Manisha Ganguly’s work with The Guardian was shortlisted for The Press Awards 2024 in two categories: Broadsheet Front Page of the Year and Science and Technology Journalist of the Year.
As part of the Guardian Investigations Team, Manisha was shortlisted for Science and Technology Journalist of the Year for the project Disinfo Black Ops. This project focused on unmasking Team Jorge, a group of disinformation mercenaries who have been operating for over two decades and claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections worldwide. Manisha investigated an AI-backed software used by Team Jorge called AIMS. This software can control 30,000 fake online profiles, mimicking real humans expressing dissent on social media to sway public opinion.
Manisha was also part of the team behind The Guardian series Cost of the Crown, which was nominated for the Broadsheet Front Page of the Year. This series investigated the hidden wealth of Charles III and the payments he received from land and property estates. It also investigated links between the Royals and slavery, which prompted the King to authorise a project with Historical Royal Palaces and independent research into the monarchy's historic links to the 17th and 18th century transatlantic slave trade.
Manisha Ganguly said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted alongside my brilliant colleagues in the Guardian Investigations team and thank the judges for this honour.”
Manisha Ganguly holds a PhD in open-source investigations from the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster. Her thesis was the first academic study of its kind on open-source intelligence (OISINT) and its impact on investigative work. Ganguly is currently a visual investigations lead and Investigations Correspondent at The Guardian, where she continues to specialise in using OSINT techniques and investigates human rights abuses under conditions of war.
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