9 Real Disguises of the World’s Best Undercover Reporter – Anas Aremeyaw Anas

#1:. A Peanut Hawker

After earning his degree from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Anas landed a gig at The Crusading Guide newspaper in 1999. His first scoop stemmed from a simple question: If street hawking is illegal in the city of Accra, why was it so rampant along one of its busiest motorways? The answer lay in a popular peanut snack called Nkatie Burger.

Anas posed as a hawker, hustling the treat to motorists stuck in traffic. In the process, he learned that cops were taking bribes from the hawkers. After seven days of reporting, he had his proof, and his story. At TED, he reflected on that first assignment.

“I thought that I should do it in a different way,” he said, “so that it has maximum impact.” The statement more or less sums up his career.