Two U.S. Journalists Among Knight International Fellows

By: Joe Strupp The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) on Monday announced its seven Knight International Journalism Fellows, who will oversee journalism projects on issues ranging from climate control to new media for the next 12 months.

"In keeping with the program's commitment to selecting the best international journalists, the group includes the first Egyptian, Indonesian and African Fellows, as well as Fellows from Britain and the United States," a release from the group stated. "They will address key societal issues through hands-on media projects in eight countries."

The Fellows will spend a year working with "local-partner organizations to transform media in their host countries and their regions," the release continued. "In India, a Knight Fellow will partner with the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the environmental group that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore."

The latest planned projects announced Monday include:

? In Egypt, "a unique, online media mentoring space -- a Virtual Newsroom -- will provide a wide-reaching digital outlet for Arabic-speaking journalists contending with growing restrictions." That will be led Roderick Craig, a veteran British journalist who has written the Times of London, Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Financial Times.

? In Guinea, "political coverage by independent radio will give citizens unprecedented opportunities to evaluate candidates and issues with new tools, including voter guides. The aim is to help Guineans hold free and fair elections in a country plagued by violence." Vianney Missumbi, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a 15-year broadcast journalist, will oversee that program.

? In India, "environmental journalists will form associations and gain sophisticated skills and new reporting tools, including online resources, to help their country find a model for sustainable development." Arul Louis, the news editor for borough publications at The New York Daily News, who has worked for newspapers in India, heads that effort.

? In Indonesia, "journalists will produce quality coverage of key environmental issues to help people across the archipelago achieve economic growth without depleting their nation's natural resources and beauty. The association of environmental journalists will be energized with new resources and members." Harry Surjadi, an Indonesian journalist who is founder and executive director of the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists, is the fellow on that project.

? In Jordan and Lebanon, "television journalists will produce, for the first time, solution-oriented television programming on social issues --- from health care to refugee problems --- never before addressed on a regional basis." Mariam Sami, the first Egyptian Fellow, who oversaw production and story assignment for a weekly Al-Jazeera English program and worked for nearly a decade as a Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, is the fellow assigned.

? In Russia, "journalists will provide in-depth coverage of critical community issues to help citizens hold local officials accountable during and after Russia's parliamentary and presidential elections." Eric Schwartz, a veteran journalist and consultant on Russia, will run that program.

? In Uganda, "a new corps of health journalists will stress coverage of disease prevention and healthy living --- and will scrutinize governmental budgets for corruption and inefficiency." Christopher Conte, a 15-year reporter and news editor at The Wall Street Journal, will oversee the operation.

The Fellows will spend one week in Washington, D.C. undergoing training courses that will prepare them for their year-long assignments. In addition, the group will be honored at a reception on Tuesday.

"This class puts into practice ICFJ's belief that quality journalism improves the human condition," ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan said. "Their work will leave a lasting beneficial impact on their host societies."