VSQUARE.ORG – is an independent, cross-border journalism initiative dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting and independent press in the Visegrad Region

Western Ukraine burning. How Russia sets fire to the EU’s external border

Szabolcs Panyi Anastasiia Moroz Konrad Szczygieł

Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski

Police tracking journalists, not murderers

Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski

This was supposed to be a friendly conversation to help police investigate Jan Kuciak’s murder. She was interrogated eight hours, then her phone was taken.

Wojciech Cieśla

16.05.2018

16.07.2006 Sankt Petersburg Rosja Szczyt G8 czyli siedmiu najbardziej uprzemyslowionych panstw swiata i Rosji. Obrady. n/z Prezydent Rosji Wladimir Putin

Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski

Cast some votes for Putin

Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski

It was at the end of the day that we realized: they were cheating us. Suddenly it became clear that in Putin’s Russia, there’s no need to falsify votes in the elections. They know better tricks.

Mateusz Bajek

20.04.2018

The shady businesses and friendships of a Slovak leader of the Night Wolves

Vladimir Putin with the Night Wolves (including Alexander Zaldostanov), 2012; source: http://putin.kremlin.ru/

Dolna Krupa – a village near Trnava in Slovakia (about 60 kilometers from Bratislava) got into direct spotlight during this summer because of its new inhabitants. Pro-Putin motorcycle club the Night Wolves with their European “franchise” came to reside there in an old farm. They painted the buildings into camouflage colors, put up barbed wire […]

VSquare

24.09.2018

Stronger than evil

Photo by Peter Tkac | Demonstration in Bratislava, March 2nd 2018 | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0

This murder has opened many issues not taken care of for a long time. We should never forget Jan Kuciak’s death. It’s a tragic mark in the history of Slovakia. But it has a potential to change something in the country.

Patryk Szczepaniak

21.03.2018

You can not kill the story

Jano was not only one of the most reliable colleagues I have ever worked with, he was also a friend. I’ve known him for five years. And those five years were intense

Pavla Holcova

15.03.2018

The Model, the Mafia, and the Murderers

Reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancée were found dead this Sunday, killed by a single shot each. Kuciak was working on a story into the Ndrangheta in Slovakia. Here is journalist’s final story

VSQUARE

28.02.2018

ABOUT US

VSquare is an independent, cross-border journalism initiative dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting and independent press in the Visegrad Region.

fundacjareporterow.org

Reporters Foundation (Fundacja Reporterów) was established in 2010 by a group of leading Polish reporters. For many years its main mission was to train and support journalists from Eastern Europe, especially from Ukraine – through workshops, conferences and journalism awards. Support to strengthen cooperation between reporters and the skills of investigative journalists in Central Europe is an important part of Foundation’s philosophy.
investigace.cz

The Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism (České centrum pro investigativní žurnalistiku) was founded in 2013 by Czech journalists to promote cross-border investigative projects, train journalists and address the need of local journalism to follow new media trends. Center was part of global investigative journalism projects such as Pulitzer Prize winning Panama Papers, Swissleaks or Global Laundromat.
atlatszo.hu

“Atlatszo” means transparent in Hungarian. Established in 2011, atlatszo.hu produces investigative reports, files freedom of information requests and commences freedom of information lawsuits in cases where its requests are refused. Atlatszo is Hungary’s first investigative non-profit journalistic organisation financed by nonpartisan and non-governmental sources.
Aktuality.sk

Aktuality.sk is an online news outlet owned by
Ringier Axel Springer, in the last few years have devoted a lot of
energy to building strong investigative team.

fundacjareporterow.org

Reporters Foundation (Fundacja Reporterów) was established in 2010 by a group of leading Polish reporters. For many years its main mission was to train and support journalists from Eastern Europe, especially from Ukraine – through workshops, conferences and journalism awards. Support to strengthen cooperation among and the skills of investigative journalists in Central Europe is an important part of Foundation’s philosophy.
investigace.cz

The Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism (České centrum pro investigativní žurnalistiku) was founded in 2013 by Czech journalists to promote cross-border investigative projects, train journalists and address the need of local journalism to follow new media trends. Center was part of global investigative journalism projects such as Pulitzer Prize winning Panama Papers, Swissleaks or Global Laundromat.
atlatszo.hu

“Atlatszo” means transparent in Hungarian. Established in 2011, atlatszo.hu produces investigative reports, files freedom of information requests and commences freedom of information lawsuits in cases where its requests are refused. Atlatszo is Hungary’s first investigative journalism non-profit journalistic organisation financed by nonpartisan and non-governmental sources.
Aktuality.sk

Aktuality.sk is an online news outlet owned by
Ringier Axel Springer, in the last few years have devoted a lot of
energy to building strong investigative team.

