Double Your Impact on World Press Freedom Day with a Gift to ICFJ

By: Joyce Barnathan | 05/01/2017

 

Dear Friend,

In celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, we urge you to get behind our efforts to support reporters who speak truth to power. One of them is Mónica Almeida, an Ecuadorean journalist working for the independent daily El Universo. She is a member of ICFJ’s Investigative Reporting Initiative in the Americas, known as Connectas, which has linked 150 journalists in 15 countries.

Working with a team of Connectas reporters, she exposed a $450 million money laundering scheme involving business and government players in Venezuela and Ecuador. Both countries are extremely dangerous for journalists. Stories about the scam ran in Latin American and U.S. news outlets. They revealed that some of the money, originally allocated for public housing in Venezuela, was used to buy luxury condos and yachts in Florida.

Reporting by Almeida and her team led to a crackdown on the money launderers. In all, Connectas has produced nearly 100 in-depth, investigative projects that uncovered an estimated $3.8 billion in mismanaged public funds.

If you donate today, your contribution will be doubled. We’re delighted that ICFJ Director Raju Narisetti will match the first $5,000 in donations. Please help us reach this goal. To donate from your mobile device, text “ICFJ” to 41444.

Thank you for backing the work of truth tellers like Almeida who expose wrongdoings in the public interest.

Very gratefully,

Joyce Barnathan

President, ICFJ

Country/Region
Worldwide

Latest News

ICFJ Fellow Builds Community of Women Journalists in Post-Assad Syria

When Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown at the end of 2024, Mais Katt, a Syrian journalist who has lived in exile for 14 years, immediately returned to her country. She was one of the first journalism trainers to enter Damascus after the fall of the regime. Her goal? Help prepare women journalists to take advantage of their newfound freedoms.

ICFJ Fellow Investigates Government Failures in West Bank Refugee Camps

Aziza Nofal, a Palestinian freelance journalist and an ICFJ Jim Hoge Reporting Fellow, through her fellowship, conducted a months-long investigation into the shortage of aid for refugees living in West Bank refugee camps. When Nofal was covering Israeli incursions into West Bank refugee camps for outlets like Al Jazeera, she observed a lack of support from Palestinian authorities.

Hold the Line Coalition Welcomes Maria Ressa and Rappler's Acquittal on Foreign Ownership Case, Urges Closure of Remaining Case

A Filipino court has acquitted Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, along with five Rappler directors, in a long-standing anti-dummy case. Filed in 2018 under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the case was based on the allegation that Rappler had violated constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of media.