News

Despite efforts to curb violence, attacks against journalists continue

The delegates, journalists and observers gathered at the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council were focused on a noble purpose: promoting freedom of the press and the security of journalists worldwide.

But at the same time they were at a loss to answer one basic question: Why is violence against the press increasing despite years of efforts to curtail it?

In their interventions at the meeting, national representatives talked about “political will,” a very useful cliché for useless statements.

How ICFJ's journalism program in Tsinghua University helps bridge cultural perceptions

Rick Dunham is a firm believer that the best way to improve communication between countries is to encourage cultural exchange.

As the co-director of the Global Business Journalism program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Dunham has witnessed how Chinese students have benefitted from learning alongside international students and vice versa.

"When we divide our graduate classes [at Tsinghua University] up into groups, I require that each group include at least one Chinese student and at least one international student.

Environmental news site CartoChaco reveals deforestation in South America's Gran Chaco region

A new data-driven journalism platform launched today to expose environmental threats to South America’s Gran Chaco, a region that suffers from the world’s highest deforestation rate.

A group of researchers, cartographers, developers and journalists created CartoChaco, which uses news stories alongside maps powered by satellite data to reveal the impacts of natural resource exploitation in the region.

Five data journalism projects win funding from Latin American startup accelerator HacksLabs

Five data-driven projects produced during the regional hackathon La Ruta de Dinero (The Money Trail) will receive support from HacksLabs, the first accelerator of data journalism projects in Latin America.

The projects focus on improving transparency and accountability in Colombia, Chile and Argentina. The regional hackathon, which I coordinated as part of my ICFJ Knight International Journalism Fellowship, took place in 12 Latin American cities and one U.S. city.

Journalists and Civil Society Must Join Forces to Engage the Public With Health News

Now that news reporting is no longer simply a matter of journalists deciding what they think the public needs to know, the mainstream media must make the shift from just reporting about news events to exploring ideas that move the audience to think and act.

Nowhere is that more true than in health coverage, where locally relevant engagement with the news can help individuals and communities identify their health priorities and have a conversation, offline and online, about solutions that can make a difference in their lives.

ICFJ Participant Wins National Edward R. Murrow Award for Report on Human Trafficking

For his investigation into the sex trade along the United States’ Eastern seaboard, ICFJ Reporting Fellow Phillip Martin and the WGBH News team won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in electronic journalism.

Featuring interviews with victims detailing their experiences and state officials describing their efforts to prevent the practices, “Underground Trade: From Boston to Bangkok” uncovers the workings of East Coast-based human trafficking networks and their connections to Southeast Asia.

A Nightmare Turned Beautiful

Most of us have been through travel nightmares that over time have turned into fond memories. Maybe you were lost for hours while in a place where nobody spoke your language, but you ended up making great friends and learned how to live alone. This is what happened with me.

Civic Patterns is Creating a Common Language For The Builders of News and Citizen engagement apps

While many in journalism are searching for ways to harness their readers' expertise and to use data to tell compelling stories, technologists and NGOs who build civic technologies around the world are asking some of the same questions. Organizations like the UK's MySociety, US-based Code for America, Code for South Africa or Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente in Chile develop services that aim to improve interactions between government and citizens.

Being A Fellow

It seemed to be an interesting possibility from the very beginning when I filed the application with the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan. I applied at the last moment of course, as would be expected of me, running off to the general post office in Islamabad and depositing the envelope in person just 10 minutes before the office shut down. Then, I got an interview call. It all seemed surreal, as if it was not happening to me at all.

The idea of going to the United States for the first time and to actually be able to work there for a broadcast media outlet would be no less than a dream for a workaholic like me. The U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership in Journalism instantly became the highlight of my very happening and fast-developing life.

ICFJ Organizes “CodeCamp for the Globe” to Strengthen Citizen Voices Through Data

From May 19 through 30, 2014, ICFJ brought together experts from around the world to the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy to find ways to use data to advance quality journalism. Ben Colmery helped organize this key summit.

His report:

There is no question that open data is opening new doors to improve people’s lives. Initiatives by governments, multilateral organizations, NGOs and hacker groups have bolstered its potential by creating a flood of data and apps.

But what, of it all, has shown tangible success? What works, what doesn’t?