40 Years Empowering Truth

ICFJ marks its 40th anniversary this year, at a time when trustworthy journalism is more needed than ever. Elections in 81 countries, AI-powered disinformation and rising authoritarianism are all reminders why journalism matters.

At ICFJ, we know “it takes a journalist.” And that’s why we are so proud of the journalists in our vibrant global network – 177,000+ strong – and the impact they have had and continue to have. For 40 years, ICFJ has built skills, provided opportunities and fostered connections in support of their vital work.

Explore their stories below and add your own. Join the conversation with the hashtag #ICFJ40.

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ICFJ gave me my first formal training in journalism – what questions to ask, how to frame them, and how to write investigative pieces that would start difficult conversations.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Journalist, Oscar-winning filmmaker and ICFJ Knight Award winner, Pakistan

Event Date/Location

January 1, 2024 1:39pm - December 31, 2024 1:39pm

ICFJ ICFJ
750 17th Street NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
United States

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Our Trailblazing History

Over the years, ICFJ has remained ahead of the trends to ensure that journalists can provide the highest quality coverage that holds the powerful to account.

1984

Founded

in 1984 by Tom Winship, Jim Ewing & George Krimsky to share knowledge with their peers

1991

Aided

the rise of independent journalism in the former East bloc after the Berlin Wall fell

1994

Trained

a new generation of South African journalists for the post-Apartheid era

1998

Launched

IJNet to provide resources to journalists, now reaching 180,000+ per month

2001

Helped

U.S. and Arab journalists combat stereotypes after 9/11

2007

Started

the first Global Business Journalism master’s program in booming China

2009

Supported

the first mobile news service in the poorest rural regions of India

2014

Trained

the first network of African health journalists to cover deadly diseases like Ebola

2019

Built

new business models for independent news startups in the Americas

2020

Mobilized

journalists in 70+ countries to cover COVID-19, with training in five languages

2022

Equipped

journalists in and around Ukraine to cover the Russian invasion and war crimes

2022

Published

research used by newsrooms to protect women journalists from online violence

2023

Seeded

innovative projects to deepen trust between journalists and their communities

2023

Enabled

3,500+ journalists to fight disinformation using AI and other methods

I am so thankful to ICFJ for its unwavering support. It has come at a crucial time, when my organization and Philippine democracy are struggling to survive.

Maria Ressa
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Founder, Rappler, and ICFJ Knight Award winner, Philippines

Meet our Network

The support from ICFJ helped us to actually make the lives of our reporters safer.

Roman Anin
Founder, IStories and ICFJ Knight Trailblazer and ICFJ Knight Award winners, Russia

Impact Stories

ICFJ Voices: Raisa Wickrematunge, Helping Journalists Cover Religious Intolerance

Sri Lankan journalist Raisa Wickrematunge believes religious intolerance is under covered in the media. Through an ICFJ program, she helped build a course to train South Asian journalists how to cover religious freedom. Her mentorship has facilitated high-quality reporting in the region.

ICFJ Voices: Bharat Nayak on Investigating Disinformation in India

Indian journalist Bharat Nayak works as a researcher and fact-checker. He covers disinformation, political polarization, hate speech and climate change. Through an ICFJ program, he saw significant outcomes for both his reporting and broader community awareness.

Icons & Wonders: ICFJ Auction Features Signed Prints from Legendary Photojournalists

Bidding is now open on an extraordinary photography collection — capturing global icons and natural wonders — assembled from some of the world's foremost photojournalists.

ICFJ Voices: Shahzad Naveed, Shining a Light on Underreported Stories in Pakistan

Shahzad Naveed is a freelance journalist from Pakistan. He works with a variety of organizations and covers a range of sensitive and challenging topics, including minority rights and human rights. Through a workshop with ICFJ, he was able to grow his professional and technical skills, allowing him to effectively cover stories and approach sources.

ICFJ Voices: Hadeel Arja on Telling Stories of Children in Crisis Zones

A Syrian native based in Turkey, journalist Hadeel Arja has won awards for her reporting on children in crisis zones. With support from an ICFJ program, she was able to grow and professionalize her organization, Tinyhand. The independent outlet creates impactful investigative reports on children's issues.

ICFJ Voices: Tom Meagher, on the Importance of Supporting Journalists

Tom Meagher is a journalist based in New Jersey who covers criminal justice. He’s currently a senior editor at the Marshall Project. Since 2023, he's worked with the ICFJ News Corp Media Fellowship program to offer workshops on data journalism and mentor grantees.

ICFJ Voices: Rohit Upadhyay, Covering Minority Rights in Modi's India

Rohit Upadhyay is an Indian journalist and YouTuber who covers human rights, culture, public health and environmental issues. Through an ICFJ program, he gained knowledge, networked and collaborated with South Asian colleagues to highlight the challenges minority journalists face in the region.

ICFJ Voices: Irene Caselli, Improving Coverage of Early Childhood Globally

Through her engagement with ICFJ, Irene Caselli received financial assistance and mentoring, and was able to publish a piece on refugees that would not have been possible without ICFJ support. Caselli is from Naples, Italy, and resides in Athens, Greece. She covers early childhood and caregiving through a global lens.

ICFJ Voices: Claudia Jardim, Exploring How the Everyday Consumer is Affected by Modern Day Slavery

Claudia Jardim is a Brazilian freelance journalist who specializes in human rights issues across Latin America and South Asia. Her impactful work earned her recognition as a 2021 Professional Fellows Program for Emerging Media Leaders (PFP EML) fellow and a 2022 Alumni Engagement Grant awardee. Some PFP EML fellows can be selected for an ECA Alumni Engagememnt Grant, which supports media initiatives that have the potential to transform Latin American journalism. With this funding, Jardim launched No Labirinto, a podcast about modern-day slavery in Brazil.

ICFJ Voices: Sarmad alJilane, Putting Human Rights in Syria Front and Center

In addition to his journalistic work, Sarmad alJilane is an outreach and advocacy consultant. Originally from Syria, he’s based in Berlin. He covers a range of topics pertaining to Syria, including human rights, governance, media and civil society. He describes his participation in an ICFJ program as “one of the most beneficial experiences in my professional life.”

ICFJ Voices: Aistė Čiučiurkaitė, on the Role of Journalism in U.S.-Baltics Relations

Aistė Čiučiurkaitė is a Lithuanian journalist whose work focuses on the Baltics and the war in Ukraine. She writes on a variety of topics, including politics, business and entertainment.

ICFJ Voices: Justina Asishana, Driving Impact Through Integrity and Coalition

For Justina Asishana, journalism is about integrity and impact. From documenting the dangerous decline in Nigeria’s health system to reporting directly from internally displaced person’s camps in the midst of the pandemic, she is meticulous and people-focused in her investigations and has a proven record of influence. Here’s what Asishana had to say about her work at the Africa Women Journalism Project.

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