Program News

December
10
2019

From a Fledgling Blog to a Vibrant News Group, Agencia Mural Reports on the Poorest in Brazil

In 2010, Vagner de Alencar took a journalism course by ICFJ Knight Fellow Bruno Garcez and became a blogger for a citizen journalism site launched by Garcez to cover São Paulo's favelas. Almost 10 years later, the blog has grown into a well-respected news site and Alencar is now co-director of Agencia Mural, overseeing almost 90 correspondents in dozens of favelas around the massive city.

September
10
2019

Data Journalism Project Sheds Light on Child Health in Kenya

Journalist Verah Okeyo, one of the first recipients of the inaugural ICFJ Alumni Reporting Grants, didn’t just notice that fellow Kenyans were frustrated with their medical care — she believed news outlets in her country were failing to comprehensively cover the health issues people were facing. 

September
2
2019

Dynamic Fact-Checking Strategy Boosts Audience Reach and Trust in Indonesia

In 2017, Indonesia held one of its most polarized regional elections ever and news outlets found themselves at a loss for ways to counter the wide circulation of false information. But by the 2019 presidential election, an Indonesian publisher had developed a dynamic platform to help citizens distinguish lies from truth with help from ICFJ Truthbuzz Fellow Astudestra Ajengrastri.

August
16
2019

Brazilian Publisher Credits Video Accelerator for Audience Growth

For the past few years, news publishers have pointed to online video as the next frontier — so much so that, beginning in 2015, many reorganized their entire newsrooms. This “pivot to video,” as it was dubbed, was so widespread that some newsrooms even laid off editorial staff to make room for video. But few achieved the success they had hoped for. 

July
30
2019

Brazilian Men’s Magazine Analyzes Reader Comments to Prove its Vast Impact

While online comments aren’t always known for civility, a digital men’s magazine in Brazil has used its comments section to build a thriving and supportive community that improves readers’ lives. Now, thanks to help from ICFJ Knight Fellow Pedro Burgos, the news outlet has the numbers to prove it.

July
29
2019

Air quality sensors aid coverage of health and environment in Africa

A project that uses low-cost air quality sensors to monitor air pollution in seven major African cities is providing data that journalists are using for the first time to enhance coverage of related health and environmental concerns.

July
18
2019

Fighting Health Misinformation Requires A Strong Dose of Journalism

When it comes to health, access to accurate and timely information can make the difference between life and death. Yet worldwide we see a growing problem of health misinformation, spreading fast online and promoting fear. The consequences are often dire. That’s why I am building a network of collaborators across Latin America and launching Salud con Lupa, a digital, collaborative journalism platform dedicated to compelling, investigative coverage of public health.

July
10
2019

Latin American Newsrooms Boost Video Engagement through New Accelerator

News publishers in Argentina and Chile are taking their video strategies to the next level - and sparking greater audience engagement and web traffic in the process - with support from the Facebook Journalism Project Digital Video Accelerator. 

June
13
2019

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.

June
12
2019

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.