Former Bournemouth student wins international award for investigative journalism
A FORMER Bournemouth University student has won a prestigious award for his journalistic work.
Drazen Jorgic was among a group at Reuters awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for its coverage of the fentanyl crisis.
He said: 'It's the honour of my life. It's a lifetime honour to be award a Pulitzer.
'It's something that I didn't even dream about when I studies journalism. It just seemed so far award. Even though my anticipation at Bournemouth University was investigative journalism, so it's always been a passion of mine.
'So, to win a Pulitzer, it's just bonkers.'
(Image: Drazen Jorgic) The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award presented for outstanding work in journalism, literature, and music and is considered one of the highest honours in these fields.
The investigative series revealed how Chinese fentanyl chemicals are transported to Mexico where they are processed into the drug and trafficked to the United States. As part of his reporting, Drazen met with drug traffickers and cartel members to tell the story of how fentanyl is produced.
Of the award-winning series, Drazen said: 'It was probably the highlight of my career.
'It was the most challenging and most rewarding journalistic endeavour that I've been involved with."
Drazen added without the work of a specialist team of reporters, photographers, visual journalists and working across borders the story would have been 'impossible'.
Drazen studied journalism at Bournemouth University from 2005 to 2008 before being accepted on the Reuters graduation scheme, before establishing himself as an investigative journalist in Mexico and Central America.
He said he still has fond memories of Bournemouth: 'Bournemouth has a great journalism course. I leaned a lot. The beaches were absolutely fantastic.'
His former university lecturer, Tom Hill, said: 'Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting is the stuff of dreams for any journalist and Drazen Jorgic is a truly worthy recipient.
'It was awarded to Drazen for his dedicated and courageous work in exposing the international trade in the deadly drug fentanyl.
'I first met him 20 years ago when he was 18 and applying for a place to study journalism at Bournemouth University.
Looking back, he already possessed many of the hallmarks of a great journalist."
After completing his degree, Drazen went on to work for Citywire before being accepted onto the Reuters graduate training scheme.
'I have nothing but fond memories of both the university and the journalism course," Drazen added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
39 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump might be the most accessible president ever — for spies or scammers
President Trump reportedly picks up when his cell rings even if he doesn't know who's calling. Senior members of his team also love chatting on their personal devices. That makes the administration uniquely vulnerable to basic scams like spoofed calls and impersonation attempts. Why it matters: If Trump is willing to answer unknown numbers, as The Atlantic reported this week, there's no guarantee a scammer, impersonator, or even a foreign intelligence operative couldn't have a chat with the president. There's no evidence that has actually happened. But recent reports involving Trump and other top officials have raised red flags about the security of their communications. Driving the news: Federal authorities are investigating a scheme where someone spoofed the phone number of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to impersonate her in calls to senators, governors, and CEOs, per the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, Chinese hackers reportedly penetrated U.S. telecom networks as early as summer 2023, according to Bloomberg — a year earlier than previously known. That access has been used by China-backed group Salt Typhoon to spy on Trump, Vice President Vance, and other officials, the NYT reported. Then there are the series of Signal-related scandals involving former national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others. Between the lines: Eavesdropping on world leaders isn't new — but it's a lot easier if the leader in question is using a personal phone and eschewing standard cybersecurity practices. Flashback: In 2017, Trump had two phones — one issued through the White House and only capable of making phone calls, and a less secure phone equipped just for social media. At the time, he was urged to swap out his Twitter phone at least once a month. Politico reported he'd instead go months without security checks. It's unclear how many of those security protocols were brought back in this time around. "I think people gave up on that years ago," one adviser told The Atlantic. In a written statement, White House communications director Steven Cheung said the administration would "not discuss or disclose security measures regarding the President." "President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history," Cheung said. "World leaders, heads of state, elected officials, and business titans all reach out to him because they know America is back under President Trump's leadership. "Whereas, Joe Biden was hidden and sheltered by his handlers because he was a total embarrassment and bumbling idiot during his time in office," Cheung added. The big picture: Since returning to office, the Trump administration has: Ignored basic security norms, including heavy reliance on Signal and personal numbers. Gutted existing federal cybersecurity leadership, with one-third of CISA's staff already gone. Empowered security-weakening tech initiatives through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been pursuing projects like using a buggy AI tool to crawl sensitive government data. Threat level: AI tools can clone a voice using just a few seconds of audio, and the FBI warned last month that scammers are already using them to impersonate senior officials.
