The focus of the session is on media responses to hidden power structures and the rise of global ‘shadow elites’ (Janine Wedel), i.e. power brokers who enjoy undisclosed influence on decisions on war and peace, public finance or social policies. This new power structure thrives on its “deniability” and calls into question the democratic “watchdog” function of traditional media. We invited participants to think about the ability of transnational collaboration networks to expose irresponsible structures and activities and thereby re-establish democratic accountability. Cases in point are the ‘Panama-Papers’ or ‘Lux-Leaks’-investigations. What kind of tools and resources are needed to carry out such large-scale endeavours? Have recent investigations truly revealed something that we did not know before? How to sustain political independence and avoid co-optation? And how do we know whether or not the public actually cares about investigative stories?
