How does an investigative story begin? And what happens behind the scenes before it reaches the public?

In this episode of Behind the Investigations, a podcast produced by Women Who Won the War, we sit down with investigative journalist Sara Abu Shady to explore a reporting journey that began with her first investigation into the Rashid migrant boat tragedy and led to increasingly complex and sensitive stories, including Doctors in Forced Labor: The Plight of Resident Doctors in University Hospitals and the internationally award-winning investigation The Russian Trap: Recruiting Egyptians with Promises of Money and Citizenship.

Sara takes us behind the scenes of her work: how she finds stories, builds trust with sources, navigates the challenges of field reporting, and deals with limited access to information, pressure, and the risks that come with investigative journalism.

We also reflect on her experience as a woman in investigative journalism, the challenges she has faced, and the lessons she has learned throughout her career. The conversation explores why an investigative journalist’s work does not always end with publication, and what women journalists need to pursue in-depth investigations safely and independently.

A conversation about the often unseen work behind published stories and the questions, decisions, and challenges that shape an investigation.