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Investigations

How to become an undercover reporter

You’ve seen it in movies, but what does undercover reporting actually look like in real life?
The post How to become an undercover reporter appeared first…

By Samantha Johnson / December 3, 2025

In this episode of Backlight, we break down how undercover investigations actually work, from building a character to planning a successful operation.

Hosts Beatriz and Tessa speak with their Lighthouse colleagues, Crofton Black and Emmanuel Freudenthal, about their recent undercover investigation, Surveillance Secrets. They walk us through the creation of their character, a shady businessman named Albert, and the prep work in their back office before the big day.

Next, they talk with Jean Peters of Correctiv about how he infiltrated a secret meeting with neo-Nazis and members of Germany’s far-right party, AfD. He shares how he booked a hotel room under a fake persona and played the role of a wealthy guest, while his colleagues followed him from a sauna boat.

Finally, they speak to Veena Holkar, director of the non-profit organisation Wildlight, who explained why women often make the best undercover reporters.

Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hosts: Beatriz Ramalho da Silva, Tessa Pang
Sound design, mixing and editing: Spoovio – Audiovisual Productions

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