Dean Starkman Serves as Senior Editor for the Pandora Papers
CMDS Fellow Dean Starkman worked as a senior editor of the Pandora Papers, which he hopes will shed some light on the shadowy system of the offshore world that undermines faith in democratic institutions.
The Pandora Papers is the largest-ever investigation of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), unlocking financial secrets of politicians, billionaires and the global elite.
It is based on the most expansive leak of tax haven files in history, revealing the secret deals and hidden assets of more than 330 politicians and high-level public officials in more than 90 countries and territories, including 35 country leaders. The investigation found ambassadors, mayors and ministers, presidential advisers, generals and a central bank governor appearing in the files, as well as pop stars and sporting giants.
ICIJ shared the files with 150 media partners, launching the broadest collaboration in journalism history. More than 600 journalists in 117 countries and territories worked on the project.
Dean Starkman, our Fellow and one of the project's senior editors said,
The Pandora Papers was the biggest ICIJ project ever in a lot of ways. It involves the most journalists, the biggest data set, the largest number of stories we've ever published at one time -- a lot of 'firsts' and 'mosts.' I hope it will have the biggest impact of any of our projects. The offshore world is a parallel financial system that allows the rich and powerful to slip the basic rules everyone else must follow. It drains trillions from treasuries, worsens wealth disparities and protects those who cheat and steal. I hope the Pandora Papers helps shed some light on this shadowy system that drives many social ills and undermines faith in democratic institutions.
Dean Starkman has worked as an investigative reporter for more than two decades, and he has won many awards for his writing on finance, media, and the business of news in an age of digital disruption.
He was part of the ICIJ team that worked on the FinCEN Files, the Luanda Leaks, the China Cables and the Paradise Papers.
Photo: icij.org