As Anas Aremeyaw Anas would put it, journalism is a hot case, and if you don’t have the energy for it, then get out! Attending the Global Investigative Journalism Conference GIJC25 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November 2025 did not just echo this warning, it carried it – journalism is indeed not for the faint hearted.
I sat with the audience in one of the Plenary Theaters at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on a Saturday afternoon, transfixed. Before us, the large screen displayed gripping visuals of undercover documentaries by some of the biggest names in the industry. From the painfully cold room to the eerie soundtrack that carried the footage – punctuated by heavy silence between scenes, I could literally feel the chill crawling up my spine. This is the brand of journalism I had intentionally signed up for, a few years ago.
As I listened to the Panelists including Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Daniel Adamson and Choi Hye-jung at the ‘Undercover Reporting’ session, sharing their experiences on how they went undercover in some of the world most toughest environments, I couldn’t help but reflect back on how the cost of exposing the wrong doers behind my first undercover story was deeply personal.
In 2022, I went undercover to expose how medical workers in Gombe state trade fake genotype certificates for peanuts. It was my first ever investigative report as an intern at WikkiTimes and just like I had anticipated, it didn’t come off easily. Despite the expert mentorship of my newsroom supervisors, there were moments when I became overwhelmed to the point of almost giving up the whole story. The challenges were numerous. Maintaining a disguise was troubling enough, but the constant fear of having my cover blown turned fieldwork to a daily nightmare throughout the story. Then along the way, I came across troubling discoveries I had not anticipated, which exposed the depth of corruption in the already decaying health system which turned out to be personally worrisome. But what remains fresh in my memory is the psychological burden that lingered beyond the report’s publication.
For months, I grappled with an emotional toll, accompanied by a painful, unexpected sense of anxiety, fear and restlessness. However, time dissipated the burden as I found ways to cope. But how do you properly overcome psychological stress as a journalist?
The Panelists addressed my concerns. It is common and expected for journalists to experience mental stress during undercover reporting. This is so because reporters become subjected to deception, danger and sometimes, traumatic experiences. While some seek therapy, these consequences have in some cases compelled reporters to quit journalism entirely. The speakers therefore, agreed that the newsroom must take it up to ensure that reporters have the needed support throughout the period of an undercover report and even after.
Although, undercover journalism is unarguably a significant tool that can hold power to account, it should only be opted for when it is necessary. For that reason, the panelists identified key conditions that must be met before one resorts to undercover.
For one to go undercover, the alleged misconduct under investigation must be grave and it must unquestionably serve the public interest. Therefore, reporters must be able to establish compelling preliminary evidence.
Secondly, all viable avenues for open and conventional reporting must have been fully explored. Newsrooms must also assess potential risks to sources and reporters and these risks must be considered manageable.
The investigative team must secure robust legal review and editorial supervision as well as have the capacity to operate under heightened, AI-driven surveillance conditions.
Equally important, reporters must have access to comprehensive psychological and emotional support mechanisms during the entire process.
The Quiet Truth: Women Outperform Men In Journalism
Like every other session at the GIJC25, the Undercover Reporting Session fostered networking opportunities with other reporters around the globe while offering deeper insights on undercover journalism. In a later interview I was honored to have with Anas Aremeyaw Anas, he reiterated that journalism and freedom comes with a heavy price.
“Our freedom is not coming to us as a tea party. It’s going to be difficult. Journalism must leave either of these marks on you – indelible marks on your skin or indelible marks in your head. Despite that, we persevere, we push the fountains of our democracy,” Anas said.
Anas acknowledges the challenges of investigative journalism especially for women in a conservative society like Northern Nigeria. But the restrictions posed by society should not be a barrier to hold power to account, he stressed.
“We are dealing with society, tradition and norms that have been there for so many years. But even in a dictatorial regime, there is progress. We are evolving as a people and nature has a way of rejecting things that are not right. I appreciate and understand the difficulties that an average Northern Nigerian woman that wants to become a journalist faces, some have the challenges of family, raising kids and marriage. I share the pain that many of these talents face and how these norms pose to restrict them. But should they give up? No. They shouldn’t because history has taught us of people who stood firm in the face of all these difficulties.”
Anas however, notes that even though it’s not generally admitted, female journalists perform better than men especially on the field, encouraging them to give in their best at what they do.
“They (female journalists) are powerful. They perform even better than men. We just don’t admit it. They beat us every day in the field. We believe in you. God knows why He put you in that position. I must urge them to keep doing their best.” he advised.
Ultimately, the GIJC25 was more than a conference. It was a lived experience, one that leaves lasting lessons in the conscious minds. Investigative journalism is more than a career. It is a way of life because it will leave marks on our minds, emotions and even our lives. Even in the face of threats, when silence enables wrongdoing, accountability must thrive and the truth must be seen.
Hafsah Muhammed Ibrahim is the Head of Podcast at WikkiTimes. She writes from Bauchi state, Nigeria. She can be reached at hafseemuhammad@wikkitimes.com
