As you make your year-end contributions, please support ICFJ and receive a special gift. Our programs have impact.

This November, ICFJ gave 49 international journalists a front-row seat to history.

We placed them in U.S. newsrooms in battleground states to cover the 2012 presidential race. Some came from nascent democracies such as Burma, Libya and Tunisia.

Tunisian reporter Tarek M'Rad, based at WKSU-FM 89.7 in Ohio, learned so much. He was amazed by all the political ads and impressed by the newsroom fact checking. Unlike U.S. politicians, Tunisian candidates rarely hold rallies or meet people face to face, he noted. He hopes his country will adopt the practice of political debates in the 2013 presidential elections—though he’ll leave the “weird” Electoral College to the United States.

Tarek and the other participants produced hundreds of stories that reflected a deeper understanding of the U.S. political system. In the end, the program helped change perceptions and enrich coverage.

By making a tax-deductible contribution today, you help us develop innovative journalism programs. In 2012, we reached a record 6,000 participants. Your support would help us to empower even more.

In this election year, we have a special gift for those who give $50 or more: ICFJ’s 2013 Presidential Calendar, while supplies last. It features outstanding images by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Hume Kennerly, who also served as the official White House photographer for Gerald Ford.

Thank you so much for your backing. All of us at ICFJ wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

Joyce Barnathan
President
International Center for Journalists