Play the Game launches Journalism Fund to support investigations that hold sport to account

Play the Game is launching a new Journalism Fund to help finance independent sports journalism at a time when scrutiny of international sport is more important than ever – and increasingly difficult to fund.

The Play the Game Journalism Fund will enable commissioning journalists and researchers to investigate and explain critical issues in international sport, including corruption, governance failures, abuse of power, human rights violations, and the political use of sport.

The fund is based on a simple principle: all donations will be used to pay the people who write the stories. Donations will not fund Play the Game staff salaries or internal working hours.

“Much of what we know about the darker sides of international sport does not stem from official transparency. We owe it to journalism,” says Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game.

“Investigative journalists have played a crucial role in bringing corruption, doping systems, abuse, and governance failures in sport to public attention. With this fund, we want to help create better conditions for the next important stories to be told.”

Journalism has changed sport

Over the past decades, some of the most important revelations in international sport have come from journalists willing to challenge powerful institutions.

The work of journalists such as Andrew Jennings, Thomas Kistner, Nick Harris, Grit Hartmann, Jens Weinreich, Hajo Seppelt, Philippe Auclair, and many others has helped expose corruption, doping, match-fixing, illegal gambling, and governance failures in global sport.

Their work has often relied on courageous whistleblowers who were willing to share information, documents, and personal experiences at significant risk to themselves.

Without this combination of investigative journalism and whistleblower courage, many of the issues now central to debates about sport integrity would have remained hidden.

“Sports like to speak about integrity, fairness, and unity. But these values do not protect themselves,” says Elsborg.

“They depend on scrutiny. And scrutiny depends on journalists having the time, independence, and resources to ask difficult questions – and follow the answers wherever they lead.”

A response to a funding gap

As newsroom resources shrink, fewer journalists are able to pursue stories that require in-depth research, cross-border collaboration, access to sources, and editorial backing.

The Play the Game Journalism Fund is designed to respond to this gap.

It will support:

• journalism projects in sport

• cross-border journalistic collaborations

• explanatory journalism on governance and integrity issues

• in-depth articles and analytical reporting

All funded work will be published on playthegame.org and will follow Play the Game’s editorial standards and principles.

The Play the Game Journalism Fund keeps financing and editorial decisions strictly separate: donors have no say over stories, and every project is assessed on its merits.

"Editorial independence is non-negotiable – we decide what to cover and how, with no outside influence," says Cibele Reschke, editor and international relations manager at Play the Game, adding that "transparency is equally essential: funded work will always be clearly labelled."

Open for pitches from freelance journalists

As part of the fund, Play the Game will welcome pitches from journalists and researchers worldwide.

Play the Game is particularly interested in journalism that sheds light on power, governance, integrity, human rights, and accountability in sport – and that aligns with Play the Game’s mission to promote democratic values, transparency, and open debate in international sport.

Journalists will be invited to submit story ideas outlining the relevance of the project, their proposed journalistic approach, expected sources, output, timeline, and any support they may need from Play the Game.

Shortlisted pitches will be discussed with the journalist before any final decision is made. Read more about how to pitch your story here.

Turning concern into journalism

Since 1997, Play the Game has worked to raise awareness about critical issues in international sport through conferences, analysis, journalism, and open debate.

The Journalism Fund builds on that role by giving readers, supporters, and citizens a direct opportunity to support the journalism that makes accountability possible.

“The Journalism Fund is our way to create democratic participation in watchdog journalism. Many people care deeply about corruption, abuse of power, human rights, and integrity in sport. The fund gives them a concrete way to support the people who can investigate these issues”, says Elsborg

Supporters can donate through Play the Game’s website, where funded projects and published articles will be presented as the fund develops.