In the digital age, the use of technology is crucial. Especially in cross-border teams, tools for communication and cooperation are indispensable. Because technical developments in software are rapid, it is impractical to share a list of applications here: tomorrow the list may look different. Nevertheless, there are some commonly used tools in investigative journalism for communication and collaboration that are mentioned in this chapter. But whichever tool the team decides to use, be aware of some tricky issues regarding their purchase and use.
Choosing the Right Tools
Choosing the right tools for collaboration can be challenging: not everyone is used to working with the same applications, some are not secure enough in a particular country or are too complicated and cost too much time versus what it offers team members. Sharing information or storing data is often easiest with the most commonly used tools, but they are not always the most secure.
While the team as a whole must agree on which tools will be used for the project, the project manager can act as a guide and advisor in making these choices. Of course, there may be experts on the team who can explain a choice for or against using specific applications. This applies, for example, to security and data management.
Kick-Off
During the preparations for the kick-off session, a project manager can collect from the different team members which software they prefer to work with to communicate, share data and information, or perform other tasks within the project. That way, the options can be presented faster during the meeting itself and allow the whole team to decide which tool to work with.
- Discuss which tools you need as a team to communicate with each other, share data and additional applications. (For example, a messaging service, a server with storage capacity, and an app with satellite photos).
- Specify exactly how you will use those tools (e.g., Signal for short messages, ProtonMail for the longer messages, and Proton Drive to store and share all documents).
- Also discuss which project management tools you want to use to monitor planning, tasks, and deadlines, and how the team wants to interact with them (i.e., who will have edit versus view-only permission).
- Discuss security and privacy, check that everyone agrees with the chosen tools or to a more in-depth review to find tools that meet the requirements of the team and the project.
- And finally, make sure every team member is comfortable using the chosen tools. Set up training for those who are not familiar with a certain tool from a senior user in the team.
Even if the team has chosen to use common tools, it is up to the project manager to check on cost, security, and return on investment (ROI) from his/her own knowledge or by consulting experts.
General Issues to Consider When Choosing Tools
When selecting tools for communicating and managing a project, it is always possible that a search needs to be made for a tool that is not yet known to someone or is new on the market. In that case, there are a number of things that are important to take into account in that search. By carefully considering these factors, a project manager and the team can select tools that not only streamline but also safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of their work.
- Compliance and ethical considerations
- Servers that are well secured and not accessible by governments.
- Are sources protected as well with the chosen tools?
- Free use of a tool usually means that tools will have access to the data you input or upload to it, which could put your project’s security at risk.
- Safety and security considerations
- Preference for tools that are encrypted
- Two-way authentication
- Use of a password manager with suggested passwords and a protocol for regularly changing passwords
- Budget considerations
- Free trials and demos for new tools (check compliance);
- Open source versus. proprietary tools;
- Vendor negotiation;
- Hidden or unexpected costs;
- Upfront costs versus long-term costs;
- Per-user costs;
- Feature-based pricing.
There are a number of platforms offered by journalism organizations that are fully equipped to function as a collaborative online editorial team.
Then there are general platforms that can be set up by the team itself. Be aware that these platforms may not comply to your safety standards.
Project Management Tools
When one searches the internet for project management software, a large number of tools emerge that are designed to streamline communication, collaboration, and task management. However, there are a number of points to consider when choosing the right software for the project.
- Visibility of progress: A transparent overview of the project’s progress, allowing all team members to see what has been done and what still needs attention. This visibility fosters a culture of accountability, as everyone is aware of their responsibilities and the project’s overall status.
- Flexibility: Projects can vary greatly in scope and complexity. Any tool should allow for customizable workflows, task prioritization, and adaptable project structures.
- Deadline tracking: The ability to set and monitor deadlines is critical. Tools should provide notifications and reminders to ensure that time-sensitive tasks are completed.
- Project scaling: Ideally, any tool chosen should be able to handle both small-scale projects with a few team members and larger, more complex investigations involving multiple teams across different locations.
- Growth flexibility: If there is a possibility that the scope of the project evolves, the tool should be able to scale in terms of users, data storage, and functionality.
- Resource management: Projects can be resource-intensive, requiring careful allocation of time, money, and manpower.
- Cost tracking: Some tools offer features to track project expenses, which is particularly useful for managing the financial aspect of an investigation, especially when dealing with tight budgets or grants.
Popular Project Management Platforms
Trello
Trello is a highly flexible and user-friendly project management tool that uses a card-and-board system to manage tasks and projects.
