A team of political scientists, economists, geographers, legal scholars and environmental scientists are working hand-in-hand with investigative journalists at UBC to tell under-reported stories about the hidden costs in global supply chains.
Led by Prof. Peter Klein, an Emmy-award winning journalist and professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, the collaborative initiative is part of a $2.5-million SSHRC project to investigate corruption, labour abuses and environmental costs in global supply chains. According to Prof. Klein, the partnership between scholars and journalists is unique, since it gives scholars an opportunity to take their research beyond an elite academic environment and bring it to a mass audience using engaging storytelling and investigative reporting techniques.
“They’re not just giving one quote and hoping that the journalist gets it right,” says Prof. Klein. “They’re actually part of the original conversation and the design of the research.” Prof. Klein adds that scholars are being engaged in the entire journalistic process, from identifying what stories to pursue and contextualizing complex topics to navigating ethics in the field.
The seven-year research project exemplifies UBC’s efforts to invest in and support emerging and established research clusters, bringing together networks of diverse researchers working in pursuit of common aims (Strategy 6: Collaborative Clusters).
Visit the Faculty of Arts’ website to learn more about Klein’s work to bring academics into the newsroom and expose under-reported global issues.