Derek Thorne

Head of Secretariat, Media Freedom Coalition


Derek Thorne joined the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2013 and works in the Media Development team. He designs and oversees various programmes aimed at improving journalism standards and boosting coverage of important topics around the world. His specialities and interests include investigative journalism, anti-corruption, illicit financial flows, and the challenge of finding viable business models for independent media. Derek's largest programme is Wealth of Nations, which works with media across Africa to increase coverage of tax abuse and the management of oil resources. To date Wealth of Nations has worked with journalists and newsrooms from 35 African countries. In 2017 the programme won Best International Capacity Building Project at the British Expertise International Awards, which recognise outstanding international work done by UK-based organisations. He has also designed projects on reporting taboo issues, investigating aid spending, and digital media for under-resourced newsrooms. Derek began his career as a radio journalist and filmmaker, before moving into training, project management, and international development. He spent one year in Bangladesh working for a disability advocacy organization, and has run other projects involving media and communication in the UK and Tanzania. Prior to joining the Thomson Reuters Foundation, he ran a UK-wide journalism education programme for the charity One World Media.

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