San Francisco Chronicle
41 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chinese hackers and user lapses turn smartphones into a 'mobile security crisis'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cybersecurity investigators noticed a highly unusual software crash — it was affecting a small number of smartphones belonging to people who worked in government, politics, tech and journalism. The crashes, which began late last year and carried into 2025, were the tipoff to a sophisticated cyberattack that may have allowed hackers to infiltrate a phone without a single click from the user. The attackers left no clues about their identities, but investigators at the cybersecurity firm iVerify noticed that the victims all had something in common: They worked in fields of interest to China's government and had been targeted by Chinese hackers in the past. Foreign hackers have increasingly identified smartphones, other mobile devices and the apps they use as a weak link in U.S. cyberdefenses. Groups linked to China's military and intelligence service have targeted the smartphones of prominent Americans and burrowed deep into telecommunication networks, according to national security and tech experts. It shows how vulnerable mobile devices and apps are and the risk that security failures could expose sensitive information or leave American interests open to cyberattack, those experts say. 'The world is in a mobile security crisis right now,' said Rocky Cole, a former cybersecurity expert at the National Security Agency and Google and now chief operations officer at iVerify. 'No one is watching the phones.' U.S. authorities warned in December of a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign designed to gain access to the texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. 'They were able to listen in on phone calls in real time and able to read text messages,' said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the senior Democrat on the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, created to study the geopolitical threat from China. Chinese hackers also sought access to phones used by Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign. The Chinese government has denied allegations of cyberespionage, and accused the U.S. of mounting its own cyberoperations. It says America cites national security as an excuse to issue sanctions against Chinese organizations and keep Chinese technology companies from the global market. 'The U.S. has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries' secrets,' Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said at a recent press conference in response to questions about a CIA push to recruit Chinese informants. U.S. intelligence officials have said China poses a significant, persistent threat to U.S. economic and political interests, and it has harnessed the tools of digital conflict: online propaganda and disinformation, artificial intelligence and cyber surveillance and espionage designed to deliver a significant advantage in any military conflict. Mobile networks are a top concern. The U.S. and many of its closest allies have banned Chinese telecom companies from their networks. Other countries, including Germany, are phasing out Chinese involvement because of security concerns. But Chinese tech firms remain a big part of the systems in many nations, giving state-controlled companies a global footprint they could exploit for cyberattacks, experts say. Chinese telecom firms still maintain some routing and cloud storage systems in the U.S. — a growing concern to lawmakers. 'The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure,' U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and chairman of the China committee, which in April issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom companies seeking information about their U.S. operations. Mobile devices have become an intel treasure trove Mobile devices can buy stocks, launch drones and run power plants. Their proliferation has often outpaced their security. The phones of top government officials are especially valuable, containing sensitive government information, passwords and an insider's glimpse into policy discussions and decision-making. The White House said last week that someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, reached out to governors, senators and business leaders with texts and phone calls. It's unclear how the person obtained Wiles' connections, but they apparently gained access to the contacts in her personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the newspaper reported. While most smartphones and tablets come with robust security, apps and connected devices often lack these protections or the regular software updates needed to stay ahead of new threats. That makes every fitness tracker, baby monitor or smart appliance another potential foothold for hackers looking to penetrate networks, retrieve information or infect systems with malware. Federal officials launched a program this year creating a 'cyber trust mark' for connected devices that meet federal security standards. But consumers and officials shouldn't lower their guard, said Snehal Antani, former chief technology officer for the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. 'They're finding backdoors in Barbie dolls,' said Antani, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm, referring to concerns from researchers who successfully hacked the microphone of a digitally connected version of the toy. Risks emerge when smartphone users don't take precautions It doesn't matter how secure a mobile device is if the user doesn't follow basic security precautions, especially if their device contains classified or sensitive information, experts say. Mike Waltz, who departed as Trump's national security adviser, inadvertently added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat used to discuss military plans with other top officials. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office so he could use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, the AP has reported. Hegseth has rejected assertions that he shared classified information on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app not approved for the use of communicating classified information. China and other nations will try to take advantage of such lapses, and national security officials must take steps to prevent them from recurring, said Michael Williams, a national security expert at Syracuse University. 'They all have access to a variety of secure communications platforms,' Williams said. "We just can't share things willy-nilly.'
