Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism
ABRAJI is a Brazilian nonprofit association that supports investigative journalists through training, professional exchange, research, events, and projects defending access to information and freedom of expression.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism, commonly known by its Portuguese acronym ABRAJI, is a nonprofit professional association serving journalists in Brazil. Its purpose is to strengthen investigative journalism by helping practitioners exchange information, reporting methods, professional experience, and practical advice. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial media company, ABRAJI functions as a member-supported organization whose activities combine professional education, networking, journalism research, public-interest monitoring, and advocacy related to press freedom and access to information. The association emerged from discussions among Brazilian journalists who saw a need for a national institution dedicated specifically to investigative reporting. The idea took shape at a seminar titled "Investigative Journalism: Ethics, Techniques and Dangers," organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin and directed by Brazilian journalist Rosental Alves. Participants compared the absence of a Brazilian investigative-journalism organization with institutions such as Investigative Reporters and Editors in the United States and Mexico's Centro de Periodismo de Investigación. After the seminar, a group of 45 journalists from different newsrooms began exchanging messages at the initiative of Marcelo Beraba, then director of Folha de S.Paulo's Rio de Janeiro branch. Alves subsequently helped establish an electronic discussion list hosted on University of Texas systems, allowing the network to grow beyond the original group. ABRAJI's activities include congresses, seminars, specialized workshops, forums, and professional-development initiatives. It also promotes books and other resources associated with investigative reporting. These activities address reporting techniques as well as ethical, legal, technological, and personal-safety challenges. The association's work is particularly relevant in a media environment where journalists may face lawsuits, online harassment, political pressure, attempts to remove published material, and restrictions on access to public information. A notable part of ABRAJI's public-interest work has been Ctrl+X, a project that monitors attempts to remove or suppress information published on the internet. Data cited by the association reported that politicians and other public figures repeatedly sought judicial orders to remove online content. Its monitoring has been used to document patterns of alleged censorship and litigation involving political actors and digital news or commentary. ABRAJI has also tracked the blocking of journalists by public officials on social-media platforms. In a survey conducted in March 2021, it identified at least 174 journalists blocked by Brazilian public figures on Twitter, including journalists blocked by then-president Jair Bolsonaro. The COVID-19 pandemic forced ABRAJI to adapt its event model. In 2020, it held its first virtual congress, making the event free and attracting approximately 10,000 attendees according to the association's reference material. The online format expanded access to the organization's training and discussions while demonstrating its capacity to maintain professional exchange during a period when in-person journalism events were restricted. ABRAJI's identity is therefore centered on journalism infrastructure rather than a consumer product portfolio. Its principal offerings are educational events, professional networks, monitoring projects, publications, and forums for sharing investigative practices. The organization is also connected to the wider international investigative-journalism community, including the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Publicly available reference material does not establish a precise founding year, a current executive roster, a formal headquarters address, or financial figures; those fields remain unreported here rather than inferred.
