Today I speak with investigative reporter Richard Behar (pictured at left at anti-US riot in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, November 2001), whose work for Fortune, Time Magazine, and CNN has garnered him 20 top journalism awards.

What is the Klebnikov case, and how are you involved?
Project Klebnikov is an alliance of investigative journalists and media companies that is sharing information and risks on certain stories that are too burdensome for any one news outlet to tackle. It was officially announced on the first anniversary of the July 9, 2004 murder of Paul Klebnikov, the editor-in-chief of Forbes Russia.

At his memorial service last October, I announced that I would develop this project. It took some time, but we now have a website -- a virtual news bureau, really -- at the website, as well as a founding group of seasoned investigative reporters. They span from Washington (60 Minutes) to London (BBC) to Moscow. Bloomberg, Forbes and Vanity Fair deserve huge credit for signing on as founding media entities, and we're expecting others to join shortly. (Some members must remain anonymous.) We also just struck an affiliation with NYU's business journalism masters program.

The goal of Project K is to shed light on who ordered the hit on Klebnikov, explore some of the sensitive subjects that he was investigating, lend a helping hand to courageous Russian reporters, and test some models for how the media might pursue such complex global stories in the future.

Has working on the project opened your eyes to aspects of journalism that you hadn't dealt with much previously?
I'm learning a lot. Most investigative reporters are lone rangers, (Paul was particularly so), and the opportunity to work with a collection of them is a rare treat. I've also learned that it's vital that investigative reporters duplicate their files and notes and keep a copy with someone they trust.

That being said, sharing often runs against the instincts of investigative reporters and of media outlets. So that's why we're building the alliance slowly and carefully -- avoiding overt conflicts of interest, and encouraging both scoops and joint ventures. It's already working: A few weeks ago, one of our alliance members passed a scoop over to another member.

I'm also learning that what worked in the past won't work today. I'm inspired by the Arizona Project, which was launched after the 1976 murder of organized-crime reporter Don Bolles. Journalists from many news outlets descended on that state in droves to pick up where Bolles left off, and collectively they published a series of great stories. It was one of journalism's finest hours, and it helped fuel the growth of IRE, the national association of investigative reporters that now numbers in the thousands.

But Moscow is not Phoenix, and the Klebnikov case needs a different approach. Our alliance members will broadcast and publish their own stories, although we'll encourage and support joint ventures whenever feasible.

Investigative reporting may have hit a low ebb lately in public perceptions, but the need for it is as great as ever -- especially on these sensitive topics. Otherwise they won't get done. For example, a senior editor at a major U.S. newspaper told a Project K member that they don't publish in-depth investigative pieces on Russian organized crime because they are afraid of putting their Moscow bureau at risk - and they need the staff there to cover other stories. That just underscores the urgent need for this alliance.

You've covered some sensitive topics, including Scientology. Which have been some of your toughest stories to crack?
The Scitols were certainly no picnic, but the toughest part - as is so often the case --- came after the story was published. The litigation. The private eyes. Some reprehensible things were done to me that I still haven't discussed publicly (but will someday). In the end, we prevailed in court, but the cost in time and money was astonishing. Fortunately, Time, Inc. backed that battle all the way to the Supreme Court, or else those kinds of articles wouldn't be possible.

Pakistan after 9-11 was also a rough assignment. The investigative work paid off, but the war climate, the riots and the murders of colleagues took their toll. When I returned in early 2002, I couldn't get out of bed for a month, let alone pick up a pen.
Other tough stories to crack were pieces I did on IRS corruption and cover-ups - but again, the toughest part came afterwards when a former editor handed my work product to one of the story's main subjects, violating confidential sources. Still other tough stories involved Whitewater, Harken and the Bush family, the Russian aluminum industry, and the FBI's 'Phoenix Memo.'

What's some of the best practical advice you think a new investigative journalist can learn? How to get court records? When the best time is to interview cops?
The advice I give investigative journalism students is to do more listening and less questioning. It's during the awkward pauses that the jewels of an interview can surface. Obtaining court records is vastly easier today than when I began two decades ago. I'm amazed at how much is now online, and how much easier it is to visit a court and see the files. The problem is to make sure you set aside the hours or days you'll need to digest what you're reading. As for the best time to interview cops, that's an easy one: Late at night, at their favorite bar, over several scotches.

What are you most proud of in your career and what do you still hope to accomplish?

I'm proud that I've followed my stories wherever they've led, without ever backing down, and thankful that my employers in almost every case supported me in these efforts. And I'm proud that I had the courage to leave my comfortable work environments at the point when that support was no longer possible.

Going forward, I'm working on investigative books and other freelance writing projects. Someday I'd like to help create a monthly investigative magazine, if only to show the naysayers (you know who you are) that it really can make money. Sy Hersh recently complained that his best exposes rarely get picked up by other publications, which hardly serves the public's need for the data. He's right, but an investigative monthly could summarize the work of Hersh and numerous others.

Finally, I'd like to do everything in my power to make sure that Klebnikov's murder will produce something positive, for Russia and for journalism.