“Investigative Journalism, an Independent Investigative News Agency.”

We often pay no attention to what lurks in the shadows—until it touches us.

A research paper titled “On Being Happy and Mistaken”, Forgas (1998) explores how people are quick to judge those whose lives are in turmoil, often assuming they are the architects of their own misfortune. The influence of external circumstances is ignored, dismissed as inconvenient.

When basking in the glow of happiness—what some might call “cloud nine”—it is easier to overlook others’ suffering. If a happy judge, for instance, is presented with evidence of someone’s innocence, they may be unwilling to entertain it. The inconvenience of stepping down from their blissful perch overshadows the truth. Happiness itself becomes a blinder.

On the contrary, those burdened by unhappiness are more open to possibilities. Already familiar with hardship, they are more likely to extend the benefit of the doubt, more willing to consider evidence that could exonerate another. For them, taking the time to listen is not a disruption but a continuation of the contemplation they already carry.

From this perspective, confronting what hides in the shadows is often avoided—until the day we are forced to see it. The following stories delve into the murky world of those who wield authority for power or financial gain, revealing just how obscure their methods can be.