The journalists and the stories supported by the ICFJ-Hearst Foundations Global Health Crisis Reporting Grant

A cross-border team of journalists shone a light on rural healthcare in Ecuador, the United States and Zimbabwe, while another reporting duo surfaced how Latinas with disabilities navigated the pandemic, in stories supported by the ICFJ-Hearst Foundations Global Health Crisis Reporting Grant.

Last year, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with the Hearst Foundations and under the auspices of the now-ICFJ Pamela Howard Forum on Global Crisis Reporting disbursed a set of grants to two cross-border teams made up of U.S. reporters and their international partners. The grantees focused their coverage primarily on the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities, collaborating across borders to cover the issues through a global lens. 

In a series of stories for Undark, Mike Forster Rothbart (U.S.), Kata Karath (Ecuador) and Lungelo Ndhlovu (Zimbabwe) covered the challenges rural communities faced receiving care in Ecuador, the United States and Zimbabwe, how experienced doctors were stretched thin serving these communities, and the important function doctors play in combating misinformation on COVID-19. They also combined their findings in a report published in the British Medical Journal. In addition, one of their stories was picked up by NPR.

Natalie Van Hoozer (U.S.) and Fabiola Gutiérrez (Bolivia) worked together covering the impact of the pandemic on Latinas with disabilities. Their series of stories was published by Global Voices in English and Spanish, with further translations in Portuguese, Romanian and Italian. The series covers the perseverance of disabled Latina women in the face of challenges and uncertainty during lockdowns, vaccinations and language challenges. They also explained their reporting methodology, conducting facilitated conversations remotely.  

“Thanks to the generous support of the Hearst Foundations in partnership with the ICFJ Forum, these reporters have been able to do important work on in-depth stories spotlighting communities that are often overlooked during the pandemic,” said Director of Community Engagement Stella Roque. “In an increasingly complex global environment, cross-border collaborations between journalists matter much more now more than ever.”