News

The latest news from the International Center for Journalists.

December
29
2020

ICFJ Knight Fellows Share Advice for Journalists in 2021

The past year has been challenging for journalists around the globe. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, media professionals were forced to think outside the box to bring life-saving information to their communities. We asked ICFJ Knight Fellows past and present to reflect on 2020, to glean insight from a chaotic, difficult year. Below, they share their lessons learned and advice for fellow journalists as we move into 2021. 

December
23
2020

A Year of #CoveringCOVID: Highlights from the Global Health Crisis Reporting Forum

We’ve had by far one of the most unexpected and challenging years in history with a global pandemic, and one that’s hit an already struggling journalism industry hard. Despite these challenges, journalists from around the world came together in the ICFJ Global Health Crisis Reporting Forum to learn from medical experts, epidemiologists, veteran health reporters, fact-checkers and each other to cover what is likely to be the story of the century, a 21st-century pandemic.

December
23
2020

Key Quotes: Newsroom Management During a Pandemic

Newsroom management can be a balancing act between people and content, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made finding that balance even more difficult. During a recent IJNet/ICFJ Global Health Crisis Reporting Forum webinar AJ+ Supervising Executive Producer Jon Laurence acknowledged the difficult balance and shared ways he and his team have tried to adapt. 

December
17
2020

COVID-19 Reporting Has Prepared Us for Cross-Border Collaboration

The biggest story of 2020 — probably the biggest story of our lifetimes — was a global one, and covering it effectively required global collaboration among journalists and news organizations.

December
16
2020

Tips For Podcasting During a Pandemic

With accessible technology and social tools available to anyone, media is no longer exclusive to journalists and journalism-adjacent careers. With just a few cheap — or even free — tools, anyone can create a podcast. The challenge becomes creating compelling content that the audience actually wants. 

December
10
2020

ICFJ-UNESCO Study: Online Violence, Fueled by Disinformation and Political Attacks, Deeply Harms Women Journalists

An alarmingly high number of women journalists are now targets of online attacks associated with orchestrated digital disinformation campaigns. The impacts include self-censorship, retreat from visibility, an increased risk of physical injury, and a serious mental health toll. The main perpetrators? Anonymous trolls and political actors.

December
8
2020

Nigerian Journalist Wins 2020 Michael Elliott Award for Documentary Exposing Sexual Harassment in African Universities

Kiki Mordi, who went undercover to reveal sexual harassment facing students at two universities in Nigeria and Ghana, has been named the 2020 winner of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling. A distinguished panel of judges selected the Nigerian journalist from among 184 applicants.  

December
3
2020

#HoldTheLine Coalition Calls for New Cyber Libel Charge to Be Dropped and Pressure Ceased Against Maria Ressa

The #HoldTheLine Coalition condemns new legal threats against Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa and calls for a second, trumped-up criminal cyber libel charge to be dropped.

November
30
2020

Covering Climate Change in 2021 and Beyond

2020 is on track to become the planet’s hottest on record. Experts say the climate crisis could erase the progress made in human health over the past century, and the communities hit hardest by climate change are among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

November
25
2020

Online Attacks on Women Journalists Leading to ‘Real World’ Violence, New Research Shows

The insidious problem of online violence against women journalists is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences, a new global survey suggests.