Killing the journalist won’t kill the story. We are a network of journalists whose mission is to protect, pursue and publish the work of other journalists facing threats, prison, or murder. It is the only existing program with this mission.

Forbidden Stories ensures that journalists under threat can secure their information.

We provide them with the ability to drop their sensitive information into one of our secure communication channels. If something happens to them, we will ensure the survival of their stories, beyond borders, beyond governments, beyond censorship.

If you are a journalist in danger who wants to send us documents or information, visit our “SafeBox Network” page for full instructions on how to contact us securely.

Forbidden Stories fosters collaboration among journalists to make visible and impactful the work of reporters who can no longer investigate.

For each investigation, we gather a consortium of local and international media outlets in order to investigate on a large scale.

Our goal is to keep stories alive and to make sure that a maximum number of people have access to independent information on crucial topics, including the environment, health, human rights, and corruption.

Collaborative journalism gives the stories worldwide coverage. They are published simultaneously in many different media outlets based in several continents.

We can send a powerful signal to enemies of the free press: even if you succeed in stopping a single messenger, you will not stop the message. What is the point of killing a journalist if 10, 20 or 30 others are waiting in the wings to carry on their work? Collaboration is the best form of protection.

Forbidden Stories is a non-profit France-based organization registered under the name of Freedom Voices Network. We rely on charitable foundations and on financial support from the public.

Meet the Forbidden Stories team and its board of directors.

Since its creation, 60 news organizations and more than 150 journalists – from 49 different countries and five continents – have worked on the collaborative investigations coordinated by Forbidden Stories.

Forbidden Stories also has a subsidiary company, Forbidden Films, which produces documentaries on subjects related to our written content with strong narrative multimedia storytelling in order to further broaden the reach of our work.

Forbidden Stories was founded by award-winning journalist and filmmaker Laurent Richard. In 2015, he arrived at work across from the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris to find his fellow journalists massacred by terrorists. This experience convinced him of the need for a journalistic response to crimes committed against the press. Read more about why Laurent Richard founded Forbidden Stories.

Our inspiration? Forty-one years ago, reporter Don Bolles was killed in a car bombing in Phoenix, USA. His murder left his investigation on land fraud unfinished. Thirty-eight journalists from 28 newspapers and television stations from all over the United States decided to work together to complete his work. This collaboration should continue to inspire us today.