When Rana Sabbagh was a young girl in Jordan, her German mother introduced her to the idea of Gerechtigkeit, which translates roughly to “justice” or “fairness.” Sabbagh’s career as an investigative journalist has revolved around this ideal: that justice, accountability and the rule of law matter. Today, Sabbagh — ICFJ's Knight Trailblazer Award winner — continues to drive hard-hitting investigations in the Middle East.
Dominican journalist Carolina Pichardo Hernández is an investigative editor at the oldest and most important newspaper in the Dominican Republic. Through an ICFJ program, she was able to leverage her skills to advance her career and become part of the Washington Post Talent Network.
Jyoti Dwivedi is more than just a reporter. She is a catalyst, an agent of change. During a career spanning more than 15 years, Dwivedi has taken fake aliases, pretended she was pregnant and skirted the police working undercover. She regularly puts herself at risk for her stories – but shows little fear.
James Okong'o — who recently published an eye-opening investigation about disinformation campaigns in Kenya and Nigeria — is just one of many journalists ICFJ has equipped to reach voters with trustworthy news. In a year when more than 60 countries are holding national elections, this support is foundational.
Indian journalist Bharat Nayak works as a researcher and fact-checker. He covers disinformation, political polarization, hate speech and climate change. Through an ICFJ program, he saw significant outcomes for both his reporting and broader community awareness.
At ICFJ’s Tribute to Journalists 2023 on Nov. 2, ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi spotlighted five journalists from the ICFJ network who were watching the event online. “Thank you all for the important work that you do. You are the reason we are here,” Moshavi said.
The 2020 Beirut port blast – one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history – killed more than 200 people and injured over 6,500. It left Lebanon reeling.
In a groundbreaking investigation, ICFJ Knight Fellow Fabiola Torres and her team at Salud con lupa have uncovered alarming findings in Peru. Their report, "A hidden poison on my plate," found that more than 30 pesticides, known to be harmful to health, are present in fruits and vegetables sold by six of Peru's largest supermarket chains. Now, because of Salud con lupa, the Peruvian government is taking action.
In a recent ICFJ event held in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Inter American Press Association, leading journalists from across Central America discussed José Rubén Zamora’s arrest, attacks on press freedom in Guatemala and the greater region, and what can be done to help.
Investigative journalists often look to numbers to back up or fuel their reports, but the data they need can't always be found in a tidy spreadsheet or gathered straight from a source.
"As a journalist obviously your main tool is talking to people; it’s being able to ask the right questions of the right people," said ICFJ Knight Fellow Friedrich Lindenberg in a recent webinar on digital tools for investigative reporting.