Why it’s good for investigative journalism:
– Simplicity and customization: Trello’s interface is easy to use, and its boards can be customized to fit the workflow of investigative teams, from organizing research to tracking story progress.
– Collaboration: It supports real-time collaboration, making it easier for teams to work together, share updates, and keep track of tasks.
– Security: While Trello provides basic security features, including two-factor authentication (2FA) and SSL encryption, it can be integrated with third-party tools for enhanced security.
Best for: Smaller teams or individual journalists who need a flexible, visual tool to manage their investigations.
Airtable
Overview: Airtable is a flexible, cloud-based tool that combines the features of a spreadsheet with a database, allowing for powerful data organization and management.
Why it’s good for investigative journalism:
– Data management: Airtable is excellent for organizing large amounts of data, which is crucial in investigative journalism. Teams can create custom databases to manage research, sources, and documents.
– Customizable views: It offers various views (grid, calendar, Kanban, gallery) that can be customized to suit different aspects of a project.
– Collaboration and security: Airtable supports collaboration with features like real-time editing, comment threads, and advanced security measures, including 2FA and data encryption.
Best for: Teams that need to manage large datasets and require a highly customizable tool for complex investigations.
Asana
Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that offers more advanced features for task management, timelines, and workflow automation.
Why it’s good for investigative journalism:
– Task and workflow management: Asana allows teams to create complex workflows, assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress, which is ideal for managing the multiple facets of an investigation.
– Integration: It integrates with many other tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox, helping teams centralize their work.
– Security: Asana offers strong security features, including data encryption at rest and in transit, single sign-on (SSO), and advanced permissions settings.
Best for: Larger investigative teams that need to manage complex projects with multiple moving parts.
Communication Tools
The tools listed here each offer unique features that cater to the specific needs of investigative journalism teams. Signal and Wire are top choices for secure messaging and communication, Slack and Mattermost are ideal for team collaboration with more comprehensive communication options, and Proton Mail provides secure email capabilities. Threema and Keybase offer additional privacy-focused features, making them suitable for teams that need high levels of security and anonymity.
Security and privacy are non-negotiable when choosing online meeting tools. Jitsi Meet stands out for its open source nature and self-hosting options, making it ideal for teams needing maximum control over their data. Zoom and Microsoft Teams offer robust features with the option for end-to-end encryption, catering to both small and large teams with diverse collaboration needs. Cisco Webex is suited for organizations requiring enterprise-grade security and compliance, while Signal offers unparalleled privacy for smaller, sensitive discussions. Whereby provides a straightforward, browser-based option with strong security features.
The choice of tool should be guided by the team’s specific requirements regarding security, ease of use, integration with other tools, and the sensitivity of the information being handled.
Written Communication Tools
Signal
Signal is an encrypted messaging app known for its strong focus on privacy and security.
Key features:
– End-to-end encryption: Signal uses state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption for all messages, calls, and video chats, ensuring that communications are secure and private.
– Disappearing messages: Messages can be set to disappear after a certain time, which is useful for keeping communications secure and reducing the risk of sensitive information being exposed.
– No metadata storage: Signal does not store metadata about your communications, further protecting your privacy.
Best for: Journalists and investigative teams who need a highly secure platform for discussing sensitive information and communicating with sources.
Slack
Slack is a popular team communication platform that facilitates real-time messaging, file sharing, and collaboration.
Key features:
– Channels: Slack allows teams to create channels for different topics, projects, or teams, keeping communications organized and focused.
– Direct messaging: In addition to channels, team members can communicate privately via direct messages.
– Integration with other tools: Slack integrates with a wide range of other tools (e.g., Google Drive, Trello, Asana), making it a central hub for communication and project management.
– Security: Slack provides strong security features, including data encryption in transit and at rest, SSO, and 2FA. However, for extremely sensitive communications, additional encryption tools may be necessary.
Best for: Teams that need a versatile and organized communication tool, particularly those working on collaborative and ongoing projects.
Proton Mail, Calendar, and Drive
Proton Mail is a secure email service that provides end-to-end encryption for emails. Proton Calendar is an encrypted calendar service that integrates with ProtonMail. (See below for more info on Proton Drive)
Key features:
– End-to-end encryption: Emails sent between Proton Mail users are automatically encrypted, and the service also supports encrypted email exchanges with non-Proton Mail users via password protection.
– No logging: Proton Mail does not log IP addresses or metadata, ensuring that communication details remain private.
– Proton calendar integration: Proton Calendar allows teams to schedule meetings and manage events with the same level of encryption and privacy.
– Open source and transparency: Proton’s code is open source, and the service is based in Switzerland, which has strong privacy laws.
