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The Silenced collection created by investigative journalist Jeff Wicks has put News24 in the running for the 2023 World wide Shining Light Awards. Photo screengrab from Information24’s Silenced documentary.&#13

• News24’s Silenced
  collection is one of six ground-breaking investigative journalism projects
  shortlisted for the 2023 Global Shining Light-weight Awards.
• The investigative series,
  led by News24’s Jeff Wicks, has been named a finalist in the group for
  substantial news outlets from creating or transitioning nations around the world.
• Other information publications
  from Indonesia, Ukraine, Brazil, Nigeria, and Venezuela have been named as
  fellow finalists. 
• You can capture up on
  Information24’s Silenced series here and
  check out our freshly unveiled documentary in this article.  

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News24’s investigative
collection, Silenced, which uncovered a multimillion-rand
extraction syndicate at Tembisa Clinic in Gauteng, has been introduced as just one
of the entrance runners for the bi-once-a-year World-wide Shining Mild Awards, hosted
by the International Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN). 

The Silenced investigation stood
out from far more than 400 apps from 84 countries and was named a single of six
finalists for the coveted award in the group for huge news stores.

Spearheaded by Information24
investigative journalist Jeff Wicks, Silenced followed the 2021 murder
of Gauteng health department financial accounting main Babita
Deokaran.

In the course of the year-lengthy project,
Wicks traced a string of suspicious transactions very first flagged
by Deokaran shortly before her murder and uncovered a sophisticated
tender scheme comprised of shell enterprise networks and politically
connected figures who made millions in doubtful hospital deals while
top rated Gauteng health and fitness officials turned a blind eye. 

Unique Website | Silenced: Why
Babita Deokaran was murdered

Wicks faced threats and
intimidation while developing the collection that uncovered large corruption and led
to the suspension of executives and the launch of several investigations.

The judging panel for the 2023
International Shining Mild Awards outlined they ended up struck by how Wicks and other
journalists have been ready to create “extensive sets of sources mainly on
their possess, at fantastic private hazard”. 

A person choose remarked Wicks’ courageous do the job
was on show by means of “a actually extensive and exhaustive investigation”. 

“I am over and above happy that our
News24 investigation into the assassination of Babita Deokaran has manufactured the
shortlist. I hope that it honours Babita’s sacrifice in some small way,”
stated Wicks on the shortlist announcement.

Pieter du Toit, News24’s assistant editor for
in-depth information, reported Wicks was extremely dogged in his tactic to the story,
demonstrating the crucial purpose played by whistle blowers in investigative
reporting.

In April, Information24 unveiled
a documentary film accompanying Wicks’
investigation, which he described as a monument to Deokaran’s bravery, and the
sacrifice of all whistle blowers.

The politically explosive
undertaking also earned Wicks the Taco Kuiper award for
investigative journalism last month, acquired jointly with GroundUp’s Ray
Joseph.

DOCUMENTARY | Silenced: Why
Babita Deokaran was murdered

Information24’s Silenced sequence
represents South Africa in the award classification together with other media retailers
from Indonesia, Ukraine, Brazil, Nigeria and Venezuela.

A total of 12 finalists will be
declared this 7 days 6 from huge information shops and 6 from compact and medium
news shops throughout the world.

This 2023 World Shining Light-weight
Awards ceremony will be held in September at the Global Investigative
Journalism Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The GIJN hosts the awards every
two many years to honour fearless investigative journalism in acquiring or
transitioning international locations carried out below menace, or in substantial-risk
situations. 

If you would like to lead to
much more courageous, in-depth News24 investigations, become a
Information24 subscriber.