LEAK TO US

Have you seen something that you think should be a story? Do you have documents we should see? We want to hear from you. We encourage whistleblowers to securely submit all forms of content that might be of public concern. We take source protection very seriously. There are a safe ways to share documents and messages with us.

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STAY IN TOUCH

We love to hear about what our readers are up to — both professionally and personally. If you are interested in hearing more about what is going on throughout the Visegrad countries, if you have feedback or questions about VSQUARE.ORG, please send to us your question/comment.

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MEET OUR TEAM

Wojciech Cieśla

Polish journalist, since 2012 working with Newsweek Polska magazine. Co-founder of Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation), member of the investigate-europe.eu, working with OCCRP. Based in Warsaw.
Paweł Reszka

Polish journalist, co- founder of Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Worked as a foreign correspondent covering Russia; former head of investigative desk at Dziennik daily. Based in Warsaw.
Pavla Holcová

Czech journalist, founder of the Czech Center for Investigative Journalism. Closely working with OCCRP. A co-recipient
of the Global Shining Light Award. Based in Prague.
Konrad Szczygieł

Polish journalist, reporter at oko.press, since 2016 working with Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation), in 2016 shortlisted for Grand Press award. Based in Warsaw.
Patryk Szczepaniak

Polish journalist, reporter at oko.press, since 2016 working with Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Based in Warsaw.
Anita Komuves

Hungarian journalist, works with the investigative outlet Atlatszo. She won the Junior Prima Prize in 2012. Former Fulbright/Humphrey Fellow. Based in Budapest.
Szabolcs Panyi

Hungarian journalist at Index.hu. Covers foreign policy, national security, Russian influence. Currently a Hubert H. Humphrey/Fulbright fellow at Arizona State University. Based in Phoenix.
Anna Gielewska

Polish journalist, since 2012 in Wprost weekly. Covers politics, coordinator at Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Shortlisted for Grand Press and Mediatory awards. Based in Warsaw.
Edyta Żemła

Polish journalist, since 2016 working for onet.pl. Former journalist at Rzeczpospolita daily and editor-in-chief of Polska Zbrojna, war correspondent in Afghanistan. Based in Warsaw.
Anastasiia Moroz

Ukrainian journalist, since 2017 working at Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Based in Warsaw.

MEET OUR TEAM

Wojciech Cieśla

Polish journalist, since 2012 working with Newsweek Polska magazine. Co-founder of Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation), member of the investigate-europe.eu, working with OCCRP. Based in Warsaw.
Paweł Reszka

Polish journalist, co- founder of Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Worked as a foreign correspondent covering Russia; former head of investigative desk at Dziennik daily. Based in Warsaw.
Pavla Holcová

Czech journalist, founder of the Czech Center for Investigative Journalism. Closely working with OCCRP. A co-recipient
of the Global Shining Light Award. Based in Prague.
Konrad Szczygieł

Polish journalist, reporter at oko.press, since 2016 working with Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation), in 2016 shortlisted for Grand Press award. Based in Warsaw.
Patryk Szczepaniak

Polish journalist, reporter at oko.press, since 2016 working with Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Based in Warsaw.
Anita Komuves

Hungarian journalist, works with the investigative outlet Atlatszo. She won the Junior Prima Prize in 2012. Former Fulbright/Humphrey Fellow. Based in Budapest.
Szabolcs Panyi

Hungarian journalist at Index.hu. Covers foreign policy, national security, Russian influence. Currently a Hubert H. Humphrey/Fulbright fellow at Arizona State University. Based in Phoenix.
Anna Gielewska

Polish journalist, since 2012 in Wprost weekly. Covers politics, coordinator at Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Shortlisted for Grand Press and Mediatory awards. Based in Warsaw.
Edyta Żemła

Polish journalist, since 2016 working for onet.pl. Former journalist at Rzeczpospolita daily and editor-in-chief of Polska Zbrojna, war correspondent in Afghanistan. Based in Warsaw.
Anastasiia Moroz

Ukrainian journalist, since 2017 working at Fundacja Reporterów (Reporters Foundation). Based in Warsaw.

VSQUARE.ORG

is an independent, cross-border journalism initiative dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting and independent press in the Visegrad Region