About Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook
Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook is the The Investigative Journalism Bureau's monthly podcast, examining powerful investigative journalism from around the world. The podcast will pull back the curtain on the strategies, lessons learned, and stories behind the stories that change the world.
Hosted by IJB journalists, listeners can expect candid conversations with accomplished reporters sharing the inspirations, challenges, risks and rewards behind some of the world’s most impactful investigative reporting.
Heliographs were devices for capturing images of the sun. As a podcast, Heliograph will attempt to examine the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters in an attempt to understand their methods, techniques, motivations and reverberations.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Media contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Heliograph LIVE: Jennifer Fraser on how the "gaslit brain" rewires us
Heliograph LIVE, a special feature of the Investigative Journalism Bureau’s Heliograph podcast, where we showcase compelling interviews.
In this episode, host Rob Cribb reconnects with author and researcher Dr.Jennifer Fraser, whom he first met in 2014 while reporting on allegations of physical and emotional abuse involving young athletes in Victoria, B.C., including her son. Fraser’s experience propelled her into a distinguished career studying the neuroscience of abuse. Her latest book, The Gaslit Brain, examines how psychological abuse doesn’t just wound emotionally, it also alters the brain, eroding trust, critical thinking and resilience.
In an age of disinformation, where evidence is contested and social media often eclipses journalism, we are all increasingly vulnerable to manipulation.
Rob and Jennifer, dive into the mechanics of gaslighting, how it operates, its effect on truth-telling and journalism, and what it means for all of us.
Stay up to date with IJB investigations, podcasts and events by subscribing to the newsletter here (https://mailchi.mp/ijbureau/signup)
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca/)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 May 2025
Heliograph: Arthur Caplan on Can We Trust the System Behind Drug Trials
In this episode of Heliograph, host Blair Bigham sits down with world-famous bioethicist Dr. Arthur Caplan to pull back the curtain on the shadowy world of phase one clinical trials, where new drugs are tested on humans for the first time in a broken system of incentives and lies.
The IJB had the pleasure of speaking with the professor from his office at NYU Langone in New York City. Caplan, the founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health, dives deep into the ethics of recruitment techniques used by Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and discusses ways technology, such as AI, can help CROs prevent trial participants from 'double-dipping' in multiple trials, contaminating both their bodies and the trial results.
Stay up to date with IJB investigations, podcasts and events by subscribing to the newsletter here (https://mailchi.mp/ijbureau/signup)
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca/)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
14 Mar 2025
Heliograph Snapshots: Ben Hallman, Breaking Ground on International Health Reporting
In the latest episode of Heliograph Snapshots, host Ryan McMahon speaks with Ben Hallman, founder and executive director of The Examination. The IJB had the pleasure of catching up with him after the inaugural IJB x IRE cross-border investigative journalism conference to speak about holding big corporations accountable for global health harms, the growth of collaborative journalism in the investigative world and how he’s built The Examination’s collaborative model to an international scale.
Stay up to date with IJB investigations, podcasts and events by subscribing to the newsletter here (https://mailchi.mp/ijbureau/signup)
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca/)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
21 Feb 2025
Heliograph Snapshots: Journalism in a Democracy at Risk
In this episode of Heliograph: Snapshots host Ryan McMahon sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning David Cay Johnston. The IJB had the pleasure of catching up with the New York Times best selling author after the inaugural IJB x IRE cross-border investigative journalism conference to speak on the current state of investigative journalism, the role it has in a functioning democracy and the implication of the declining literacy rates in North America. Johnston, co-founder of the DC Report, also dives deep into what it was like during "the good old days" of journalism and what it was like to cover Donald Trump before he was president of the United States of America.
Stay up to date with IJB investigations, podcasts and events by subscribing to the newsletter here (https://mailchi.mp/ijbureau/signup)
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca/)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Jan 2025
Heliograph LIVE: Rick Westhead on Investigating Corruption and Abuse in Sports
Heliograph LIVE is a special feature in the Investigative Journalism Bureau’s Heliograph podcast series where we showcase compelling interviews.
Welcome to the Press Club, a unique gathering in the cozy Press Club room of Toronto’s Curatus Wine Club. These events bring together reporters, editors, and news enthusiasts to celebrate the work of some of the country’s most distinguished journalists and newsmakers.
For our inaugural event, which took place in November 2024, we welcomed a man who has made headlines in Canadian sports by exposing everything from sexual abuse in hockey to corruption in Canadian soccer. He’s not only a star investigative reporter but also a dear friend—Rick Westhead.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
5 Jun 2024
Reporting on The Invisible Burdens of Women
In this episode of Heliograph: Snapshots, we talk with IJB OG, Emma Jarratt. What makes Jarratt's reporting important is not just that her work takes aim at power, but that her work shares stories that are hiding in plain sight. These are stories we should not take for granted. They’re stories we should have known by now and reckoned with. And they are stories that report on the invisible suffering of women. In her career she has chosen to take big swings at very difficult subjects and does so with a fierce lens and a steady touch.
