Leading News Site Truthdig Launches Women Journalist Project in Collaboration with International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award Winners
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 24, 2014 -- Leading news site Truthdig has launched an initiative called Global Voices: Truthdig Women Reporting to regularly publish foreign news reporting by top female journalists. Truthdig has collaborated with the International Women’s Media Foundation to select female journalists in various countries, all of whom are winners of IWMF’s Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement awards that honor women reporters who risk their lives to expose the truth.
“We have long admired the outstanding IWMF Courage Award journalists who willingly put their lives and often those of their families on the line to report the news. We are so pleased to provide a platform for their voices to be heard more widely,” said Zuade Kaufman, publisher of Truthdig. “Women journalists report from a unique point of view that we believe will hold great interest for our readers, who have a thirst for a deeper understanding of our world.” She said the first Global Voices article by Zubeida Mustafa of Pakistan appeared today.
Initial funding for the Truthdig reporting project comes from the NoVo Foundation Fund at Tides Foundation. Tides also has set up a Truthdig Fund at Tides for tax-deductible Truthdig contributions.
The International Women’s Media Foundation has recognized courageous female journalists for the past 20 years, noted Elisa Lees Munoz, its executive director. “Our winners have been killed, shot at, jailed and persecuted. They set the bar for reporting under duress. Today their reporting is confined to their own print, broadcast or blog outlet and it’s so gratifying to have Truthdig open the door to a broader audience,” she said.
Munoz explained that these courage awards often give these reporters a shield by shining a spotlight on them outside their own countries. “Publication by Truthdig will bring even greater attention to these women, giving them another layer of protection,” she said.
Added Kaufman, “We envision a wide range of reporting through this project. We may choose an issue that affects many countries and ask reporters to provide a view from their region. For example, today’s major economic transformation fueled primarily by a female labor force is causing radical societal changes in many countries, rewriting thousands of years of family and village histories. This is a great human rights story and one that has barely been reported.
“We also expect to publish highly individual stories in which a reporter will write about an issue that particularly affects her country or a commentary on a subject in which she has expertise or a particular interest.”
Another aspect of Global Voices: Truthdig Women Reporting will be a mentoring program in which the selected journalists will guide younger reporters in their countries. “It’s critical to help train the next generation of young journalists,” Kaufman pointed out. “Impeccable standards are especially important when a reporter is doing the risky, progressive journalism Truthdig wants to foster.”
IWMF Courage and Lifetime Achievement journalists who will report for Truthdig include: Khadija Ismayilova of Azerbaijan, Sumi Khan of Bangladesh, Claudia Julieta Duque of Colombia, Elena Poniatowska of Mexico, Zubeida Mustafa of Pakistan, Peta Thornycroft of South Africa, Chiranuch Premchaiporn of Thailand, and Edna Machirori of Zimbabwe.
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About Truthdig: Truthdig was co-founded by Los Angeles entrepreneur Zuade Kaufman, publisher, and columnist Robert Scheer, editor, in 2005 when they foresaw the digital revolution in journalism. They established Truthdig as a website that would inculcate the same strong journalistic values as the best print publications. The site provides expert coverage of current affairs by thoughtful, provocative journalists. The site and its writers are regularly recognized for their excellence and have won numerous awards including the prestigious Webby. http://www.truthdig.com
About IWMF: Founded in 1990 by a group of prominent U.S. female journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation is a Washington-based organization that is dedicated to strengthening the role of female journalists worldwide. The IWMF believes the news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. The IWMF celebrates the courage of female journalists who overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues. The IWMF’s programs empower female journalists with the training, support and network to become leaders in the news industry. http://www.iwmf.org
About NoVo Foundation: Founded in 2006 by philanthropists Jennifer and Peter Buffett, the NoVo Foundation is dedicated to catalyzing meaningful, positive and lasting societal change through fostering greater collaboration and partnerships in all spheres of life. The foundation has a major emphasis on strategies that empower and improve the lives of women and girls, seeing these as keys to societal transformation. http://www.novofoundation.org
About Tides Foundation: Since 1976, Tides Foundation has worked with over 15,000 individuals and organizations in the mutual endeavor to make the world a better place. These include foundations, donors, corporations, social investors, nonprofit organizations, government institutions, community organizations, activists, social entrepreneurs, and more. The foundation breaks down the walls between entrepreneurs and their efforts to bring positive change to their communities. Tides Foundation is all about new ideas, innovation, and providing the tools to make these great ideas a reality. http://www.tides.org
Ashley Greer, Casey & Sayre, +1 (310) 636-1888, [email protected]
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