News

SembraMex Grants Aim to Strengthen Investigative News Startups at U.S.-Mexico Border

Digital news startups in Juarez and Monterrey, Mexico, are the first recipients of new grants to help independent media organizations on the U.S.-Mexico border increase their business acumen and revenue. SembraMedia and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) awarded the grants as part of the Mexico Border Investigative Reporting Hub project.

How WhatsApp Could Collaborate with Journalists to Spread News — and Battle Misinformation

Things have changed since Facebook acquired WhatsApp for US$19 billion in 2014. The social network made the app free for everyone, and what was an already popular messaging tool became even more popular — active monthly users surged from 200 million in April 2013 to 1.5 billion in December 2017.

ICFJ Alumni Receive Storytelling Grants to Engage Audiences in Real Time

Journalists from Nigeria and the U.S. will receive special grants to involve audiences in real-time news-gathering and storytelling of important news events. Two Nigerian reporters will explore the devastating aftermath of major oil spills, while a U.S. journalist, commentator and author will show pivotal changes in Beijing over the past 20 years through a personal travelogue.

Una Breve Guía de la Historia de las "Noticias Falsas" y la Desinformación: Un Nuevo Módulo de Aprendizaje por ICFJ

Las “noticias falsas” (“fake news” en inglés) no son nuevas. De hecho, la historia registrada de las "guerras de desinformación" se remonta a la antigua Roma; pero el siglo 21 ha visto la utilización de la información como arma en una escala sin precedentes. La nueva y poderosa tecnología hace que la manipulación y la fabricación del contenido sea simple, y las redes sociales amplifican dramáticamente las falsedades que venden los gobiernos antidemocráticos, los políticos populistas y las entidades corporativas deshonestas.

Your Algorithm Hates You

Some of the decisions algorithms make about our lives are fairly benign, such as those irresistible “Suggestions for you” on Netflix. But it gets far murkier when artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are used by businesses and governments for decision-making that affects our lives without us ever knowing about it. And worse, without us being able to appeal against those decisions.

To Stop the Spread of Disinformation, Americans Must Understand Global Trends

Claire Wardle, a leading expert on social media and how it is used to spread disinformation around the world, says Americans can better prepare themselves for the 2020 elections by learning from the experiences of other countries.

Michael Elliott Award "Renews My Focus and Sense of Responsibility," Says Kenyan Journalist

Judges selected Dorcas Wangira as the 2019 Michael Elliott Award winner from more than 200 entries. Her winning story on the fight against female genital mutilation stood out for its courageous reporting, they said.

Three Intrepid Journalists to Receive Prestigious International Journalism Awards

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) announced the lineup for its 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner on Nov. 7 in Washington, DC. The honorees include three courageous journalists: CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer, Stevan Dojčinović of Serbia, and Rose Wangui of Kenya. As previously announced, Washington Post Executive Editor Martin “Marty” Baron will receive ICFJ’s Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism at the event.

Fact-Checking Service Helps Counter Dangerous Health Claims in East Africa

Late last year, the PesaCheck fact-checking initiative helped debunk a fake story about the outbreak of the human papilloma (HPV) virus in the western Kenya county of Kisii. According to the claim, the disease was spread through kissing and killed faster than the AIDS virus. The hoax originated on Whatsapp, spread on Facebook and then was picked up by a local radio station, Ghetto Radio. 

How a Cross-Border Reporting Team Exposed Venezuela’s $28 Billion, Oil-for-Allies Scheme

As Venezuela’s citizens suffer from rampant food shortages, the government is spending billions to bolster political allies in Latin America, a team of pioneering reporters recently revealed in an unprecedented expose.

CONNECTAS, a cross-border investigative journalism organization in Latin America, directed the project, called Petrofraude. Adding heft to CONNECTAS, ICFJ Knight Fellow Fabiola Torres López coached the reporters on their data efforts, helping them clean up and analyze thousands of government records.