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  • Mission
  • A Letter from the President
  • Our Vast Network
  • New Resources
  • Investigative Networks
  • Innovation
  • Sustainability
  • Thought Leadership
  • Honorees
  • Financials
  • Board Members
  • Donors
ANNUAL REVIEW
It Takes a Journalist
Mission
We empower an unparalleled global network of journalists to produce news reports that lead to better governments, stronger economies, more vibrant societies and healthier lives.
A Letter from the President

Over 37 years, ICFJ has provided more than 150,000 journalists from 180 countries with valuable programs and resources. But we’ve never had a year like 2020.

The pandemic that raged across the globe would have been much worse if journalists had not fulfilled their vital role of providing audiences with accurate, lifesaving news, and doing it while combating the spread of false information.

We at ICFJ are doing our best to help journalists better cover the story of the century. At the onset of COVID-19, we galvanized quickly to help them gain access to top epidemiologists and health practitioners, to the world’s best trainers in digital journalism techniques, and to disinformation and media sustainability experts. As you’ll see below, tens of thousands of journalists are benefiting from that effort.

In other ICFJ programs, investigative journalists in our networks are collaborating to uncover corruption by those seeking to get rich from the pandemic. Pioneers in media innovation are creating new data and social media tools to help journalists tell the stories of COVID-19 better. And sustainability experts are helping news outlets improve the bottom line in a time when economic and political forces threaten to shut down independent voices.

Our motto is "It Takes a Journalist." Whether the story is a global pandemic, racial injustice, climate change or government malfeasance, it takes a journalist to bring the public factual information that can mean the difference between life and death. And whatever the story, ICFJ will be there to support and empower the journalists who are helping make our world a better place.

Joyce Barnathan, President

Our Vast Network
Journalists Change the
World
Tens of thousands of journalists in our global network produce news reports that lead to better governments, economies, societies and lives.
Click on this photo to meet members of our inspiring network.
Better Journalism, Better Lives
Learn how ICFJ is giving reporters the skills to cover today's most pressing issues.
With ICFJ’s support, trained citizen journalists use our mobile service to produce news and improve lives in isolated communities.”
— Devansh Mehta, CGNet Swara, India
New Resources
Serving Journalists During A Crisis
ICFJ acted fast to help the journalists in our global network provide vital information on the COVID-19 pandemic. The program connects journalists with experts, information and each other in five languages, through weekly webinars, Facebook groups and resources published by our
International Journalists’ Network (IJNet).
Learn more about ICFJ’s world-leading COVID-19 journalism initiative.
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COVID-19 Resources
ICFJ gave me and my listeners a global perspective on the way other countries were handling the pandemic.”
— Chidera Rosecamille Aneke, Darling FM, Nigeria
Credits: Siddharth Bokolia (top left), John Gitonga (top right), Lucina Paternesi Meloni (middle left), Carolyn Sung (middle right), Amit Chakraborty (bottom left), Agnes Penda (bottom right)
The World's Most Comprehensive Site for Journalists

Offering expert advice, tools and opportunities for the news media

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Investigative Networks
Holding the Powerful to Account When It Matters Most
Journalism With Impact

Peru-based ICFJ Knight Fellow Fabiola Torres created Salud con Lupa, a health news outlet that is uncovering corruption during COVID-19.

They exposed inflated prices for face shields, environmental violations by corporations and wasted protective-gear spending, prompting government action.

Journalists in the ICFJ Network Are Uncovering Corruption
Credit: Rocío Urtecho

Stories by ICFJ partner, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), based in Eastern Europe, have contributed to the recovery of more than $7.3 billion in illicitly acquired funds.

In Latin America, ICFJ helped launch Connectas, which has produced more than  274 in-depth stories exposing mismanagement of billions of dollars in public funds.

