Report for the World brought together journalists from across the globe this week for virtual training in journalism safety, cyber security, international collaboration — and most importantly, to build camaraderie among the program’s newest reporting corps members.
“I am really excited for this program, and I think that Report for the World will be an opportunity to create networks with journalists that are committed to actions to change their communities,” said Lilia Balam, who is covering coastal communities for Causa Natura in Mexico.
“It was such a great opportunity to be up-to-date on new skills in this profession,” added Aung Phay Kyi Soe, who is now reporting on health for Frontier Myanmar.
Fifteen journalists are joining this latest cohort, bringing Report for the World’s current corps size to 45 reporters working in 20 countries. Since launching in 2021, the quickly-growing global service program has helped over 30 newsrooms employ locally-hired journalists to report on undercovered topics like climate change, the environment, criminal and social justice, education, healthcare, and civil liberties.
“Following this expansion, we are now present in all of our main priority regions, while supporting more diverse forms of journalism such as visual investigations, podcast reporting, open source methods and WhatsApp based publishing,” said Preethi Nallu, Report for the World’s global director. “We are also supporting five media operating in exile, so important given the increased attacks against local journalists and newsrooms that are forcing them out of their countries of operation.”
The corps members, who will become full-time employees of their newsrooms for up to three years, are:
- Chile: Catalina Olate, CIPER, covering corruption
- El Salvador: Kellys Portillos, Alharaca, photojournalism
- Kenya: Raquel Muigai, Africa Uncensored, covering climate change
- Lebanon: Layla Yammine, The Public Source, covering the public sector and public interest
- Mexico: Lilia Balam, Causa Natura, covering the ocean and coastal communities
- Myanmar: Aung Phay Kyi Soe, Frontier Myanmar, covering health
- Nicaragua: Franklin Emir Villavicencio Bravo, Divergentes, covering migration
- Pakistan: Muhammed Iftikar Khan, TNN, covering climate change
- Philippines: Jil Danielle Caro, Puma Podcast, covering disinformation and society
- South Africa: Koena Mashale, Sowetan, covering immigration
- Syria: Eman El-Sherbiny, SIRAJ, open source investigator
Not listed, for personal safety, is an exiled journalist investigating money trails in Afghanistan for Etilaat Roz. Journalists have yet to be named in three newsrooms: IStories (Russia), Daily Maverick and Mail & Guardian (both South Africa). A full listing of the entire corps, with links to their bios and work can be found here.
Report for the World will provide continued training for its corps members in the months ahead, as well as promote collaboration among newsrooms on stories of regional significance.
“My experience with Report for the World and Ground Truth has been new to me … but I have found the work done to be really eye-opening and a new perspective to view than the regular media I am used to,” said Koena Mashale, who is reporting on immigration for Sowetan. “I look forward to meeting and collaborating with fellow members of the program and seeing how I can contribute to the team.”
Report for the World is made possible by partners including the MacArthur Foundation, Google News Initiative, Microsoft, and JournalismFund.eu along with family foundations and individual donors around the world. To follow or support Report for the World’s work, visit reportfortheworld.org.
About Report for the World
Report for the World is an international journalism program that matches local newsrooms with talented journalists to report on undercovered issues around the globe. By creating a more sustainable and impactful media ecosystem, Report for the World informs, engages, and enables communities through public service journalism. Report for the World is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.
