Searching for truth, uncovering scandals, asking proper questions: All over the world we met reporters who have achieved a lot for freedom of expression and our society. We show their most exciting stories on Instagram and IGTV @missiontruth.

David Barstow: The fight against Goliath

David Barstow and the New York Times took the US government to court and won. They got access to 8 000 documents that revealed how retired generals were systematically bribed by the Pentagon to justify the Iraq War on TV.

Anette Dowideit: Mafia in German nursing services

The journalist uncovered that the Russian Mafia defrauded one billion Euros from German nursing services. The police knew about that problem, but didn’t want to talk about it. Because of the research a German law finally changed.

Hajo Seppelt: Uncovering systematic doping

The Journalist found out about the systematic state-sponsored doping in Russia. Because of his reports his visa has been declared invalid. The Russian regime considers him now an enemy of the state.

Sarah Ryley: Research against police arbitrariness

Sarah Ryley uncovered that the police in New York abused a law for decades to throw people out of their homes. Most of them belonged to a minority. Ryley's work changed 13 laws. In 2017, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Greg Marinovich: Shooting the Dead

Greg Marinovichs pictures made history. He has experienced the South African civil war firsthand. His work in Soweto has earned him a Pulitzer Prize.

Maria Grazia Mazzola: Fearless against the Mafia

Maria Grazia Mazzola has been reporting on the Mafia for Italian TV for 30 years. In her film “Ragazzi Dentro” she reported on the exploding youth violence in Italy and showed how the Mafia exploits young people as drug dealers and protection money collectors. During the shooting she was attacked by a Mafiosa.

Martin Turček: Continuing the fight against corruption

Martin Turčeks colleague Ján Kuciak researched on corruption scandals between the Slovakian government and the Italian mafia. Because of his research, Jan was murdered on 21th of February 2018. In corporation with many of his colleagues, Martin Turček continued Ján’s work.

Obermayer & Obermaier: Tackling tax evasion across the globe

An anonymous source sent Bastian Obermayer 2.6 Terabytes of data – the largest data leak recorded in history. Together with roughly 400 journalists, Frederik Obermeier and him uncovered tax scandals. Famous soccer players and heads of state and government worldwide are among these tax evaders.

Paul Ronzheimer: Soaking wet, but still alive

He was the first journalist ever to join refugees on a boat to Europe. If being on that ship with almost 60 people isn't enough, he also  streamed that trip live on Periscope. A dangerous journey where Ronzheimer could have easily lost his own life on his journalistic mission.

Tim Röhn: Fairplay? Criminal structures within the FIFA

Since 2014 Tim Röhn has been researching FIFA-related stories. The Motto of the International Football Association is “For the Game. For the World”. The german reporter is proving that this is not the case at all. Röhn revealed numerous abuses and criminal acts – not only within the Association, but also by their president Gianni Infantino.

Rukmini Callimachi: (Listening) Behind Enemy Lines

Rukmini Callimachi covers ISIS for the New York Times. She listens, and she is one of the few journalists who talks to terrorists about their motivations, which has garnered her immense criticism. But journalists should always tell both sides of a story – a guiding principle in Callimachi’s reporting. Her podcast Caliphate has brought her to fame, her reporting of the truth has shone the light of truth on the Islamic State and its members.

Yusuf Omar: Giving rape survivors a voice

As mobile editor at the “Hindustan Times” Yusuf Omar gave survivors of rape and sexual abuse a voice in 2016. He hid their faces with Snapchat face filters. In India it isn’t legally allowed to show the faces of rape survivors in media. At the moment Yusuf Omar is working on “Hashtag Our Stories”, a media project he is co-founder of.

Ali Arkady: Uncovering war crimes in Iraq

Photo journalist Ali Arkady uncovered horrible war crimes made by the Iraqi special force E.R.D. The soldiers tortured, raped and murdered most of their victims. Later Arkady published the crime footage in his documentary “Kissing Death“.

Carol Marbin Miller: Speaking up for the Silenced

For six years, she researched on a story called Innocents Lost. She made an impact by reporting on the deaths of 477 children. They got killed under the supervision of Florida’s Department of Children and Family. Millers work changed the law in Florida.

David Barstow: The fight against Goliath

David Barstow and the New York Times took the US government to court and won.

Anette Dowideit: Mafia in German nursing services

The journalist uncovered that the Russian Mafia defrauded one billion Euros from German nursing services.

Hajo Seppelt: Uncovering systematic doping

The Journalist found out about the systematic state-sponsored doping in Russia.

Sarah Ryley: Research against police arbitrariness

Sarah Ryley uncovered that the police in New York abused a law for decades to throw people out of their homes.

Greg Marinovich: Shooting the Dead

Greg Marinovichs pictures made history.

Maria Grazia Mazzola: Fearless against the Mafia

Maria Grazia Mazzola has been reporting on the Mafia for Italian TV for 30 years.

Martin Turček: Continuing the fight against corruption

Martin Turčeks colleague Ján Kuciak researched on corruption scandals between the Slovakian government and the Italian mafia.

Obermayer & Obermaier: Tackling tax evasion across the globe

An anonymous source sent Bastian Obermayer 2.6 Terabytes of data – the largest data leak recorded in history.

Paul Ronzheimer: Soaking wet, but still alive

He was the first journalist ever to join refugees on a boat to Europe.

Tim Röhn: Fairplay? Criminal structures within the FIFA

Since 2014 Tim Röhn has been researching FIFA-related stories.

Rukmini Callimachi: (Listening) Behind Enemy Lines

Rukmini Callimachi covers ISIS for the New York Times. She listens, and she is one of the few journalists who talks to terrorists about their motivations, which has garnered her immense criticism.

Yusuf Omar: Giving rape survivors a voice

As mobile editor at the “Hindustan Times” Yusuf Omar gave survivors of rape and sexual abuse a voice in 2016.

Ali Arkady: Uncovering war crimes in Iraq

Photo journalist Ali Arkady uncovered horrible war crimes made by the Iraqi special force E.R.D.

Carol Marbin Miller: Speaking up for the Silenced

For six years, she researched on a story called Innocents Lost. She made an impact by reporting on the deaths of 477 children.

ABOUT

Journalists are always looking for the truth, even if the one truth doesn’t exist. They keep a close eye on the powerful, they uncover problems. For this they need trust in their work. To gain it, there’s only one way: People need to know how journalists work.

mission: truth tells how great journalistic stories came about.

We talked to the journalists who made visible what others would have preferred to leave invisible. In order to get in touch with a younger audience, we took our project to Instagram.
Mission is a big word. Journalists should never be missionaries. Their only mission is the search for truth. That’s what it’s all about.

More  about this project