News

ICFJ Knight Fellows Offer Key Tips for Journalists in 2020

Are you ready for a new year — and a new decade? As we enter 2020, the news industry will undoubtedly continue to experience change. How will you navigate what lies ahead? 

We turned to current and former ICFJ Knight Fellows to ask their advice for the coming year. 

From a Fledgling Blog to a Vibrant News Group, Agencia Mural Reports on the Poorest in Brazil

In 2010, Vagner de Alencar took a journalism course by ICFJ Knight Fellow Bruno Garcez and became a blogger for a citizen journalism site launched by Garcez to cover São Paulo's favelas. Almost 10 years later, the blog has grown into a well-respected news site and Alencar is now co-director of Agencia Mural, overseeing almost 90 correspondents in dozens of favelas around the massive city.

Brazilian Men’s Magazine Analyzes Reader Comments to Prove its Vast Impact

While online comments aren’t always known for civility, a digital men’s magazine in Brazil has used its comments section to build a thriving and supportive community that improves readers’ lives. Now, thanks to help from ICFJ Knight Fellow Pedro Burgos, the news outlet has the numbers to prove it.

Air quality sensors aid coverage of health and environment in Africa

A project that uses low-cost air quality sensors to monitor air pollution in seven major African cities is providing data that journalists are using for the first time to enhance coverage of related health and environmental concerns.

Fighting Health Misinformation Requires A Strong Dose of Journalism

When it comes to health, access to accurate and timely information can make the difference between life and death. Yet worldwide we see a growing problem of health misinformation, spreading fast online and promoting fear. The consequences are often dire. That’s why I am building a network of collaborators across Latin America and launching Salud con Lupa, a digital, collaborative journalism platform dedicated to compelling, investigative coverage of public health.

Your Algorithm Hates You

Some of the decisions algorithms make about our lives are fairly benign, such as those irresistible “Suggestions for you” on Netflix. But it gets far murkier when artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are used by businesses and governments for decision-making that affects our lives without us ever knowing about it. And worse, without us being able to appeal against those decisions.

How a Cross-Border Reporting Team Exposed Venezuela’s $28 Billion, Oil-for-Allies Scheme

As Venezuela’s citizens suffer from rampant food shortages, the government is spending billions to bolster political allies in Latin America, a team of pioneering reporters recently revealed in an unprecedented expose.

CONNECTAS, a cross-border investigative journalism organization in Latin America, directed the project, called Petrofraude. Adding heft to CONNECTAS, ICFJ Knight Fellow Fabiola Torres López coached the reporters on their data efforts, helping them clean up and analyze thousands of government records.

Velocidad to Help Latin American News Startups Accelerate Revenue Growth

A pioneering initiative announced today will identify and invest $1.5 million in promising news media startups in Latin America and accelerate their efforts to grow into thriving businesses.

Three Key Strategies for Combating Disinformation

Looking for innovative solutions to fight the scourge of disinformation? Our ICFJ Fellows have come up with three strategies.

New Study Offers a “Starting Point” for Teaching Media Entrepreneurs in Latin America

In Latin America, where news entrepreneurs are an important source of independent news, a growing number of students are interested in learning the skills to launch and sustain media startups. Yet fewer than 3 percent of the universities in Latin America that teach journalism and communications offer courses in entrepreneurship, a new study has found.