We exposed corruption and human rights abuses working in a cross-border network supported by ICFJ.”
— Lisseth Boon, Connectas, Venezuela
Innovation
Pioneering Ways To Get the Truth Out in a Pandemic
In Nigeria, journalists, fact checkers and social media influencers — including a government minister and a Nollywood star — are teaming up to combat misinformation about health and other issues that matter to people’s lives, a project led by ICFJ Knight Fellow Hannah Ajakaiye.
Women journalists and data analysts from five countries shed light on marginalized groups — such as domestic workers and HIV/AIDS patients — hardest hit by the pandemic, as part of the Africa Women Journalism Project, led by ICFJ Knight Fellow Catherine Gicheru.
Journalists can more quickly find expert sources of scientific information thanks to Science Pulse, a free tool created by Brazil-based  ICFJ Knight Fellow Sergio Spagnuolo  that features the latest updates from more than 1,600 verified scientists and scientific organizations tweeting in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Sustainability
Helping Independent News Thrive
Even in the devastating time of COVID-19, we helped newsrooms in 32 countries strengthen their bottom lines.
47 Media Entrepreneurs
Credit: Ibrahim Thunian/Saudi Women's Stories
Media entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa have improved the business prospects of their startups through our IJNet Arabic Mentoring Center, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy over the past six years.
600,000 Registered Users
Local newsrooms in Brazil increased their readership while participating in the Local News Accelerator with ICFJ and the Facebook Journalism Project. It is one of many initiatives across the world between ICFJ and FJP helping newsrooms solve business challenges.
$350,000 in New Revenue
Credit: Ruth Lara Castillo/El Pitazo
Despite the pandemic, ten Latin American digital news startups significantly increased their revenue in just six months, as part of Velocidad. They did it primarily through paid content, advertising and other client services — and it's just the beginning. This accelerator program with ICFJ and SembraMedia is supported by Luminate Group.
With the help of IJNet mentors, I empowered more women and made my news outlet stronger financially.”
— Sheikha Aldosary, Saudi Women's Stories, Saudi Arabia
Thought Leadership
Shaping the Future Of Journalism
During a tumultuous year, ICFJ and its partners identified the impact of the pandemic on journalism as well as the escalating problem of online violence against women journalists.
First COVID-19 Survey of Its Kind
A partnership with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University
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identified politicians and elected officials as top sources of disinformation
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said their organizations did not supply field reporters with protective equipment
Most Comprehensive Survey on Online Violence Against Women Journalists*
A UNESCO-ICFJ partnership
More than one third of respondents said political actors were a common source of abuse.
One in five women said they suffered attacks or abuse offline in the physical world stemming from online harassment.
Credit: Anna Cunningham

*Findings based on 714 responses from women journalists across 113 countries.

Honorees
Standing With Intrepid Journalists
At a time when attacks on journalists are spiking globally, ICFJ’s annual awards bring heightened visibility to winners, whose outstanding reporting has had tremendous impact.
Watch the Speeches
Wolf Blitzer, CNN
ICFJ is doing more than any organization I know to support great journalism worldwide.
ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism
Fareed Zakaria
Host, CNN
Zakaria's expert analysis helps us understand complex global issues.
ICFJ Knight Trailblazer Award
Roman Anin
IStories, Russia
Anin’s collaborative news site is exposing corruption under Vladimir Putin.
ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award
Lina Attalah
Mada Masr, Egypt
Attalah leads a fearless team of reporters at one of the last independent news outlets in her country.
2018 ICFJ Knight Award Winner
Maria Ressa
Rappler, Philippines
Despite relentless persecution, Ressa and her team shine a light on injustices.
Financials
We are careful stewards of our donors’ funds.
Total Revenue for 2019: $19.9 million


