Backlight

Backlight

Lighthouse Reports

Episodes 31
Avg. Duration 25m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (4)
Since Jan 2023
Latest Episode May 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
75%
Hosting
anchor.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Backlight is a podcast produced by the investigations team at Lighthouse Reports. Every month we take you inside real world investigations to explain how they work, who works on them and how to get involved.

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Recent Episodes

S4E6 How can the media win back our trust? w/ Ed Lee, Joi Lee & Isaac Saul

May 06, 2026 40m

Trust in the media is at an all-time low. So what’s going wrong? Who’s actually fixing it? And what can we learn from alternative news models emerging around the world?To tackle these questions,…

S4E5 Rethinking journalism awards w/ Patrick Boehler and Jennifer Athanasiou-Prins

Apr 08, 2026 33m

Everyone loves to win awards. But what does it mean to reward good journalism? In the latest Backlight episode, Beatriz and Tessa speak to Jennifer Athanasiou-Prins, executive director of the…

S4E4 How to report on Sudan w/ Aziz Alnour & Sabrina Slipchenko

Feb 17, 2026 31m

People in Sudan are facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Telling stories about what is happening on the ground has never been more urgent, or more challenging. In the context of our latest…

S4E3 How to make an investigative podcast (Live from GIJC 2025)

Jan 09, 2026 36m

Reporting live from the world’s biggest investigative journalism conference in Malaysia last year, Tessa and Beatriz bring you a crash course on how to make an investigative podcast. Covering…

S4E2 How to become an undercover reporter

Dec 03, 2025 37m

You’ve seen it in movies, but what does undercover reporting actually look like in real life?In this episode of Backlight, we go behind the scenes of two undercover investigations and explain…

S4E1 Journalism in a Free Syria

Nov 03, 2025 34m

What is the role of accountability journalism in post-Assad Syria? We explore this question with Syrian journalists Lighthouse digital investigator Bashar Deeb and investigative journalist Mais Katt,…

Highlights from seasons 2 & 3

Sep 23, 2025 8m

We've put together a highlights reel featuring some of our favorite episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 of Backlight. This special short episode was created in anticipation of the 2025 iMEdD Conference in…

S3E9 Who is journalism for?

Jul 30, 2025 31m

How can journalists make sure their stories reach the people they’re about? This month on Backlight, we talk to journalists who are rethinking how and who they report for. Part 1: Beatriz and Tessa…

S3E8 Tracking deforestation from space

Jun 30, 2025 31m

From recording the scale of war damage in Gaza, to tracking environmental crime in Brazil, remote sensing technology has become an invaluable tool for journalists around the world. This month on…

S3E7 What journalists can learn from content creators

May 30, 2025 34m

What would journalism look like if it wasn’t written for an editor, but for your best friend over dinner?In this Backlight episode, we dive into how news content creator-journalists are redefining…

S3E6 Become a money trails expert

Apr 30, 2025 28m

This month we’re sharing tips and tools to help you become an expert in financial investigations. From digging around corporate records, to tracking down public funding, money trails reporting is key…

S3E5 The cost of Europe’s structural racism

Mar 26, 2025 21m

Many European economies are in decline, struggling with job shortages in critical sectors. At the same time, these same countries are locking qualified migrants out of work. Our 18 month long…

S3E4 Don’t leave AI reporting to the experts

Feb 11, 2025 24m

This month, we discuss how journalists can investigate the ways AI is shaping the world around us and push for accountability from the companies and governments responsible for its use.We talk to AI…

S3E3 Investigating border deaths in the shadow of US election

Dec 10, 2024 29m

In this episode we take you behind the scenes of our latest U.S.-Mexico border investigation, Drownings and Deterrence in the Rio Grande.  This episode is a collaboration with The Border…

S3E2 How to get sources to talk

Oct 31, 2024 24m

This episode we talk to reporters Tomas Statius and Elena DeBre about getting sources to talk. We cover: How to cultivate sources Three techniques on getting sources to talk Tips for new…

S3E1 Protecting mental health in the newsroom - what we’ve learnt

Sep 30, 2024 28m

This month we discuss the hidden toll journalism can take on your mental health and share tips for staying grounded in high-pressure environments. We talk to open-source investigator Bashar Deeb…

S2E7 How to fund your investigation

Jul 23, 2024 38m

This episode, we dive into the essential fuel that allows cross-border investigative journalism to happen —money. Beatriz and Tessa first chat with Timothy Large from the International Press…

S2E6 Making your investigation count at election time. What we’ve learned

Jun 04, 2024 33m

2024 is the year of elections! For public interest journalism, it's prime time to get vote-shifting findings in front of people when they’re paying the most attention to politics. So with the…

S2E5 Inside Europe’s biggest journalism conference

May 27, 2024 38m

Journalism conferences can be an exclusive and costly space. So last month, Beatriz took her microphone to Perugia, Italy to give you some sneak peaks of the biggest trends coming out of the…

S2E4 How to become an open source investigator

Apr 23, 2024 44m

This episode, we dive into the skills and techniques used in open-source reporting (yes it’s more than just stalking people on social media!). Beatriz and Tessa are joined by two of our open-source…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Backlight have?

Backlight has published 31 episodes since January 2023, covering topics in News.

Is Backlight still active?

Backlight is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 25m.

How do I contact Backlight for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Backlight, including email and social media links.

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