ICFJ's "It Takes a Journalist" Campaign Highlights Vital Role Journalists Play in Society

By: Joyce Barnathan
|

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) launched a new public awareness campaign to highlight the tremendous impact of journalists around the world.

Labeled ‘It Takes a Journalist,’ the campaign focuses on journalists whose reports have made a difference such as getting fake medicines pulled from pharmacy shelves in Kenya, for having landmines removed at the border of Venezuela and Colombia, and for prompting changes in the law to protect women in Pakistan. 

“Whatever we are trying to improve in society -- better governance, a cleaner environment, elevating the lives of the poorest -- it takes a journalist to expose the problems and help us find solutions,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan, speaking at ICFJ's annual Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. “Singling out the contributions of journalists is vital at a time when the powerful are deliberately undermining the important role they play in society,” she said.

Barnathan highlighted the work of two journalists who received this year’s Knight International Journalism Award for their outstanding and innovative work. She praised Maria Ressa, whose online news site Rappler, has been attacked by the Philippines government after it exposed tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country’s drug war. 

She also pointed to the investigative reporting of Joseph Poliszuk, who was forced to flee Venezuela along with three colleagues after they uncovered how a well-connected businessman exploited a food program for needy Venezuelans. 

As part of the campaign, ICFJ released a video about journalists whose reporting led to important impacts or improved the lives of people in their communities. It highlighted the accomplishments of previous award winners such as Carmen Aristegui of Mexico and Roman Anin of Russia. ICFJ honorees say the recognition has encouraged them to continue their work even in the darkest of times for journalists.

“Despite the risks, many of our past honorees have used the Knight award as a springboard to do even greater journalism,” Barnathan said.

Latest News

ICFJ Survey: Journalists Worldwide are Embracing Technology to Tackle Daunting Challenges

Journalists around the world are increasingly turning to digital technology to help address daunting challenges such as the spread of misinformation and growing attacks on reporters, according to the International Center for Journalists’ 2019 survey of the State of Technology in Global Newsrooms. 

A New Era of Journalism: How Reporters are Joining Forces in a Time of Crisis

Reporters are not usually known as joiners. More often than not, they are loners, truth seekers, who do their homework, ask the hard questions and present the facts as they see them. But with our field under siege, we are witnessing a new era of journalism as reporters join forces to combat worldwide attacks against a free press. 

Cuatro organizaciones fronterizas reciben subvenciones para periodismo de investigación

El Centro Internacional de para Periodistas ha dado Subvenciones para Fortalecer Capacidades de Investigación a tres medios de comunicación independientes y a una organización de la sociedad civil quienes trabajan en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. Las subvenciones ayudarán a las organizaciones a proporcionar investigaciones detalladas sobre corrupción, transparencia y otros asuntos desafiantes en la región fronteriza que comparten ambos países.