Expense Breakdown for 2019:
95.36%
Charity Navigator Ranking
ICFJ’s four-star track record with Charity Navigator places us among the top 2 percent of nonprofits evaluated.
Platinum
GuideStar
Rating
ICFJ also has a platinum-level rating from GuideStar, the highest ranking given.
Board of Directors
Officers
  • MICHAEL GOLDEN
  • Chairman, ICFJ
  • Former Vice Chairman, The New York Times Company
  • JAMES F. HOGE JR.
  • Vice Chair, ICFJ
  • Senior Advisor, Teneo Intelligence
  • PAMELA HOWARD
  • Vice Chair, ICFJ
  • Trustee, Scripps Howard Foundation
  • MATTHEW WINKLER
  • Vice Chair, ICFJ
  • Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News
  • JOHN MAXWELL HAMILTON
  • Treasurer, ICFJ
  • Professor of Journalism and Founding Dean, Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University
  • JASON H. WRIGHT
  • Development Chair, ICFJ
  • Principal, Geer Mountain Holdings LLC
  • MARCY MCGINNIS
  • Nominating Chair, ICFJ
  • Journalist
  • WENDELL REILLY
  • Chair, Audit Committee, ICFJ
  • Chairman, Berman Capital Advisors
  • JOYCE BARNATHAN
  • President, ICFJ
Directors
  • MARK BAILEN
  • Partner, BakerHostetler LLP
  • CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN
  • Editor, Politico
  • DAVID CALLAWAY
  • Founder, Editor, Callaway Climate Insights
  • AHMED CHARAI
  • Chairman and CEO, Global Media Holding
  • DAVID ELLIOT COHEN
  • Author and Publisher
  • JOHN DANISZEWSKI
  • Vice President and Editor at Large for Standards, Associated Press
  • RICHARD GINGRAS
  • Vice President, News, Google
  • MICHAEL GREENSPON
  • Global Head, Licensing and Print Innovation, The New York Times
  • JOHN HEILEMANN
  • Co-host, creator, and executive producer of Showtime's The Circus; National Affairs Analyst, MSNBC and NBC News; Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Recount
  • ALEX S. JONES
  • Journalist, former director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
  • BRENT JONES
  • Editor of Culture, Training and Outreach, The Wall Street Journal
  • RIK KIRKLAND
  • Formerly, Director of Publishing, McKinsey and Co.
  • ANNE KORNBLUT
  • Global Head of Curation, Facebook
  • ISAAC LEE
  • Founder, Exile Content
  • JOANNE LEEDOM-ACKERMAN
  • Novelist and Journalist
  • MARCI MCCUE
  • Founding Team Member and Head of Marketing, Flipboard
  • RODMAN MOORHEAD
  • Former General Partner and Managing Director, Warburg Pincus & Co.
  • ROB REHG
  • Chair, U.S. Client Services, Edelman
  • SOPHIE SCHMIDT
  • Founder, Rest of World
  • MARY ANN STERNBERG
  • Freelance Writer and Author
  • JOHN TOWRISS
  • Principal, Envoy Strategy Group
Advisory Board
  • FRANK BENNACK
  • Executive Vice Chairman, Hearst
  • LAURETTA J. BRUNO
  • President, Gramercy Partners LLC
  • ANDY BURNESS
  • President, Burness Communications
  • PAUL COHEN
  • Principal, Prospect Strategies Group
  • FRANK COMES
  • Editor, McKinsey Quarterly, McKinsey & Co. Inc.
  • PETER COPELAND
  • Writer, Editor and Media Consultant
  • THOMAS EWING
  • Principal, Ewing Controls, ICFJ Founders Family
  • CRAIG FORMAN
  • General Partner, NextNews Ventures
  • SUSAN FRIEDMAN
  • Former NBC News Producer; Former Knight Fellow
  • BOBBY GHOSH
  • Editor, Bloomberg Opinion
  • PETER OSNOS
  • Founder and Editor-at-Large, PublicAffairs
  • CAROL PASMORE
  • Vice President, Cognizant Technology Solutions
  • GARY PRUITT
  • President and CEO, Associated Press
  • JAMES ROUSMANIERE
  • Former Editor and President, Keene Sentinel
  • JANE SASSEEN
  • Executive Director, McGraw Center for Business Journalism, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
  • SUSAN TALALAY
  • Former Director, Knight International Journalism Fellowships
  • EDUARDO ULIBARRI
  • Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations
  • AMY WEBB
  • Founder and CEO, Future Today Institute
  • MARGARET WINSHIP
  • ICFJ Founders Family
Donors
  • Chairman’s Circle
  • Ahmed Charai
  • Pamela Howard
  • Rodman and Alice Moorhead
  • The Reilly Family
  • President’s Circle
  • The Ewing Family
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous 2
  • Benefactors
  • Michael and Anne Golden
  • John Maxwell Hamilton
  • Leaders
  • Elizabeth Ballantine and Paul Leavitt
  • Joyce Barnathan and Steven Strasser
  • Lauretta J. Bruno
  • David Callaway
  • Vint Cerf
  • Patricia Dunnington
  • John Harris
  • James F. Hoge Jr. and Kathleen Lacey
  • Martina Hund-Mejean and Bruno Mejean
  • Alex S. Jones
  • Marci and Mike McCue
  • Rob and Maureen Rehg
  • John Towriss, Envoy Strategy Group
  • Alexandra Wrage
  • Jason H. Wright
  • Champions
  • David Elliot Cohen and Laureen Seeger
  • Richard Gingras
  • Marcy McGinnis
  • Nicholas Tzitzon
  • Matthew and Lisa Winkler
  • Anonymous
  • Note: This list reflects contributions made in 2019. Donations below $5,000 are acknowledged elsewhere on our website.

  • Foundations
  • John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Luminate
  • Arnold Ventures
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies
  • National Endowment for Democracy
  • The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation, Inc.
  • Scripps Howard Foundation
  • The Ambrose Monell Foundation
  • Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Inc.
  • Gannett Foundation
  • Corporations
  • Facebook Journalism Project
  • Dow Jones/News Corp
  • Microsoft
  • Google News Initiative
  • Al Jazeera Media Network
  • Apple News
  • Edelman
  • National Geographic
  • BakerHostetler
  • Univision
  • Associated Press
  • APCO Worldwide
  • CBS News
  • CNN
  • Discovery
  • Fox
  • GRF CPAs & Advisors
  • Mannheim LLC
  • McKinsey & Company
  • POLITICO
  • The New York Times Company
  • The Washington Post
  • TRACE International
  • Ernst & Young
  • Cision
  • Cresa
  • UBS
  • Anonymous
  • Government Agencies
  • U.S. Department of State
  • United States Agency for International Development
  • Organizations
  • World Health Organization
  • Radio Free Asia
  • Freedom House
  • Northwestern University in Qatar
  • Stanford University
  • Arthur F. Burns Fellowship Program Inc.
Thank You
All of us at ICFJ thank you for your support.
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