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump rips ‘incompetent' Newsom, LA Mayor Bass amid riots over immigration raids, says masks not allowed at protests
President Trump ripped into California's 'incompetent' leadership and called for a ban on face coverings as masked protesters clashed with federal agents conducting immigration raids across Los Angeles. Trump called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass for their alleged mishandling of violent riots in response to the ICE raids that wrangled up over 100 illegal immigrants — including gang bangers and drug traffickers — this past week. 'We have an incompetent Governor (Newscum) and Mayor (Bass) who were, as usual (just look at how they handled the fires, and now their VERY SLOW PERMITTING disaster. Federal permitting is complete!), unable to handle the task,' Trump wrote on TruthSocial Sunday morning. Rioters caused carnage in the streets of Los Angeles County on Saturday, which forced Trump to call for 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles despite Newsom's objections. 10 Masked protesters stand on the remains of a burnt car while waving the flags of Burkina Faso and Mexico in Paramount, Calif. on June 7, 2025. REUTERS The troops were set to arrive in the area within 24 hours, US Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli told the New York Times. The violent protesters burned down cars, lit fires, threw rocks and fireworks at police and graffitiied vulgar phrases including 'F–K ICE' and 'KILL ICE.' Trump blasted the nameless protesters as 'troublemakers' and called for a ban on face coverings as the violent demonstrations wreak havoc in California. 'These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED. Also, from now on, MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests,' Trump said. 'What do these people have to hide, and why?' he questioned. 10 President Donald Trump attends UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Saturday night. Getty Images 10 A masked protester holds a Mexican flag in the middle of the street in Los Angeles County. REUTERS 10 A protester waves a flag in front of a fire set in the middle of the street in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles. AFP via Getty Images Footage captured a chaotic scene in Paramount, Calif., as hundreds of protesters filled the streets and faced off against federal agents in riot gear, in an attempt to impede apprehensions by Border Patrol near a Home Depot. Law enforcement agents fired tear gas at the restless crowd. One violent protester in a face-covering helmet hurled rocks at the windows of cars right outside the super store — cracking some Border Patrol pick-up trucks in the windshield, according to viral video. At least a dozen 'agitators' were arrested Saturday for their involvement in the unrest, Essayli announced. 10 California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with LA Mayor Karen Bass at a press conference in Los Angeles on Jan. 23, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 10 Masked protesters wearing safety goggles move away from law enforcement agents in Compton, Calif. AP Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem warned rioters of arrests if they harmed law enforcement officers. Trump praised the National Guard troops he had called in to take over crowd control operations to quell the unrest. 'Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,' Trump wrote. 10 Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies form a line in riot gear during a standoff with protesters. AFP via Getty Images 10 Fireworks are thrown at sheriff's deputies in the streets of Compton. AFP via Getty Images Newsom claimed Trump's orders were what caused the chaos in his state. 'The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves,' Newsom wrote on X. The 78-year-old commander in chief had already called out Newsom and Bass earlier Saturday before he ordered the National Guard. 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!,' the president. 10 A sheriff's deputy holds back masked protesters during a daytime riot in Paramount, Calif. REUTERS 10 Protesters put up a roadblock near a fire in the streets of Compton. AFP via Getty Images Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Department of Defense was mobilizing the National Guard while nearby military bases were put on alert. 'If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert,' Hegseth wrote on X Saturday.
