Follow The Money

Follow the money

We seek to encourage investigative journalists and others to collaborate across borders to critically examine transparency in financial markets, economics, law and practice.

Understanding the phenomenon of illicit financial flows requires input from several disciplines including law, finance, accounting and economics. However, much of what is known about illicit financial flows is thanks to whistle-blowers, civil society organisations and investigative journalists.

You will learn about complex financial data, interpreting the economy of transactions, understand more about why and how legal frameworks may or may not deal with secrecy mechanisms, and understand more about aggressive tax planning, tax evasions, law, accounting and journalism and explore how to interpret and understand complex information on finance and financial transactions, including the workings of intricate global networks of businesses and webs of ownerships, including those registered in tax havens.

This is important for our societies because each year local and national economies throughout the world lose billions of dollars through so-called illicit financial flows. Conservative estimates indicate that over a billion dollars are diverted illegitimately out of countries in the Southern Hemisphere every year. This diversion of revenue reinforces poverty while facilitating the concentration of power in the hands a select few through corruption and abuse of authority. This is a hinder for a democratic development.

This is an open textbook, which is also integrated with Oslo Met’s master in Investigative Journalism(link is external), where anyone who has finished a Bachelor’s degree with an average grade of C or better are able to sign up for the course.

This is made possible in a cooperation between PWYP Norway and OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Editor in Chief

Roy Krøvel

Roy Krøvel is a professor of journalism at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University and coordinates the research project Making Transparency Possible financed by The Research Council of Norway. He also heads the research group Media, War and Conflict at Oslo Metropolitan University. Krøvel is a civil engineer and holds a PhD in History.

Author

Mona Thowsen

Mona Thowsen is the secretary general of Publish What You Pay Norway (PWYP Norway), is a specialized organisation that seeks to hinder illicit financial flows in the extractive industries through special investigations, public dialogue and promote realistic policy proposals to governments. It is the Norwegian chapter of the international Publish What You Pay network with over 700 member organisations worldwide. She holds a master in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on illigal drug trafic and the effect on institutions.

Media Editor

Gabi Hurlen

Masters degree in Media Studies from The University of Oslo. E-learning advisor and media producer at Oslo Metropolitan University. Working with current and forthcoming projects at OsloMetX

Legacy core contributor

Emma Vestli

She does not work at OsloMet anymore, but she did a helluva job with all the interactive elements in this course. Gabi misses her.

Licensing

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