Press Mention

Mobile News Network "Helps Those in Need" in India

A blog that highlights the work of citizen journalists all over the world recently turned its attention to CGNet Swara in India, describing the mobile news network founded by Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary as "the media for India's tribal people," and the "kind of project which really cares and helps those in need."

NewsMeBack blog detailed the project and included an animated video that uses stick characters to re-enact the mobile network and the impact it has had on rural co

CNN: Phone Journalism Gives a Voice to India's Rural Poor

When Shubhranshu Choudhary began working as a Knight International Journalism Fellow in India in 2009, he realized that even the most remote villages of the Chhattisgarh region where he was based had access to cell phones. Those phones offered an opportunity for him to build a cellular news network that allows the villagers to communicate with each other as well as with activists, government officials and mainstream media.

Help is Just a Phone Call Away, Thanks to Network Developed by Knight Fellow

A simple phone call can bring needed assistance to people who live in the remote regions of India, says a report by the Public Health Global Network. Reporter Augustine Veliath wrote about villagers who called CGnet Swara, the cellular network created by Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary.

UNESCO Highlights ICFJ's Media Sustainability Work in Liberia

Knight International Journalism Fellow Luisa Handem Piette, working with UNESCO, her partner in Liberia, held a workshop to help media managers turn their news organizations into thriving, sustainable businesses.

Citizen Journalism Democratizes Media in India

Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary delivered a TEDx lecture in Bangalore on how citizen journalism projects, like his CGnet Swara, are democratizing media in India.

Cellphones Bring Communications, Development to Remote Areas of India

India's Asian News International reports on a "revolutionary" initiative by Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary that allows tribals in a remote region of the country to communicate with each other and with mainstream media and activists outside of their region. In this video report, a citizen journalist trained by Choudhary says the service has allowed villagers to report significant problems that might have gone unreported in the past.

From India to Indonesia: A How-To on Spreading Mobile News Technology

Arjun Venkatraman was a technical expert who helped Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary develop an advanced version of his CGNet Swara cell phone service in India. Recently, Venkatraman journeyed to Indonesia to work with Knight International Journalism Fellow Harry Surjadi on a similar project there.

From Mozambique: The Challenges, Taboos and How-to's of Health Reporting

Health reporting in Mozambique means facing some unusual taboos. Knight International Health Fellow Mercedes Sayagues recently spoke with IJNet about some of the challenges and rewards.

Wall Street Journal Features Mobile News Service For India's Poor

"India Real Time" blog in the Wall Street Journal writes about the cellular news service created by Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary for citizens in remote provinces. Trained citizen journalists, for the first time, are providing news in the local language—and often beating mainstream media to the story.

India's Tribal Citizens Track Abuses on Mobile News Network

A news story in India's Andhranews.net highlights CGnet Swara as a development project that is producing change for tribal people vulnerable to Maoist influence. Knight Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary developed the cellular service as part of his Knight International Journalism Fellowship.