Every story has a hidden side
We are an independent investigative journalism newspaper. We investigate the most complex stories and reveal what hides in the shadows to better understand the world around us.
Find out moreWe are the first non-profit investigative journalism center founded in Italy
IRPI, Investigative Reporting Project Italy, was founded in 2012 to promote and produce public interest journalism.
The center and its reporting contributes to the improvement of the Italian information ecosystem in Italy, additionally through training activities in collaboration with private and institutional partners.
Since 2020 IRPI has been the publisher of IrpiMedia, our online magazine created to give space to independent and rigorous investigative journalism, fueling a more informed public debate and contributing to a fairer society.
Our journalism is based on facts and investigates sensitive issues for democratic functioning: contrast to mafias, corruption, transparency of public administrations, environment and human rights violations.
2012
Our investigative journalism center is born
2020
IrpiMedia, our independent newspaper is born
17
Journalists distributed in 4 thematic newsrooms
30+
International partners between newspapers and organizations
Why journalism
independence is vital
IrpiMedia focuses on journalism of public interest, without letting economic, political or algorithmic logic pressures decide which stories deserve to be told.
We are anchored in Italy, but our reporting matters for global issues. We collaborate with media around the world in international investigations. To do so, we count on the direct support of our audience.
Impact
An inquiry
can change things
Our work doesn’t end with the publication.
We follow the impact of our investigations, from the institutional responses to civil society initiatives, to understand how the stories we tell continue to develop and what change they produce.
In 2023 we began investigating the presence of PFAS– toxic substances–that can be found in the firefighters’ suits and foams but was ignored by the Ministry of the Interior.
Our investigation triggered union protests, requests for parliamentary inquiry and health checks at the regional level. It also raised awareness of several cases of firefighters who had died from glioblastomas, a rare tumor. Three years after our first investigation, the Ministry has finally started a health screening for firefighters.
387
Firefighters involved in the ministerial screening on Pfas
10
Parliamentarians signatures to raise an inquiry in the European Parliament
3
Regional interrogations in Veneto, Piedmont and Lombardy
freedom of the press
The legal battles
we face
We are on the frontlines battling against SLAPPs: lawsuits used to intimidate journalists.
We are part of the Case Italia coalition that fights those who use legal weapons as a tool against freedom of expression.
In the last decade we have faced many legal battles that we have won at a high cost. Not only economically, but also in terms of our workload: journalists busy defending themselves have less time to produce new investigations. To date we have in progress:
2 criminal proceedings
2 criminal trials
1 cross-border slapp*
More than € 150 thousand compensations contested
*Criminal trial in Italy and France, civil trial in Spain and the United States
editorial
A team at the service of free information
Behind every investigation are real people: reporters, editors, photographers and filmmakers.
Our thematic newsrooms
We do not chase everyday stories but we dedicate time and resources to specific investigations.
Migrations
We go beyond single emergencies to investigate the policies, bilateral agreements and economic interests along European borders behind crises.
Surveillance
We investigate the link between power and technology, such as the use of spyware to control citizens and journalists and activists, to defend individual and collective freedoms.
Environment
We look for the connections between climate crisis, economic interests and public health, paying attention to those who benefit from the funds and those who pay the costs.
Mafias
We tell the evolution of mafias in their transnational dimension and their ability to infiltrate the legal economy between finance, business and institutions.
Awards & Recognitions
An internationally
recognized journalism
Over the years, our work has received important international awards, from the Daphne Caruana Galizia Award to the European Press Prize Special Award, to the SABEW Award. In 2025 the editorial staff also received the Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a recognition of our commitment to freedom of information.
| Year | Outcome | Award | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Winner | Daphne Caruana Galizia Award | The Shadow Fleet Secrets The networks that allow Russia to circumvent the sanctions on oil. |
| 2025 | Winner | European Press Prize Special Award |
The Baku Connection Corruption and repression in Azerbaijan, investigated by an international network. |
| 2025 | Winner | IJ4EU Impact Award | Desert Dumps The expulsions of migrants and their abandonment in the North African desert. |
| 2025 | Short-listed | SABEW Best in Business Data Journalism |
Dubai Unlocked The real estate investments of criminals and corrupt politicians in Dubai. |
| 2025 | Winner | IGM Awards Crime and Legal Affairs |
La scommessa di Agius The links between a Maltese criminal and Italian bookmakers. |
| 2024 | Short-listed | Global Shining Light Award | Desert Dumps The expulsion of migrants and their abandonment in the North African desert. |
| 2023 | Winner | Premio Ilaria Alpi | Pfas, i pompieri contaminati Toxic substances in firefighters' vests. |
| 2022 | Special mention | European Press Prize | Paper Trail The routes of paper waste between Italy and Asia. |
network and collaborations
Investigative journalism
doesn’t act alone
The stories we investigate often cross national borders and require skills that go beyond a single staff member. This is why we believe in the value of collaboration.
We are part of the Reference Circle, the European independent media network, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), two international organizations that facilitate transnational investigations into organized crime and corruption. We collaborate with universities and research centers, such as Transcrime, to make investigations interdisciplinary and accurate.
We are part of and collaborate with:
Economic transparency
Transparency is a commitment to our audience
Every year we share a detailed report of activities, income and expenses with our audience.
Audience donations finance our editorial staff, the investigations, and the activities necessary to ensure the sustainability of IrpiMedia. We have also created a fund to support freelance collaborators, journalists and photographers.
In 2025 we recorded an income of €477,518 but our expenses totaled €596,780. 90% of our income is made of project funds won through a call or donations received from international philanthropy.
To our current and past donors, who have made the work of IRPI and IrpiMedia possible, thank you.
Philanthropy is an important part of our organization’s funding, but it can only offer short-term solutions. The only way to guarantee the long-term sustainability of IrpiMedia’is through audience support . This is why we are asking our audience and community for support.
Incomes
-
Core funds 64%
-
Project funds 32%
-
Editorial & Merchandising 2%
-
Memberships 2%
-
Editorial products 0,2%
Expenses
-
Personnel 65%
-
Contributors and Projects 17%
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Softwares and Licenses 7%
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Consultancy & production costs 3%
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Reimbursements 3%
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Travels & Projects 3%
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Other 1%
Organizzazioni finanziatrici
Independent journalism also thrives thanks to strong partnerships
IRPI is also supported through philanthropy: organizations and foundations that finance journalism projects.
The foundations that support or have supported our projects:
