News

Security Tips for Journalists who Must Choose Between Danger and Self-Censorship

Enrique Juárez Torres, editorial director of El Mañana de Matamoros, knows very well what a “zone of silence” means. In Feb. 4, 2015, a group of drug traffickers kidnapped him for covering a wave of violence taking place in the border city of Matamoros.

“We are going to kill you,” the kidnappers said to Juárez.

He was freed the same day, but he found the newsroom empty. Most of the reporters, editors and administrative personnel quit their jobs and left the newspaper. Now Juárez and his family are living in the U.S.

ICFJ Knight Roundup: HackDash Gets a Makeover, New Code for Africa Tool Launched

Each week as part of the Knight International Media Innovators blog, the ICFJ Knight team will round up stories focused on how their fellows are making an impact in the field.

Find out more about the fellows' projects by clicking here.

On Assignment? Improve Your Digital Safety With These Simple Steps

Over the last few years, computer security has finally become a discussion for more than just system administrators. These days one of the main concerns, understandably, is the security of data once it's left your machine. Once the data is out of your hands, it seems to be uncommonly easy to intercept.

Encryption goes a long way to prevent "across the air" surveillance, but there’s also a mentality in the computer security world: If someone has physical access to your machine, nothing can stop them.

When at home, most of these concerns can be managed.

“Back in the Newsroom” Fellowships Open to J-School Profs at Colleges for Minorities

Building on last year’s success, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is hosting a new round of Back in the Newsroom Fellowships this summer. The program places journalism faculty from colleges and universities with large minority student populations in digitally savvy newsrooms for a summer.

Periodistas de Investigación Denuncian Casos de Corrupción en América Latina

La Iniciativa Regional para el Periodismo de Investigación en las Américas, un programa de ICFJ, brindó al periodista Rafael Cabrera las herramientas que necesitaba para hacer el reportaje sobre la “Casa Blanca de México” que ha sacudido al gobierno de ese país y ha sido recogido posteriormente por los principales medios de comunicación en los Estados Unidos.

Improving Security for Mexican Journalists who ‘Too Often Pay with their Lives’

The violence that continues to rock Mexico has created a “zone of silence” where reporters have to choose between reporting and dying, or keeping quiet and surviving, said Jorge Luis Sierra, the International Center for Journalists’ (ICFJ's) Knight International Journalism Fellow focusing on digital security. Sierra spoke during a March 18 panel discussion on Capitol Hill organized by Freedom House and ICFJ.

Open-Data Project Adds Transparency to African Elections

An innovative tool developed to help people register to vote in Kenya is proving to be a valuable asset to voters across the African continent.

GotToVote was created in 2012 by two software developers under the guidance of ICFJ’s Knight International Journalism Fellow Justin Arenstein for use during Kenya’s general elections.

Latin American Journalists Learn About Efforts to Prevent Crime in 24-Hour Cities

Twelve journalists from nine Latin American countries spent a week at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, D.C., learning about crime and citizen security as part of the International Center for Journalists’ (ICFJ’s) “Can Crime Be Prevented in Latin America?” program. The initiative, hosted and funded by IDB, began with a six-week online course that attracted 94 participants.

Four Media Leaders Join ICFJ Board of Directors

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has added four leading news media executives to its board of directors. They are: Mark Aldam, president of Hearst Newspapers; David Callaway, editor-in-chief of USA Today; John Harris, editor-in-chief of Politico; and Megan Liberman, editor-in-chief of Yahoo! News.

Investigative Journalists Uncover Corruption in Latin America

ICFJ’s Investigative Reporting Initiative in the Americas (IRIA) gave reporter Rafael Cabrera the tools he needed to break a story on the “Mexican White House” that has shaken the government of that country and led to follow-up stories from major media in the United States.

Cabrera, a journalist with Aristegui Noticias, reported on a potential conflict of interest involving President Enrique Peña Nieto and his wife, Angélica Rivera.