangements, with almost 10% of the program being provided by partner organizations. We had 52 sponsors, providing the necessary infrastructure to expand regional diversity without reducing the size of the event. In addition, there were a record 243 organizations present, including academic institutions, media outlets and civil society associations, far exceeding the 190 of 2023.
“Every year our expectations get higher and we try to meet them by doing more and better. We are committed to covering what has been most relevant and also to anticipating trends, always focusing on offering practical training linked to what is essential for the principles of this profession. All of this is aligned with the purpose of becoming increasingly more aware of the different ways of practicing journalism in Brazil,” says Abraji's president, Katia Brembatti.

Profile

The group of speakers at the Congress was diverse, with 72.8% being journalism and communications professionals, 10.9% from other fields, 5.4% students and 10.9% researchers. Among them, 1% were people with disabilities. The age distribution was mainly between 35 and 44 (43.5%), followed by 25 to 34 (31%), and 12.8% between 45 and 54, reflecting a dynamic combination of experience and new perspectives.
The profile of the 986 participants who answered Abraji's registration form showed that 43.7% were journalism and communications professionals, 5.9% were from other fields, 44.7% were students and 5.7% were researchers. In constant increase year on year, the number of people with disabilities has risen to 2.3%. The leading age group was 19 to 24 (40.2%), followed by 25 to 34 (31.5%) and 35 to 44 (16%), showing a mostly young and engaged audience.

News coverage and tribute to Fabiana Moraes

The official coverage of the Congress was carried out by the Editorial Lab of OBORÉ's Repórter do Futuro project. At this link, you can find reports on most of the debates and training sessions, as well as an article and video in tribute to journalist Fabiana Moraes. Click here to see photos from the Congress.

Online Congress

In order to provide an opportunity for those who were unable to attend the event in person in São Paulo, the Congress had 12 major panels broadcast online. The rest of the online schedule, available on the website (including 15 workshops in masterclass format), was recorded especially for the digital platform and can be watched until August 31st by Congress participants. The videos are available on the event platform, allowing both online registrants and on-site participants - including speakers - to access the content.

Register for the 19th Online Congress and watch now

Certificate
 

Certificates for online and in-person participation will be issued after July 29th. Anyone who hasn't accessed or registered for the online Congress has until August 31st to watch at least 70% of the program and obtain a certificate of participation. All those who attended the on-site event or watched at least 70% of the online edition will be given certificates, which will be available on the website.

Sponsors

The 19th International Congress of Investigative Journalism is organized by Abraji and the ESPM Journalism program.

Sponsors of the 19th Congress: Google News Initiative, Luminate, Grupo Globo, JSK Journalism Fellowships, Albert Einstein - Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Transparency International - Brazil, SBT News, US Embassy and Consulates in Brazil, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, Jusbrasil, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Atricon, Abert, Basília Rodrigues Comunicação, Alma Preta, Folha de S. Paulo, Abracom, Fundação Lemann, Natura, Alright, YouTube, Revista Cenarium, JB Litoral, RConsortium, Fogo Cruzado, Fundo Brasil, Poder 360, Internews, Serrapilheira, Artigo19, Report for the World, Meio and UOL.

Institutional partners: Aberje, Galápagos Newsmaking, Jeduca, Portal Imprensa, Agência Mural, Vida de Jornalista, Núcleo, DiversaCom, Knight Center, ANJ, Pacto pela Democracia, Fórum de Direito de Acesso a Informações Públicas, OBORÉ e Textual Comunicação.

* Credit for the picture: Luciana Vassoler/Abraji