Onderzoekscollectief Spit

About the network

Onderzoekscollectief Spit is an innovative, tight-knit cooperative of freelance investigative journalists based in the Netherlands. Founded in 2018, the network was created to solve a persistent industry problem: for freelancers, undertaking deep investigative journalism is incredibly difficult because it requires a massive, often unpaid investment of time and carries significant legal and financial risks. To counter the insecurity of start-up media jobs and solo freelancing, Spit’s two founders established a formal cooperative where independent journalists could build a shared, self-owned brand dedicated entirely to high-impact investigative reporting.

Currently, the cooperative is an exclusive small group of dedicated members, though it actively remains open to collaborating with other journalists and media partners both within the Netherlands and internationally. By maintaining a lean operational model without a central physical office, the members work from various parts of the country, publishing their findings with partnering media outlets. This model keeps overhead costs to an absolute minimum, ensuring that all generated income directly compensates the freelancers for the countless hours required to execute their complex investigative projects.

Spit provides its members with critical structural support. Most notably, this legal status allows the collective to apply for large-scale journalism grants that would otherwise be inaccessible to individual freelancers. This strategic pooling of resources ensures that independent reporters can compete on an equal footing with larger, well-funded newsrooms.

Network Projects

Spit has produced several high-impact investigations that have sparked national conversation. Notable projects include an extensive series exploring the severe systemic flaws and disfunction within the Dutch healthcare system, exposing critical issues in the country’s social housing sector, and a deep dive into the opaque, often harmful business operations behind commercial fishing activities.

Website: https://www.onderzoekscollectiefspit.nl

Contact

Website: https://www.onderzoekscollectiefspit.nl
Name: Bram Logger
Email: loggerbram@gmail.com