The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists began publishing its Trafficking Inc. investigation on Oct. 27, and will continue publishing stories in partnership with media outlets from around the world over the coming months.

What is the Trafficking Inc. investigation?

Trafficking Inc. is an investigation into human trafficking in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States. ICIJ and its media partners are working to bring to light untold stories of hardship and abuse suffered by trafficked people — and expose the networks of companies, individuals and business practices that set the traps and profit from them.

What sort of trafficking does this investigation cover?

Trafficking Inc., focuses on two forms of human trafficking: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Both involve using force, fraud or coercion to induce someone to work or provide a service.

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What are some of the major findings of Trafficking Inc. so far?

The stories so far reveal that many foreign workers for defense contractors on U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf have been targets of abusive labor practices — including illegal recruiting fees that force migrants who are paid as little as $1 an hour to work for years before they’ve paid off their debts. Other stories produced by the reporting partnership highlight flaws in U.S. protections for trafficked workers and the failure of Massachusetts authorities to punish labor traffickers who prey on vulnerable workers.

ICIJ and its media partners will be publishing more stories over the coming months.

What news outlets are involved in this reporting partnership?

The investigative team includes journalists from ICIJ, NBC News, WGBH Boston, The Washington Post, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley.

Other media partners will be added as the investigation continues.

Are there any leaked files behind the Trafficking Inc. investigation?

While there isn’t a specific leaked database behind this investigation, ICIJ and its reporters have been receiving documents and other evidence from multiple countries.

Do you have a story about corruption, fraud, or abuse of power?

LEAK TO ICIJ!

ICIJ accepts information about wrongdoing by corporate, government or public services around the world. We do our utmost to guarantee the confidentiality of our sources.

How do I get in touch with ICIJ if I want to share a tip or leak documents?

ICIJ ​encourages​ ​whistleblowers​ ​to ​submit​ ​all​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​content​ ​that​ ​might​ ​be​ ​of​ ​public​ ​concern​ ​—​ ​documents,​ ​photos, video​ ​clips​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​story​ ​tips — and to do so securely. We​ ​accept​ ​all​ ​information​ ​that​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​potential​ ​wrongdoing​ ​by​ ​corporate,​ ​government​ ​or public​ ​service​ ​entities​ ​in​ ​any​ ​country,​ ​anywhere​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​We​ ​do​ ​our​ ​utmost​ ​to​ ​guarantee the​ ​confidentiality​ ​of​ ​our​ ​sources. Please email traffickinginc@icij.org, or explore other ways to contact us securely.

What is the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)?

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a donor-supported investigative news outlet and consortium of reporters and media partners who work together to tell stories that rock the world.

ICIJ works with the biggest and the smallest media organizations in the world to do the watchdog journalism they used to do alone. We retain a network of trusted journalists, which has grown by invitation to 280 of the best investigative reporters from more than 100 countries and territories.

How does ICIJ choose its investigation partners?

When bringing together a collaboration, ICIJ begins by assessing available data and identifying areas of reporting need, with a particular focus on engaging journalists in countries where we know there will be important stories and strong public interest. We then prioritize finding partners with proven investigative records, who we can trust to work discreetly, collaboratively and respectfully with reporters from around the world.