Correctiv


Correctiv is a German nonprofit investigative journalism newsroom based in Essen and Berlin. It is run by CORRECTIV – Recherchen für die Gesellschaft gemeinnützige GmbH, which also runs the online journalism academy Reporterfabrik.
Its stated goals are to provide free, independent journalism accessible to everyone. Furthermore, the collective aims to counter disinformation to strengthen democratic structures.
Correctiv counts more than 70 employees and associates and states to be the first nonprofit investigative center in Germany due to being exclusively financed by donations and fundings since 2014. The collective describes itself as an organization that is "one of the many answers to the media crisis." Correctiv publishes reports in multiple languages beside German including Arabic, English, French, Russian and Turkish, via its website and partner outlets.
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History

Correctiv was initiated in January 2014 by the charitable organization "Correctiv – Recherchen für die Gesellschaft" based in Essen with an initial financial support by the Brost Foundation with a grant of €1 million per year for three years.
In 2017 Reporterfabrik, an independent journalism school was founded partly by people from the Correctiv collective. Correctiv continues to host and closely work with Reporterfabrik.
Correctiv.Lokal, a network for joint research by local journalists, bloggers and experts, was launched in August 2018 together with the Rudolf Augstein Foundation.
In May 2020, the Salon5 youth editorial team was founded with the support of the Ruhr Conference of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and the RAG Foundation.
In 2025, Correctiv was designated as an undesirable organization in Russia.

Organization

Correctiv is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network.

Funding

Correctiv is a nonprofit organization and exempt from taxation under German law. The funding comes largely from establishment foundations and corporations, such as the Open Society Foundations, Google Germany GmbH, and German Telekom, as well as membership fees and donations from the users and readers. All donations of more than €1000 are listed on the website. Despite depending on establishment foundations and corporations for most of its funding, Correctiv claims to be "nonprofit, independent and investigative".

Board of directors

David Schraven is the publisher and Jeannette Gusko the executive director.

Editorial stance

Correctiv wants "to make investigative and informative journalism affordable and accessible to media organizations throughout Germany."

Reports/Publications

Correctiv reported amongst other things on
  • "The System of Putin"
  • "TTIP - The Deal"
  • "Flight MH17"
  • "The Invisibles"
  • "Weisse Wölfe"
  • "Court Donations"
  • "Mafia in Africa"
  • "Mafia"
  • "Deadly Superbugs"
  • "Football Doping"
  • "Generation E"
  • Couchsurfing
  • "Business Cheats"
  • "Das Olivenöl-Kartell"
  • "CumEx-Files"
  • "Grand Theft Europe"

Flight MH17

Correctiv described the Flight MH17 as one of the greatest war crimes of modern times. Over several months it gathered facts, investigated in eastern Ukraine and Russia, and found witnesses to the missile launch, unveiled a clear chain of evidence that MH17 was downed by a BUK missile ground-launched by a unit of the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade from Kursk. The brigade unit operated in mid July on Ukrainian territory without displaying national emblems.

2024 AfD revelations

In January 2024, Correctiv published a report titled "Secret Plan Against Germany" that described a meeting between AfD and CDU members and far-right elements to plan a program of forced "re-migration" of immigrants and others considered undesirable. The report led to mass demonstrations in Germany against AfD.

Awards

  • 2014: Journalist des Jahres in category "newcomer" for the team of Correctiv
  • 2015: Grimme Online Award for their investigation "MH17 – Die Suche nach der Wahrheit"
  • 2015: Deutscher Reporterpreis in category "innovation" for graphic feature "Weisse Wölfe" by David Schraven and Jan Feindt
  • 2015: Franco-German Journalism Award for "MH17 – Die Suche nach der Wahrheit"
  • 2016: Deutscher Reporterpreis in category "innovation"
  • 2016: Journalist des Jahres in category "Team des Jahres"
  • 2016: LeadAward in category Independent of the year
  • 2016: Axel Springer Preis in category "Investigation" for undercover feature "animal thieves"
  • 2016: Award "Innovation of the year" by Wirtschaftsjournalist magazine for developing the software and the analysis of mutual banks "Sparkassen-Check"
  • 2017: ERM-Media Award for sustainable development. Award for Fabian Löhe and Annika Joeres for Correctiv
  • 2018: Franco-German Journalism Award for the project "searise" by Annika Joeres and Simon Jockers for Correctiv
  • 2018: Dr.-Georg-Schreiber-Mediaaward
  • 2018: Journalist award by Apothekerstiftung Westfalen Lippe for reporting on "Alte Apotheke"
  • 2018: Otto-Brenner-Preis for journalism for the works "Er kommt am Abend" and "Vergewaltigt auf Europas Feldern" by Pascale Müller and Stefania Prandi
  • 2018: Umweltmedienpreis by Deutsche Umwelthilfe for the project "Irrsinn der Agrarpolitik" by Justus von Daniels, Stefan Wehrmeyer and Annika Joeres for Correctiv
  • 2019: in feature for article "Vergewaltigt auf Europas Feldern" by Pascale Müller and Stefania Prandi
  • 2020: Deutsch-Französischer Journalistenpreis in the category „Multimedia“ for their reporting on tax evasion
  • 2023: Reporter:innen-Preis 2023 in the category of „Data Journalism“ for an investigation about the state of women's shelters
  • 2023: Deutscher Verlagspreis
  • 2023: Grimme Online Award in the category of „Recherche“ for their research on access to abortion in Germany