New Knight International Fellowships Will Advance Media Innovation Worldwide

By: Irene Moskowitz | 11/13/2012

Knight international Journalism Fellows Sandra Crucianelli and Gustavo Faleiros are promoting the use of data journalism in South America.

WASHINGTON—From digitally mapping Amazon deforestation to launching a news innovation challenge in Africa, innovative work by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) will be supported by a new $3.15 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The support for ICFJ’s Knight International Journalism Fellowships seeks to spur a global culture of news innovation. The fellows will partner with newsrooms, startups and other organizations to help them adopt or invent technology that engages and informs the public. They will work in key areas such as mobile services, data mining, storytelling and social media.

“Through the years, ICFJ has been one of our largest grantees for a reason: When we support the center, we know that it will have a real impact informing and engaging communities across the world,” said Alberto Ibargüen, president of Knight Foundation. “We see that impact in the investigative reporting teams founded in the Middle East during the Arab Spring, in the crowd-sourced maps of corruption in Latin America, and in other ICFJ projects that match digital tools with the power of local journalism.”

In fact, fellows can take credit for improvements to 72 policies and laws in response to hard-hitting stories by their trainees, a 2011 independent evaluation found.

Knight Fellows also will share their lessons from the field in a new blog on the International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) website, www.ijnet.org. IJNet helps journalists thrive in a fast-changing media world. It spotlights the latest global trends, media innovations, digital tools and training opportunities. IJNet publishes in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

“This exciting grant will help us deepen news coverage, expand news delivery and engage citizens in the news process,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “This will be a global game-changer.”

The new program builds on the Knight International Journalism Fellowships’ strong record of achieving impact. Since 2010, the program has attracted more than $7 million in additional funding. This includes support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for fellowships that help African journalists tell compelling stories on health and economic development issues.

For more information about the Knight International Journalism Fellowships, please visit www.knight.icfj.org. For more information about IJNet, please visit www.ijnet.org. *** The International Center for Journalists advances quality journalism worldwide. Our hands-on programs combine the best professional practices with new technologies. We believe that responsible journalism empowers citizens and holds governments accountable. For more information, go to www.icfj.org.

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. More at www.knightfoundation.org.

Latest News

Valeriya Yegoshyna: Keeping Eyes on Ukraine

In the face of dire threats to their safety, Ukrainian journalists have put their lives on the line to document the atrocities of Russia’s invasion of their country, and amplify the stories of those most impacted. Among these fearless journalists is 2024 ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award winner Valeriya Yegoshyna, a reporter at Schemes, the investigative project of the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Her reporting has revealed alleged Russian war crimes and corruption in her native Ukraine.

Covering Elections and a New Administration in a Fractured Media Landscape

Maria Ressa joined White House correspondents Peter Baker and Eugene Daniels to reflect on the challenging environment for the journalists who covered the 2024 elections and their aftermath. The panel, led by Kristen Welker, moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” was part of ICFJ’s 40th Anniversary Tribute to Journalists, held Nov. 14 in Washington, DC.

Highlights from ICFJ's 40th Anniversary Tribute to Journalists

Last night we celebrated the best in journalism globally at ICFJ’s 40th Anniversary Tribute to Journalists in Washington, DC. We recognized our 2024 ICFJ Knight Award winners – three inspiring journalists who have made a mark with their courageous investigative journalism.