Bringing Attention to Positivity in Ndrangheta with Claudio La Camera‘s Investigative Journalism Workshop
Claudio La Camera is using the power of journalism to challenge the negatives stereotypes surrounding the Italian organized crime syndicate known as the Ndrangheta. Through his investigative journalism workshop, he is shedding light on the positive quietly and courageously being done in the syndicate and across the Calabrian region. The workshop is creating a network of aspiring investigative journalists committed to examining the “realities of Ndrangheta crime and the effects it has on local communities.”
La Camera, a journalist and professor at the University of Calabria in Italy, launched the investigative journalism workshop in April 2019 in an effort to understand and confront the “social fabric of Calabria” and challenge the images of “fogged mafia characters in their colorful pajamas” that dominate the public discourse.
In addition to gathering facts and interviews for his research, La Camera finds that the process of training up-and-coming journalists is just as important as the finished product. He sets out to equip students with the skills needed to “expand the storytelling” about the Ndrangheta crime group. By providing insight into the dynamics of the underreported events, he hopes to challenge the pre-existing misconception of reality.
La Camera is the key figure leading the cause, as he is the founder of DIJ – the Calabrian Digital Investigative Journalism Movement. As an influential leader in the media world, La Camera hopes to create an information superhighway of sorts, connecting all the dots as he works to uncover the truth about those under the Ndrangheta.
La Camera has been under investigation for what some considered a step too far in his pursuit of truth. In December 2019, he’s had a collection of his journalistic work and materials seized and sent to court. This was out of an alleged, though unverified, link to a story he wrote about a criminal investigation. Despite this questionable move by the Italian court, La Camera has not wavered in his mission.
At the same time, it’s here that his absolute commitment to his mission bears strongest, inspiring people everywhere with his courageous and forceful stand for the truth. Regardless of the outcome, it has become increasingly apparent that the influence of La Camera and his work has had an incredible impact on the local Italian communities.
The positive effects of La Camera’s pioneering journalism workshop cannot be overstated. By challenging the negative stigma of the Ndrangheta and highlighting positive experiences, he is bringing attention, inspiration, and optimism to a group desperate for change. La Camera’s legacy of truth-seeking will undoubtedly live on for years to come, and his legacy of truth-seeking will continue to inspire others to take up the same cause.
