Hamna Iqbal Baig is a widely published freelance journalist and fact-checker who says she knew from a young age that journalism was her calling. She currently focuses on covering women, minorities and marginalized groups. Through two ICFJ programs, she enhanced her skills on data journalism and audience engagement and investigated the exploitation of sanitation workers in Karachi, Pakistan.
India and Pakistan have a history of more than 75 years of conflict over Kashmir, a region split between the two nations. This clash often places Kashmiris, who lack autonomy, in the crossfire. Last year, Indian journalist Puja Bhattacharjee and Pakistani journalist Umar Bacha united in a rare cross-country collaboration to detail the challenges faced by families and marriages divided by borders. The emotional investigation remains relevant amid increasing calls for Kashmiri autonomy.
Sri Lankan journalist Raisa Wickrematunge believes religious intolerance is under covered in the media. Through an ICFJ program, she helped build a course to train South Asian journalists how to cover religious freedom. Her mentorship has facilitated high-quality reporting in the region.
Rohit Upadhyay is an Indian journalist and YouTuber who covers human rights, culture, public health and environmental issues. Through an ICFJ program, he gained knowledge, networked and collaborated with South Asian colleagues to highlight the challenges minority journalists face in the region.
Indian journalist Syed Nazakat has received the Christiane Amanpour Award for Religion Reporting for his story in The Week magazine about how Saudi Arabian officials and clerics are using the Koran and other religious texts to rehabilitate Al Qaeda fighters. The International Center for Journalists gives the award in honor of Amanpour, the 2011 winner of its Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism and a model for enlightening coverage of divisive religion issues.
For the story “Reborn in Riyadh,” Nazakat traveled to four Saudi cities.
