Over our two decades of working with hundreds of news companies around the world, we have seen countless examples of how independent media have a profound impact on their societies. From local news websites to national broadcasters, our clients expose corruption, hold those in power to account and encourage democratic participation. They also cover social issues that other outlets ignore or often report on with prejudice, like the environment, gender, ethnicity and LGBT. Here are some examples.

Evidence of gang negotiations
In El Salvador, when homicide numbers suddenly started to drop, El Faro
published an exposé detailing secret negotiations with gang leaders inside jail.
Citing leaked documents, the award-winning digital outlet described how the
government negotiated with incarcerated leaders of the MS-13 gang to reduce
violence on the streets and win their support in mid-term elections in exchange for
prison privileges. The President and the administration denied the allegations and
accused the outlet of money laundering. The Attorney General’s Office opened a
probe, with prosecutors not only confirming the existence of the negotiations, but
also finding that the government was also negotiating with both factions of Barrio
18 and that prison officials had tried to hide logbooks and hard drives documenting
the talks. Soon after, the Legislative Assembly, controlled by the President’s party,
illegally removed and replaced the Attorney General in charge of the investigation.
The new Attorney General then disbanded the unit handling the case.