ICFJ Knight Fellowships

Mapping Crime and Corruption in Colombia: Knowledge is Power, Thanks to New Digital Technology

Imagine that you have just hailed a taxi off the street in busy, chaotic Bogota. Then, suddenly the taxi stops, someone else jumps in with you, and you find that rather than going to your destination, you have just been abducted.

On your “joy” ride, your abductors will be forcing you to visit a series of ATM machines, where they will oblige you to make withdrawals and empty your account. In Colombia, this is the “paseo millionario” or the millionaire’s ride, similar to the “express kidnappings” and robberies that occur in other Latin American countries, particularly Venezuela.

Health Journalists in Nigeria Take On the Sensitive Topic of Epilepsy

Health journalists at the office of This Day newspaper in Lagos have never published a health section before. But they have now, under the guiding eye of Knight International Journalism Fellow Declan Okpalaeke. In the first edition: a gripping story about epilepsy that pits a medical diagnosis against faith-based treatment options.

ICFJ's Jerri Eddings: New Technology Brings New Opportunities for African Journalists

At the 14th annual National Freedom of Information Day Conference, held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., ICFJ Program Director Jerri Eddings said that many governments in Africa have eased restrictions on journalists. Now, she said, journalists are learning to access new kinds of information and deliver it to an increasingly tech-savvy audience across the continent.

The Newseum's First Amendment Center reported on the event.

Story on Alcoholism Leads to Liquor Co. Campaign Against Underage Drinking in Mozambique

Alcoholism and binge drinking are serious problems here in Mozambique. Among the vile, cheap and lethal spirits sold – those with high alcohol content and low price, guaranteed to hit you like a punch from Rumble in the Jungle - the most popular is Tentacão (which means temptation, in Portuguese), less than US$1 for half a pint. Other brands are Lord Gin, Double Punch, Boss, Rhino and Paradise. The cheapest, Lord Gin, with 43% alcohol, costs US$1 for half a liter.

Though underage drinking is technically illegal here, no one seems to check.