Behind The Scenes At ExtraFokus

ExtraFokus is a one-person newsroom. This page explains who is behind it, how the work is paid for, and how a story gets made.

Who is behind it

I am Kenn Hawk, founder and editor-in-chief. I am a trained journalist and run ExtraFokus from Burgas, Bulgaria. I write, research and look after the site myself, and I also run the Danish edition, extrafokus.com.

The subjects are power structures, lobbying, artificial intelligence, surveillance, freedom of speech and European politics. The focus is on stories that matter to ordinary citizens across Europe, not only to other journalists.

How it is funded

ExtraFokus has no advertisers, no state subsidies and no editorial control from outside. I pay for the domain, the server and the tools myself, and reader support is what can eventually give me time for more in-depth investigations. How the support model works is explained on About ExtraFokus. You can support the work on the donation page.

How a story gets made

A story starts with a question where someone in power would rather not answer: a public document, a freedom-of-information request, a budget, a court ruling. I read the primary sources first and check figures, names and quotes against them. Every article lists its sources, so you can check the work yourself. If I get something wrong, the correction goes at the top of the article with the date.

I use AI as a working tool. The rules for that, and for how I stay independent, are on Ethics & Independence. I am responsible for everything that is published.

Tools you can use yourself

If you want to look into things on your own, try the Surveillance Check. If you have a confidential tip, use Secure Tip.

Read more about the method

• How we work at ExtraFokus
• What is investigative journalism?
• OSINT: ExtraFokus’ open-source method
• Corrections and complaints