You can read this work at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/projects/privileged-and-confidential/
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
23 May 2024
Heliograph Chapter 7: Reporting on the sadistic world of monkey torture
In the latest episode of Heliograph, BBC reporters Rebecca Henschke, Joel Gunter, and Astudestra Ajengrastri reveal the harrowing process behind their documentary, "Saving Mini: Inside the Global Network Torturing Baby Monkeys." They discuss handling dark subject matter, interviewing sources with twisted motivations, and the challenges of undercover reporting.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates on the IJB’s latest news and investigations
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
1 May 2024
Heliograph Snapshots: Reporting on death featuring Robert Cribb
In this episode of Heliograph:Snapshots, Robert Cribb, director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau and investigative journalist with the Toronto Star, delves into the complex world of medical assistance in dying, (MAID). He reflects on the ethical challenges and emotional impact of reporting on end-of-life issues while also examining the role of investigative journalism in shaping our understanding n of life and death. Additionally, he explores what the groundbreaking data unearthed by the IJB tells us about Canada’s role in the larger conversation about MAID.
You can read this work at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/projects/choosing-death/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/projects/choosing-death/)
Learn more about IJB at: ijb.utoronto.ca (http://ijb.utoronto.ca)
Listen to The Ultimate Choice: https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-ultimate-choice (https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-ultimate-choice)
Support the IJB at: https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/ (https://ijb.utoronto.ca/support-us/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
16 Apr 2024
Heliograph Chapter 6: Stacked Against
In this month’s installment of Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook, IJB reporters Alina Snisarenko and Norma Hilton speak with Jacob Biba about his investigation with the Carolina Public Press, "Stacked Against." The investigation explores how plea deals, charge stacking and consecutive sentencing can result in long prison sentences, straining the bonds of families burdened by the incarceration of a loved one. In this interview, Biba delves into the methods he used to build meaningful rapport with incarcerated sources.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
7 Mar 2024
Heliograph Chapter 5: Suspended
In this monthly install of the Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook, IJB reporters Wendy-Ann Clarke and Masih K interview one of the IJB’s own, Declan Keogh, on the bureau’s groundbreaking “Suspended” series. The series took a deep dive into a previously unexamined phenomenon of Ontarians losing their driving licences due to unfounded medical conditions.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
16 Jan 2024
Heliograph Chapter 4: Above the Law
In this month’s installment of Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook, IJB reporters Wendy-Ann Clarke and Masih Khalatbari speak with South African reporter Daneel Knoetze about his award-winning investigation with Viewfinder, “Above the Law.” The investigation exposed data on killings by police and thousands of other cases of alleged corruption and police brutality.
Knoetze’s work led to the creation of a publicly accessible database of more than 47,000 cases. It included details on more than 3,000 killings by police.
Explore Viewfinder's Police Accountability Tracker at policeaccountabilitytracker.co.za.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
14 Dec 2023
Heliograph Chapter 3: Uncovering how cancer-stricken children around the world were given faulty drugs
In this month’s installation of Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook, reporters Rosa Furneaux and Laura Margottini at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) take us behind the scenes into their award-winning investigation that revealed the global spread of poor-quality childhood cancer medicines.
Check out the shipping database that was crucial to the reporting at Panjiva.com.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 Nov 2023
Heliograph Chapter 2: The Vulkan Files
In this month’s installation of Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook, we speak with Hannes Munzinger, the lead reporter on a Der Spiegel investigation on the leaked Vulkan files. Among the contents of the leak were emails and documents that spanned from 2016 to 2021, unveiling Vladimir Putin’s secret plans for cyber warfare.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
12 Oct 2023
Heliograph Chapter 1: Unguarded
In this month's episode, IJB reporters Norma Hilton and Alina Snisarenko speak with Florida reporters Daniel Rivero and Joshua Ceballos about their series, "Unguarded." The series uncovered that the Guardianship Program of Dade County, a non-profit that receives financial assistance from the government, was selling homes from people deemed unable to care for themselves at cheap prices to companies and individuals with ties to Miami’s city attorney.
Heliograph examines the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters to understand their methods, motivations and impact.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
6 Oct 2023
Introducing Heliograph
Heliograph: The Investigative Journalism Playbook is the The Investigative Journalism Bureau's (ijb.utoronto.ca) monthly podcast, examining powerful investigative journalism from around the world. The podcast will pull back the curtain on the strategies, lessons learned, and stories behind the stories that change the world.
Hosted by IJB journalists, listeners can expect candid conversations with accomplished reporters sharing the inspirations, challenges, risks and rewards behind some of the world’s most impactful investigative reporting.
Heliographs were devices for capturing images of the sun. As a podcast, Heliograph will attempt to examine the brilliant, elusive and inspiring work of some of the world’s best investigative reporters in an attempt to understand their methods, techniques, motivations and reverberations.
Each installment of Heliograph focuses on reporting that creates meaningful change and reflects the IJB’s core values: collaborative and innovative storytelling in the public interest. The podcast also embodies the IJB’s educational mission to offer top-notch training in investigative research and reporting.
Thanks for listening.
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom that brings together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest. Based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the IJB has national reporting honours since its inception in 2020.
Contact: ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca (mailto:ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca)
Find the Investigative Journalism Bureau on Twitter (https://twitter.com/UofT_ijb), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ijbstories/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/investigativejournalismbureau).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
16
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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