The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists, lost up to 38% of its budget. At the time of reporting, 82% of its media grants aimed at news organizations were cut and almost all funding to the organisation’s 71 local member centers also ceased to exist.
Date: 3/25
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Additional Context: U.S. government funding amounted to 38% of OCCRP’s total budget, around $7 million in 2024. This included money from USAID as well as other U.S. government initiatives. OCCRP's publisher Drew Sullivan stated, “journalists working around the world are at great risk. Some might lose work visas and be forced to go back to countries where they will be arrested. Many are losing help from the organizations that provide them with physical and digital protection.”
The USAID cuts have impacted hundreds of outlets in places where public interest journalism is chronically underfunded and often under attack. The US government previously supported independent journalism in more than 30 countries. Most of this funding was channelled through USAID.
Devex Researcher Note: As of December 2025, OCCRP still lists the U.S. Department of State as a donor on its website.
Source: Reuters Institute