Since 2001, Nello Scavo has been a journalist for Avvenire. Over the years, he has investigated organized crime and global terrorism, reporting from many hot spots – from the former Yugoslavia to Cambodia and Southeast Asia, as well as from the countries of the former USSR, Latin America, the Horn of Africa, the Maghreb, and Ukraine. In September 2017, he infiltrated a clandestine detention center run by Libyan human traffickers, exposing the conditions of trapped migrants. His investigations, which have inspired in-depth reports by international outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Le Monde, the BBC, CNN, Clarin, La Nacion, El País, and others, have earned him numerous accolades – including the CIDU Award for Human Rights (2020), the Premiolino (2020), the Colomba d’Oro for Peace (2020), the Roberto Morrione Witness Award (2020), the Marco Luchetta International Award (2020), the Mario Francese Award (2020), and the Giuseppe Fava Award (2020). More recently, his commitment has been further recognized with the Buone Notizie Award 2023 and the Biagio Agnes Award 2024.

His books have been translated into 16 languages. Among other titles, he has written La Lista di Bergoglio (Emi, 2013), Luigi Ciotti, un pretre contre la mafia (Bayard, France), I nemici di Francesco (Piemme, 2015), Perseguitati (Piemme, 2017), Fake Pope. Le false notizie su papa Francesco (San Paolo Edizioni, 2018), A casa loro (People, 2019, co-written with Giulio Cavalli), Pescatori di uomini (Garzanti, 2020, co-written with Mattia Ferrari), Schiavi delle milizie (Quarup, 2020, co-written with Alpha Kaba), Kiev (Garzanti, 2022), and Le mani sulla Guardia Costiera (Chiarelettere, 2023). In 2024, he added to his editorial output Il salvatore di bambini. Una storia ucraina, in which he recounts the courageous rescue of children during the war in Ukraine.

Nello Scavo is the president of 'Carta di Roma', an association that promotes the journalistic code of ethics related to migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and victims of trafficking.

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