News

ICFJ News, Spring 2015

We hope you enjoy ICFJ's quarterly newsletter. In our programs, we seed new ideas and services that deepen coverage, expand news delivery and engage citizens in the editorial process.

The Dos and Don'ts of Providing Interactive Content

No one could get to all of the more than 200 sessions at the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting conference (NICAR 2015) in Atlanta last week – not even with one of Hermione Granger’s time-turners.

2014 Knight Award Winner: ‘Journalism Gave Me Platform’ to Change Society

Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, winner of the 2014 Knight International Journalism Award, says that journalists should view every story they work on as equally important.

“People ask me, ‘What’s your best story?’ And I say, ‘Every story that I’ve done.’ Because whether it’s a big story or a small story, I give the same dedication, I give it the same commitment that is required of me.”

And for Ogunseye, that mentality is about more than just her duty as a journalist.

“All the stories I’ve done are so dear to my heart

Open-Data Movement Proves 'Data is Everywhere'

Ever since information became readily available on the web, transparency advocates have pushed for public open-data formats. Groups like ILDA in Latin America and the international OGP Open Data working group strive to not only research and analyze the openness of public data, but also assess how infomediaries are using open data.

Journalists, civic hackers, academia and civil society organizations are some of the most active open-data users, transforming data into consumable information for the public.

Advice from 2014 Knight Award Winner: 'Keep Your Passion Alive'

Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab, winner of the 2014 Knight International Journalism Award, says the key to becoming a successful journalist is to find “ways to keep your passion alive and healthy.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist adds that journalists must also stay positive. "The newsroom can become a very, very hard place where we run into people who have either become mad or become isolated or become a bit sour," she said.

Knight's Ibargüen: 'If you care about journalism, you have to care about technology'

Radical changes introduced by the digital age have created exciting possibilities for journalism to inform and illuminate the public, said Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

In accepting the W.M. Kiplinger Award for Distinguished Contributions from the National Press Foundation, Ibargüen emphasized the importance of maintaining core journalistic values while embracing the changes brought on by the technology revolution.

Journalists at Risk Map Illustrates Stunning Number of Attacks on Journalists in Mexico

The dangers faced by journalists around the world have been a prominent subject in the news lately. From reporters captured by ISIS to those whose computers have been hacked by their own governments, attacks on journalists come in many forms.

Introducing New Standards and Principles for Journalists’ Safety

Independent journalists face new, alarming threats around the world.

How Knight Fellow Nasr ul Hadi is Transforming Newsrooms in India

Knight International Journalism Fellow Nasr ul Hadi has worn a lot of hats throughout his journalism career.

He’s been a copy editor, tried every medium from broadcast to print to online and even taught the next class of journalists as a professor. Throughout his career, Hadi has worked with the editorial and business sides of news production and alongside interns, reporters, editors and upper management.

His wide-ranging knowledge of media will help him face his next challenge.

Meet the New Director of the Knight International Journalism Fellowships

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has named Benjamin Colmery as the director of the Knight International Journalism Fellowships. He replaces Jorge Luis Sierra, who will become a Knight Fellow specializing in global security initiatives for journalists.

Since 2010, Colmery has been the deputy director of the program.