Blog Post

Jineth Bedoya Lima: An International Woman of Courage

There are more than 300 journalists working in the converged media newsroom of ICFJ partner El Tiempo, but one stands out – not just as an award-winning journalist but also because of the trauma and travails she has survived along the way.

It was 2000 and Jineth Bedoya Lima, then just 26-years-old, was covering a story about arms smuggling at La Modelo prison in Bogota for El Tiempo newspaper, where she is now deputy justice editor. When Bedoya Lima left the prison, she was seized by a group of paramilitaries who gang raped her.

A Crowdsourced Website and a Shootout Lead to a Crackdown on Crime

As part of a TV investigative reporting workshop, I was working with 12 Panamanian journalists and journalism students eager to learn how they could use Mi Panama Transparente (MPT) to investigate crime and corruption in their areas. I had planned a demonstration I thought would showcase the possibilities. Little did I know it would involve an exchange of gunfire the participants would catch on tape… and lead to a series of high-profile news reports.

MPT is a crowd-sourced website I developed as part of my Knight International Journalism Fellowship.

Radio Journalists in Rural South Africa Find a New Way to Report Health News

It was with a bit of misgiving that I recently headed to Limpopo province to work with reporters at the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s regional station. The national office back in Johannesburg was hankering for stories about ordinary people amid constant unrest. The idea was to get reporters out of the main city, Polokwane, and into the field, fields being quite literal since Limpopo is 90% rural and one of the poorest provinces in South Africa.

Polokwane, however, has been a cauldron of political activity – at times, that can be taken literally.

Journalists Launch First Global Religion Reporting Association

Nestled in the inspirational scenery of the Bellagio Conference Center on Lake Como in Italy, more than 30 journalists from six continents crafted and launched last week the world’s first global association of journalists who cover religion and spirituality.

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.

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.

Harnessing the Power of Social Media in Developing Nations

It is hardly news to say that social media offer unprecedented opportunity to empower change through collaboration. We’ve seen this in American elections and the Arab Spring, alike. With over one billion people now active on social media around the world, and two billion Internet users, it has never been this technologically easy to connect people and work together, the world over.

But what about the billions of people who aren’t active on these social media, or don’t have access to the Internet or smartphones? Are they completely cut off?

Debating the Values of U.S. and Pakistani Media

I never saw this trip to Pakistan with the International Center for Journalists as a one-time event, a go-and-come-home gig, something that was good for creating fodder for speaking engagements around Tallahassee and not much more.

I’m not much of a sightseer for the purpose of just seeing sights, either.

A Profile of Pakistan: Travails and Hopes

It was an extraordinary trip to Pakistan – a whirlwind two weeks filled with dozens upon dozens of meetings – meetings with government officials, news executives, journalists, NGOs and even an artist or two. We were wined, dined, gifted and feted. We were welcomed extravagantly, generously, sometimes lovingly. We made business contacts and we made friends. We saw amazing sights – from the ancient ruins at Taxila and extraordinary art to security checkpoints and blockades.

We learned that Pakistan is a complicated, feudal society.

Reporting on a Health Crisis in Rural Mozambique Sometimes Requires Action

Contorted with pain, the young woman struggles to get on the bike seat. Her husband gently pushes the bike under the blaring sun.