About me
Professionalism and honesty are, in my opinion, the best guarantees for discovering the truth.
Journalist
Luuk is an investigative journalist specializing in data journalism. He works freelance for De Groene Amsterdammer, the oldest and most influential opinion magazine in the Netherlands. Together with Evert de Vos, he writes stories on the impact of powerful companies on our environment and climate. Previously, he was a business reporter at Haarlems Dagblad, the Associated Press Services (GPD), Quote, Intermediair and NRC Handelsblad.
Mentor and adviser
Luuk has helped media and universities in different countries to organize their investigative projects or curricula, on behalf of international organizations. He also supervises cross-border research teams (through Journalismfund Europe) and advised NGOs including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International and Oxfam on their investigations.
Lecturer and trainer
He is co-founder of the internationally renowned Story-Based Inquiry method. In recent years, he has trained thousands of professionals and students on three continents in investigative skills and co-authored eight books and curricula on investigative journalism. He coordinates the postbachelor courses ‘Investigative Journalism’ and ‘Data Journalism’ at the Hogeschool Utrecht and supervises master students investigative journalism at the Vrije Universteit Brussel.
Speaker
He is a regular speaker at IRE, GIJC, CIJ and Data Harvest conferences, the world's leading forums for best practices in investigative journalism. He also sat for ten years on the board of the VVOJ, the Dutch-Flemish association of investigative journalists.
Career
Former employers
- Haarlems Dagblad
- Geassocieerde Persdiensten (GPD)
- NRC Handelsblad
- Quote
- Intermediair
Companies and organizations
- TU Delft (technical university)
- FNV Bondgenoten (federal workers union)
- AbvaKabo
- CBS (Dutch Statistical Office
- Rekenkamer Z-O Nederland
- Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Department)
- Kamers van Koophandel
- KIWA
- TenneT
- Nederlandse Zorg Autoriteit
- Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau
- Royal Academy of Art (The Hague)
- Déhora
- Consumentenbond (consumer federation)
- Rijksdienst voor Ondernemingen (RVO)
Universities and courses
- Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Mechelen (Belgium)
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
- Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Tilburg (Netherlands)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RG)
- University of Amsterdam (UvA)
- Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR)
- Institut des Hautes Etudes des Communications Sociales (IHECS) in Brussels
- Internationale Research Journalistiek (Fonds Pascal Decroos/Fontys Hogeschool)
- De Redactie in Amsterdam/Monnickendam
- Hogeschool Utrecht
- Academie voor de Periodieke Pers (Vlaanderen)
- PGO Academy in Utrecht
- Persacademie (Fontys Hogeschool voor Journalistiek)
- Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC)
- OpenEyes/VersPers
- The Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) in London
Media
- De Volkskrant (Dutch national newspaper)
- NRC Handelsblad (Dutch national newspaper)
- De Standaard (Belgian national newspaper)
- Noord-Hollandse Dagbladcombinatie (newspapers)
- PZC en BN/De Stem (Dutch local newspapers)
- Dagblad van het Noorden (Dutch regional newspaper)
- NOS (Dutch public broadcasting)
- VARA/VPRO
- Uppdrag granskning (Mission investigate), Swedish Television
- MTNL (multicultural broadcasting organisation)
- Evangelische Omroep (Evangelic Broadcasting Corporation)
- Budhist Broadcast Organization
- Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR)
- Telefakts (Belgium television)
- SCOOP Macedonia
- The Centre for Investigative Journalism (London)
- Correctiv! (Berlin)
- Frontline Club (London)
- Független Médiaközpont Center for Independent Journalism (Budapest)
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- ITV/ITN
- European Journalism Centre
- Vice
- Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ)
- Mediahuis (News Paper Publisher)
- Elseviers Weekblad
- NPO (Dutch Public Broadcaster)
- VMN Media
- AT5
- Regio8
- Fonds voor Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten
- Journalism Fund Europe
- Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek
NGOs
- Greenpeace
- Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie)
- Prakarsa (Jakata)
- Amnesty International
- Environmental Justice Foundation
- Oxfam
- Dozens of patient organisations
Lectures and workshops
- Center for Independent Journalism in Budapest (training to Hungarian investigative reporters in October 2008)
- SCOOP (training to reporters in the Ukrain, in Kiev, in 2008)
- OSCE (training to reporters in Serbia, in Belgrade, in June 2009)
- BIRN (Summer School for investigative reporters on the Balkan, in Novi Sad, August 2010)
- Arabic Reporters for Investigative Journalism – ARIJ (teaching reporters in the Arab world)
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2007 in Toronto
- International Conference on Investigative Reporting in East and South East Europe in Budapest 2007
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2008 in Lillehammer
- European Investigative Journalism Conference in Brussels in 2008
- Conference on Investigative Reporting in Kiev (Ukraïn) in 2008
- SKUP Conference 2010 in Tønsberg, Norway
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Geneva in 2010
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kiev in 2011
- London Summer School for Investigative Journalism 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 at Goldsmiths University in London
- African Power Reporting Conference in Johannesburg in 2010, 2011 and 2012
- Netzwerk Recherche Conference, Hamburg, Germany 2012 en 2013
- Data Harvest Conference in Brussels, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023
- IRE Conference 2014 (San Francisco), 2015 (Philadelphia)
- NICAR Conference 2018 in Chicago
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2019 in Hamburg
- Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival and Symposium (online), October 2020
- VVOJ conferenties since 2005
- Data Skup Norway 2021, 2022 and 2023
- Summer School for Investigative Journalism, SSE Riga 2022
- Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2023 in Göteborg
Books
- Luuk Sengers (ed.), Handboek voor onderzoeksjournalisten. Van vermoeden tot verhaal, VVOJ/Betram+DeLeeuw 2022
- Mark Lee Hunter and Luuk Sengers, Investigating Sustainable Development, A guide and method for advancing investigative journalism and SDG, Unesco 2022
- Mark Lee Hunter and Luuk Sengers, with Marcus Lindemann, Modern Investigative Journalism. A Comprehensive Curriculum Based on the ARIJ Method, ARIJ 2019
- Luuk Sengers en Mark Lee Hunter, Drehbuch der Recherche. Das verborgene Szenario, Netzwerk Recherche
- Mark Lee Hunter and Luuk Sengers, The Story Tells the Facts: Structuring and Composing Investigative Narratives, The Centre for Investigative Journalism, London 2013
- Luuk Sengers and Mark Lee Hunter, The Hidden Scenario: Plotting and Outlining Investigative Stories, The Centre for Investigative Journalism, London 2012
- Mark Lee Hunter, Luuk Sengers and others, Story-Based Inquiry: A Manual for Investigative Journalists, Unesco 2009
- Luuk Sengers (ed.), Onderzoeksjournalistiek. Researchproces van idee tot verhaal, Lannoo Campus 2009
Clients
