Journalism Cloud Alliance Inaugural Meeting

A side event at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy

Organisers: Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

Date: 17 April 2024

Time: 12:00 - 18:00 (CET)

Venue: Hotel Giò, Perugia

Format: Hybrid (in-person and online)

The Journalism Cloud Alliance (JCA) is spearheaded by the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Its and partners include the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Pulitzer Center, Center for Journalism and Liberty, Big Local News, Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), Forbidden Stories, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Pluro Labs, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), and Paper Trail Media alongside academic and philanthropic organisations. The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation provided initial funding for the Journalism Cloud Alliance and its inaugural meeting.

Other news outlets and aligned groups can join the Alliance by contacting [e-mail].

The Journalism Cloud Alliance was launched on 17 April 2024 in Perugia, Italy, at the International Journalism Festival to tackle the challenges faced by investigative journalism and data newsrooms, arising from the significant expenses and constraints associated with cloud computing. Its aim is to collaborate in finding ways to make data storage and processing capacity more accessible, secure, and affordable for investigative and data newsrooms. This is a much-needed evolution to make the next big leap in investigative and enterprise journalism to better serve the public.

Artificial intelligence’s (AI) ability to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and generate data analysis has opened new frontiers for journalism in general, but the impact is especially relevant for data and investigative journalism organisations and networks in particular. In a bid to navigate the evolving tech landscape, the inaugural meeting of the Journalism Cloud Alliance brought together stakeholders from across the sector. Hosted by the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the gathering aimed to analyse the market and address the rising costs and constraints of cloud computing, while also developing collaborative solutions to help watchdog journalism fulfil its public service role.

Participants concluded by outlining concrete steps for taking this initiative forward. Proposals included conducting detailed research on cloud capacity and costs for both current and potential members of the Alliance, as well as expanding membership to build a robust coalition that can secure long-term financial and technical support for journalism costs. Additionally, participants discussed engaging in collective bargaining to negotiate lower costs for cloud services. These initiatives underscore the group’s commitment to leveraging collective bargaining power to unlock significant cost savings and enhance accessibility for journalism and media organisations of all sizes.

Learn more about the meeting:

Meeting agendaSpeakersLiterature Review