Holding the powerful to account is a pillar of democracy, and in our age of uncertain truths, that’s never been more important – or more difficult. In this special event, we’re bringing together three leading investigative journalists – Eliot Higgins, Amelia Gentleman and Peter Geoghegan – to hear about their work, unwavering commitment and groundbreaking methods of uncovering the truth.

Eliot Higgins is the founder of Bellingcat, an investigative website which in its short life has broken scoop after scoop: from the downing of Malaysia Flight 17 over the Ukraine to the sourcing of weapons in the Syrian Civil War and the identification of the Salisbury poisoners. We Are Bellingcat tells the story of how a high-school dropout on a kitchen laptop created a whole new category of information-gathering, galvanising citizen journalists across the globe to expose war crimes and pick apart disinformation, using just their computers and smartphones. We Are Bellingcat uncovers the new reality of online open source investigation, and explores what it means for the future of democracy in a fractured world. 'It is impossible to exaggerate the urgency and power of Bellingcat's work' James O'Brien

Amelia Gentleman is a reporter for the Guardian, whose exposé of the Windrush scandal shocked the nation, and led to the resignation of Amber Rudd as Home Secretary. She has documented the story in her acclaimed book The Windrush Betrayal. Her tenacious reporting revealed how the government's 'hostile environment' immigration policy had led to thousands of law-abiding people being wrongly classified as illegal immigrants, with many being removed from the country, and many more losing their homes and their jobs. She was named Journalist of the Year at the 2019 British Journalism Awards and won the 2018 Paul Foot journalism award for her reportage on the Windrush scandal. She has also won the Orwell Prize and Feature Writer of the Year at the British Press Awards. 'Gentleman's reporting proves why an independent press is so vital.' Reni Eddo-Lodge

Peter Geoghegan is an Irish writer, broadcaster and investigations editor at the award-winning news website openDemocracy. In his groundbreaking book Democracy for Sale, he shows how democracy is in crisis, under threat from dark money and digital disinformation – and asks what can be done to save it. Journeying from Westminster to Washington, and far beyond, he reveals how money, vested interests and digital skulduggery are eroding trust in democracy. Through exclusive interviews and original research the book tells stories of the fabulously well-funded partisan think tanks, propagandists who know how to game a rigged system, and the campaigners and regulators valiantly trying to stop them. It shows how electoral laws are broken with impunity, and Silicon Valley tech giants have colluded in selling out democracy. ‘A brilliant description of the dark underbelly of modern democracy. Everyone should read it.’ Anne Applebaum

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