News

ICFJ Welcomes Peter Spiegel of the Financial Times to Its Board

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) this week announced that Peter Spiegel, U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times, has joined its Board of Directors.

ICFJ-Backed Journalists Investigate Corruption in Challenging Countries

As democracies around the globe erode, high-impact investigative journalism that serves the public interest is even more crucial. At ICFJ, supporting this work has been and always will be essential to what we do. Over the years, we have seeded and grown cross-border investigative networks.

ICFJ Voices: Sarmad alJilane, Putting Human Rights in Syria Front and Center

In addition to his journalistic work, Sarmad alJilane is an outreach and advocacy consultant. Originally from Syria, he’s based in Berlin. He covers a range of topics pertaining to Syria, including human rights, governance, media and civil society. He describes his participation in an ICFJ program as “one of the most beneficial experiences in my professional life.” 

The "All-Rounder" Journalist and Four Other Reflections from My Placement with The Economist

When I was announced as a joint winner of ICFJ’s Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling in April, I was thrilled to finally win an award I first applied to in 2018. Even more, I was excited to spend two weeks at The Economist’s newsroom in London as  part of a professional development program provided through the award. During this time, I focused on lessons and practices I could replicate in my work as a journalist in Africa. Here are my top five reflections.

Toward an Audience-Centric Future for Journalism

Some journalists are taking initiative to reorient the industry toward what they believe will be a more prosperous future – by centering audiences first and foremost.  Newsrooms today already have taken steps to prioritize the audiences they serve, noted Raghu. “Ten, 12 years ago, there was this very, very different atmosphere where journalists would write for journalists,” she said. Capitalizing on this momentum will be key. “[The journalism industry now] is automatically and very organically turning to being user-centric.”

ICFJ Voices: Aistė Čiučiurkaitė, on the Role of Journalism in U.S.-Baltics Relations

Aistė Čiučiurkaitė is a Lithuanian journalist whose work focuses on the Baltics and the war in Ukraine. She writes on a variety of topics, including politics, business and entertainment.

ICFJ’s Health Innovation Journalism Fellowship Equips Journalists to Report on Global Health

On an international reporting trip to Cape Town, South Africa, ICFJ Health Innovation Fellow Priscilla Lynch documented both the successes and challenges of healthcare facilities that are managing to provide essential services to South Africans amid difficult circumstances. 

ICFJ Statement of Support for John-Allan Namu and Africa Uncensored

In the midst of anti-government protests that have rocked Kenya in recent weeks, authorities are targeting Africa Uncensored – the pioneering, independent news outlet co-founded by ICFJ Knight Award winner John-Allan Namu – with false and dangerous allegations.

ICFJ Calls for Release of Acclaimed Guatemalan Journalist on Two-Year Anniversary of his Imprisonment

Zamora, 67, founder of the newspaper elPeriódico, was arrested on July 29, 2022, on trumped up charges of money laundering, payback for hard-hitting reporting on the alarming level of corruption in Guatemala, some linked to former President Alejandro Giammattei and his cronies. The newspaper closed in May 2023 due to legal harassment and financial difficulties.  ICFJ has been a leading voice demanding Zamora, one of Central America’s most celebrated journalists, be released. He is a winner of the prestigious ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award.

Exiled Journalists Provide Vital Reporting to Russian Audiences, Even As Kremlin Cracks Down

A Russian court last week sentenced Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal to 16 years in a penal colony, following a sham trial on false charges of espionage. Then news emerged this week that another journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was sentenced the same day to more than six years in prison.