ICFJ and News Corp Support Early-Career Journalists in Reporting on Education, Health and Humanitarian Issues

By: ICFJ |06/28/2024

Five early-career journalists will publish stories on education in Uganda, neglected tropical diseases, mis- and disinformation in Brazil, mental health in Trinidad and Tobago, and the humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

This financial support and mentorship is made possible by an International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) program supported by News Corp. It is designed to support early-career journalists around the world through training and reporting grants.

The first phase of the program offered online training pertaining to data journalism and audience engagement to nearly 40 journalists. This next phase includes a three-month reporting grant, with each grantee receiving mentorship from top journalists and educators. ICFJ received close to 1,100 applications for the program this year.

The Reporting Projects

Rhonet Atwiine will examine gaps in Uganda's education system. According to UNICEF, in the country, "[o]nly 5 percent of children with disabilities can access education through Inclusive Schools and 10% through special schools."

Matthew Chin will cover mental health struggles that men in Trinidad and Tobago face.

Guerby Jean will write about the plight of displaced people in Haiti, a country facing a dire humanitarian crisis unlikely to end soon.

Ana Raquel Lelles will report on the way Brazil's Indigenous communities combat mis- and disinformation.

Gabriel Zanlorenssi will take a global look at neglected tropical diseases, an underreported topic that causes more than 800,000 deaths annually in Brazil.

The program mentors are Carrie Brown, an associate professor of journalism at Montclair State University, and Tom Meagher, a senior editor at the Marshall Project.

"This is a great opportunity for the grantees to sharpen reporting skills and learn to use engagement strategies to deepen trust with audiences," Brown said.

In the fall, one reporting grantee will receive a two-month hybrid fellowship with The Wall Street Journal, the program's third phase.