History
ABRAJI developed from a professional discussion about the need for a Brazilian organization dedicated to investigative journalism. The discussion began at the seminar "Investigative Journalism: Ethics, Techniques and Dangers," organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin and directed by Brazilian journalist Rosental Alves. Participants considered why Brazil lacked an institution comparable to Investigative Reporters and Editors in the United States or the Centro de Periodismo de Investigación in Mexico. Following the seminar, 45 journalists from different Brazilian newsrooms began exchanging messages at the initiative of Marcelo Beraba, who was then leading Folha de S.Paulo's Rio de Janeiro branch. The exchange expanded as additional journalists joined. Rosental Alves later organized a LISTSERV discussion group hosted on computers at the University of Texas, where he was teaching. This electronic network provided an early infrastructure for collaboration among Brazilian investigative reporters and helped turn the seminar's idea into an ongoing association. The association's program has combined professional improvement with collective exchange. Its stated activities include congresses, seminars, specialized workshops, forums, and the publication or promotion of books related to investigative reporting. These activities give journalists opportunities to learn reporting techniques, discuss ethics and risks, and share experiences across newsrooms. ABRAJI is maintained by journalists and operates as a nonprofit professional organization rather than as a conventional publishing or broadcasting company. In its later public-interest work, ABRAJI created Ctrl+X to monitor attempts to limit or remove information available on the internet. The project documented judicial and administrative actions involving political figures and online content. Figures cited for 2018 recorded 340 approaches to Brazil's Electoral Justice system by politicians seeking to hide internet information. Data for 2018 and 2019 later indicated more than 800 politicians had used lawsuits requesting content removal, with defamation given as the legal basis in most of the recorded cases. These activities placed ABRAJI at the intersection of investigative journalism, digital rights, access to information, and protection against censorship. The organization also examined the relationship between public officials and social-media access. In March 2021, its survey reported that at least 174 journalists had been blocked on Twitter by Brazilian public figures. Jair Bolsonaro was among the cited figures, and his account was reported to have blocked 50 journalists. Such monitoring extended ABRAJI's role beyond training by documenting obstacles that journalists encounter while covering public institutions and political leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic produced an important operational change. In 2020, ABRAJI held its first virtual congress. The event was free and reportedly reached 10,000 attendees, allowing the association to continue its educational and networking mission while in-person events were constrained. The virtual congress also illustrated the value of digital delivery for a nationwide professional community. ABRAJI has promoted publications associated with investigative and journalistic reporting, including works about reporting during Brazil's dictatorship and notable crime reporting. It is also associated with the broader international investigative-journalism network through the Global Investigative Journalism Network. The available reference material does not provide a definitive founding year, a complete list of officeholders, or detailed institutional financial information.
- 2021
Survey records journalists blocked by public figures
[1]ABRAJI reported that at least 174 journalists had been blocked by Brazilian public figures on Twitter.
- 2020
First virtual ABRAJI congress
[1]ABRAJI held its first online congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The free event reportedly drew 10,000 attendees.
- 2018
Ctrl+X reports 340 Electoral Justice requests
[1]The association's monitoring project reported 340 attempts by politicians to use Brazil's Electoral Justice system to hide online information during the 2018 election context.
Investigative-journalism seminar establishes the basis for ABRAJI
[1]A seminar on the ethics, methods, and dangers of investigative journalism prompted Brazilian journalists to discuss creating a national professional association.
A cross-newsroom journalist network begins operating
[1]An initial group of 45 journalists began exchanging messages, followed by a LISTSERV discussion group hosted through the University of Texas.
Products and positioning
A journalist-led, nonprofit professional association positioned as a Brazilian hub for investigative-journalism training, collaboration, research, and defense of the public's access to information.
Professional conference
ABRAJI Congress
A recurring professional event bringing together journalists for discussions, training, and exchange concerning investigative reporting. In 2020, the congress moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was offered free of charge, and reportedly attracted approximately 10,000 attendees.
Monitoring and research project
Ctrl+X
An ABRAJI project that tracks efforts to remove or restrict information published on the internet. Its reported findings cover lawsuits, requests to Brazil's Electoral Justice system, and other actions involving political figures and online content.
Professional education
Investigative-journalism workshops and seminars
Specialized educational programs addressing investigative reporting practices, ethics, risks, and professional development. They form part of ABRAJI's core mission to improve journalists' skills and encourage exchange across Brazilian newsrooms.
Professional networking
Journalism forums and discussion networks
Forums and communication channels that allow journalists to exchange reporting experiences, information, and practical tips. The association's early development included an email-based network and a LISTSERV hosted by the University of Texas.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Monitoring journalist access on Twitter
Brazil
ABRAJI surveyed whether Brazilian public figures had blocked journalists on Twitter, treating platform access as a press-freedom and public-accountability issue.
Outcome. The survey identified at least 174 blocked journalists and included then-president Jair Bolsonaro among the public figures cited.
- 2018Ctrl+X online-information monitoring
Brazil
ABRAJI used Ctrl+X to monitor attempts by politicians to suppress or remove information from the internet, including requests made through Brazil's Electoral Justice system during the 2018 election period.
Outcome. The project reported 340 such requests and continued publishing data on legal efforts to remove online content.
Sources2 sources
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