Best for: Teams that require secure email communication and encrypted scheduling tools for coordinating sensitive meetings and deadlines.
Online Meeting Tools
Signal (for Video Calls)
Overview: Signal is primarily known as a secure messaging app, but it also supports encrypted voice and video calls (individual and group calls).
Key features:
– End-to-end encryption: All video calls made through Signal are end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that no one other than the participants can access the conversation.
– Mobile and desktop support: Signal is available on both mobile devices and desktops, making it accessible for users in different locations.
– Minimal data collection: Signal collects minimal metadata and is designed with privacy in mind, making it a top choice for highly sensitive communications.
Best for: Small investigative teams or one-on-one meetings where maximum privacy and simplicity are essential.
Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing tool that is known for its ease of use and strong security features.
Key features:
– End-to-end encryption: Jitsi Meet offers end-to-end encryption for one-on-one calls, with ongoing work to extend this to group calls. This ensures that only the participants can access the content of the meeting.
– No account required: Users can join meetings without needing to create an account, reducing the risk of data collection and tracking.
– Self-hosting option: For maximum security, teams can host their own Jitsi Meet server, giving them full control over their data and privacy settings.
– Screen sharing and collaboration: Jitsi Meet supports screen sharing, making it easier for teams to present research findings, documents, and other materials during meetings.
Best for: Investigative teams that need a secure, flexible, and easy-to-use video conferencing solution, especially those who prefer or require self-hosting.
Zoom with End-to-End Encryption
Zoom is a widely used video conferencing platform that has added end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as an option for enhanced security.
Key features:
– End-to-end encryption: When enabled, Zoom’s encryption ensures that the content of the meeting is secure and can only be decrypted by the meeting participants. This provides a higher level of security for sensitive discussions.
– Large meeting capacity: Zoom supports large meetings with up to hundreds of participants, making it suitable for larger teams or webinars.
– Breakout rooms and collaboration tools: Zoom offers breakout rooms, screen sharing, and a variety of collaboration tools like whiteboards and polls, which can be useful for brainstorming sessions or detailed project discussions.
Best for: Teams that need a widely supported, feature-rich platform with the option for end-to-end encryption, especially for larger meetings or detailed collaborative sessions.
Data and Information Management
Modern investigative journalism often involves processing large amounts of data. There are numerous tools and techniques for efficient data management, storage, and analysis. Although a project manager often does not have or need to have in-depth knowledge and a data journalist is better added to the team, it is not a bad idea for a project manager to know something about storing and managing this data to protect the team and the investigation. Of course, an expert can always be consulted if the knowledge is not available within the team.
At both the beginning and end of the project, the project manager has a role in data and information management — ensuring that secure and appropriate tools are selected that fit within budget, and at the end of the project:
Once an investigation is completed, tools can help archive all related documents, notes, and data in an organized manner, making it easier to refer to or access the study in the future. And don’t forget to talk about the storage of the investigation: who will be in charge, how long will you archive all findings etcetera.
After a publication (series), the input from used tools can help analyze the project process, identify what worked well and what could be improved, and document lessons learned for future projects. For example: has there been much deviation from the first planning (baseline)? In some project management tools you can compare the difference between the first and the planning after all adjustments. But also: did the chosen tools really make the work easier or would a different tool be chosen for a similar project?
Digital Security and Encryption
The protection of sensitive information is paramount in investigative journalism. Project managers (and all other team members) must be well-versed in digital security practices and encryption tools to safeguard both the project and its contributors. This section explores best practices for securing communications, ensuring the privacy of sources, and mitigating the risks associated with digital investigations.
More to read about security and encryption:
- Security – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
- Encryption – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
- Digital Security – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
- Digital Self-Defense for Journalists: An Introduction – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
- Safety & Security – Global Investigative Journalism Network (gijn.org)
Toolboxes
- https://gijn.org/resource/business-tools/
- https://toolfinder.co/tools
- https://collaborativejournalism.org/technology/
- PM-IJ – Toolbox
Newsletters about new tools
Coco Gubbels became aware of the need for and added value of project management in investigative journalism a few years ago. As a former freelance investigative journalist and practicing project manager in the corporate world, she noticed how collaborative journalism was maturing, but journalists were still lacking the necessary skills.
She now combines her passion for investigative journalism and her profession as a project manager in her one-woman organization PM-IJ: Project Management in Investigative Journalism. As a freelance project manager, she coordinates large international investigations, coaches and trains coordinators and mentors cross-border teams. She is the founder of a peer support group on LinkedIn to create a network of collaborative managers to learn and share experiences.