Five early-career journalists from four continents will develop stories on women’s rights in the Philippines, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States, pollution in India and more, with grant funding and mentorship through a program from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) supported by News Corp. 

ICFJ’s News Corp Media Fellowship program is designed to support early-career journalists across the globe, giving them an opportunity to sharpen their digital journalism skills and to receive support for their data- and/or digitally-driven projects.

In the first phase of the program, nearly 50 journalists participated in training series focused on data journalism and audience engagement. In this next phase, the five reporting grantees will receive $2,000 of financial support for the duration of their three-month projects, as well as coaching from journalist mentors.

The Reporting Projects

Reporting from Munich, Germany, Jessica Buchleitner of the U.S. will explore complexities related to immigration, assimilation and identity through a feature story interweaving personal narratives, data, research and expert commentary.

Leticia Castro will monitor how Uruguay’s law decriminalizing abortion has been implemented over the past decade. The project will aim to quantify how many women have been criminalized for getting abortions outside the time limits set by the law and how many have changed their minds after being subjected to the “moral tribunal” imposed by the country.

Beatrice Lauren Go of the Philippines will look into how participation in community sports can improve gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights. The project will highlight how the government and private sports programs can better address women’s needs.

India’s Raihana Maqbool will produce interactive maps and data visualizations to illuminate the health impacts of air pollution on children, the elderly, workers and other at-risk communities in New Delhi.

In the United States, Gisselle Palomera will take a data-driven approach and examine recent state-level legislative efforts targeting the LGBTQ+ community, culminating in a data visualization project that will debunk the common misconceptions on which these bills are often based. 

The program mentors are: Carrie Brown, the director of engagement at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism; Eliva Limón, an editor at the Los Angeles Times; and Tom Meagher, a senior editor at the Marshall Project.

“This is a great opportunity for journalists to further develop essential reporting skills for a modern world seemingly awash in data and new platforms to reach audiences,” Meagher said.

In the fall, one reporting grantee will receive a three-month virtual fellowship with The Wall Street Journal, the third phase of the program.