33 Free Tools and Project Ideas from ICFJ Knight Fellows to Inspire Your Newsroom

By: Marie von Hafften | 09/12/2018
Updated Toolkit: Find the latest storytelling projects and tools from ICFJ Knight Fellows at tools.ijnet.org

Journalists and newsrooms that want to improve their multimedia storytelling, audience engagement and more can access free tools and resources built by ICFJ Knight Fellows at tools.ijnet.org.

The newly updated site features a treasure trove of information on everything from interactive storytelling tools to investigative reporting networks and data journalism trainings. 

Recent additions include tools and project ideas you can use in your own reporting, such as:

  • Elements, which helps journalists create interactive quizzes and timelines.
  • GenderGap.AFRICA, an interactive platform that illustrates income inequality.
  • Fátima, a Twitter bot that debunks misinformation across Brazil.
  • SembraMedia School, Latin America’s first online school for digital media entrepreneurs.

ICFJ Knight Fellows create a culture of news innovation and experimentation worldwide by helping journalists and news organizations adopt new technologies to enhance their news gathering, storytelling, editorial workflows, audience engagement and business models. The tools and networks they create are designed to be available to journalists everywhere. 

Four ICFJ Knight Fellows — Nasr ul Hadi, Janine Warner, Pedro Burgos and Justin Arenstein — will be speaking this week at the 2018 Online News Association Conference in Austin, Texas. They will present several of these resources at ICFJ’s Steal My Tool session. 

If you adopt any of these tools or lead new projects inspired by them, please let us know by tweeting us @ICFJKnight.

This post was originally published on IJNet. 

Country/Region

Latest News

Press Freedom: ICFJ-Backed Journalists ‘Refuse to Let the Truth Be Erased’ Amid Growing Challenges

Risks to journalists’ safety and their ability to operate are growing every day, from state-sponsored repression and legal attacks to armed conflicts and online violence. “Right now, it feels like a perfect storm has hit independent media,” said Anastasia Rudenko, founder and editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian outlet Rubryka.

ICFJ Voices: ICFJ "Broadens the Lens of Journalists," Says LaMont Jones

LaMont Jones is the managing editor for education at U.S. News and World Report. Through an ICFJ study tour, he deepened his knowledge of the Middle East, connected with colleagues and published articles. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jones is based in Washington, DC.

Independent Journalists Share Their Best Practices for Cultivating Audiences

At the 2025 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, winners of ICFJ’s inaugural News Creator Award discussed how they successfully navigate the terrain. They shared concrete strategies focused on content, community, storytelling and sustainability, offering valuable insights for peers seeking to connect meaningfully with audiences and solidify their place in the evolving media ecosystem.