Blog Post

Learning Data Visualization Skills Helps Tell Compelling Stories in Africa

For two days, the trainers became trainees, and it was fun. We stepped into the world of data visualization using the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). These population-based surveys provide reliable information on HIV, malaria, gender, family planning, maternal and child health, and nutrition in more than 90 countries.

Unsafe Abortion Makes News, as Mozambique Prepares for a Change in Law

Abortions are technically illegal in Mozambique. Even though the laws are no longer enforced, medical standards have yet to catch up, especially in rural areas where patients find less sterile, riskier procedures. Now with a new effort to revamp and discard the old national laws, all that is about to change.

Digital Map to Track Corruption Launches in Colombia

A digital mapping tool to track corruption in Colombia on a national scale launched July 24, a result of our partnership with the Consejo de Redacción, a country-wide organization of investigative journalists.

Hack/Hackers Sao Paulo: On the Quest for Journalism Innovation

On Monday, July 16, I launched Brazil’s first Hacks/Hackers chapter in Sao Paulo. The initiative has the support of ABRAJI (the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association), the local offices of the Open Knowledge Foundation and W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium).

A Journey to the Source: Reporters in South Africa Learn How and Where to Find People Behind the Stories

Stretching across a broad expanse of wilderness along South Africa’s Eastern Cape, the Transkei is the region set aside for the Xhosa people by the old apartheid regime, ostensibly as an experiment in black self-governance. It is also the birthplace of some of South Africa’s greatest freedom fighters, among them Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Thabo Mbeki.

After Rio+20, the Role of Journalists is Even More Important

At the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, I came prepared to learn about new challenges journalists around the world will face as they try to find accurate information about environmental and development issues. As a Knight International Journalism Fellow, I also came armed with some practical approaches for addressing these new challenges – at least here in the Amazon region where my work is based.

Digital Map Brings Change for Good: A Reason to Celebrate in Panama

One of the most important goals of the Knight International Journalism Fellowships Program is to produce impact that benefits society. I think we have done that in Panama. In the two years since we launched Mi Panama Transparente, the digital map has provided a platform that helps journalists and citizens track crime and corruption across the country.

InfoAmazonia: A Visual and Graphic Exploration of the World’s Largest Rainforest

I am thrilled to announce that InfoAmazonia, a data and mapping platform focusing on the largest rainforest on the planet, launched on Sunday at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. As a Knight International Journalism Fellow working to help reporters here in Brazil use data to track deterioration of the Amazon, this is a key component of my work and an exciting step.

India's WMA Graduates Prepare for Work in Newsrooms of the Future

I felt so proud the other night when an email landed in my Blackberry saying one of our students had been shortlisted for a competitive internship with one of India’s biggest production houses. Out of 10 interns, five have been offered full-time jobs and will get to work on a range of assignments – from National Geographic documentaries to reality TV series.

India’s media industry is expanding at a rapid pace and nothing gives me more pleasure than helping students from the World Media Academy Delhi find jobs.

Little Cause for Mother's Day Celebrations in Rural Mozambique

This weekend, as many nations prepare to celebrate Mother's Day, Mozambique released the figures from its latest demographic health survey. The figures show a climbing birth rate and -- particularly for women in rural areas -- limited access to maternity care or clean, well-equipped health clinics.