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17 journalists from 14 countries join us as Journalist Fellows in October 2022
The global cohort will explore the future of journalism through discussions, seminars and a personal project
Seventeen journalists from fourteen countries spanning four continents have joined the Reuters Institute to join our Journalist Fellowship Programme this term. The new cohort includes reporters, producers and broadcasters from a range of legacy and independent media outlets. All of them will take part in an engaging programme of activities to allow them to explore the challenges facing journalism right now.
Our new Journalist Fellows will also undertake an in-depth personal project relevant to their professional interests. Projects this term include the media's coverage of transgender and Roma communities, how to optimise science and climate journalism, grappling with disinformation in the Global South, and how journalism should approach questions around the metaverse, mental health and audience accessibility.
Mitali Mukherjee, Director of our Journalist Fellowship Programme, said: "We look forward to hosting our new cohort at the Institute. Our programme has been increasingly and purposefully diverse in nature. At a time where challenges for journalists in many parts of the world have intensified, there will be much to share amongst this community."
Read more about each of them below:
Brett Aresco
Freelance journalist
USA
Sponsor: Columbia University
Brett recently graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School, where he covered everything from the difficulty of securing polling places in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic to Congress' 12-year battle to pass the Corporate Transparency Act.
Project topic: The media's coverage of cryptocurrency
More on Brett's work:
- 'Undercapitalized and under siege: Harlem’s black restaurateurs fight to survive COVID-19', Columbia News Service
- Brett's Twitter account
Te Shima Brennen
Documentary filmmaker
USA
Sponsor: Columbia University
Te Shima (they/them) is a documentary filmmaker and journalist in Brooklyn. They cover race, gender, and sexuality. As an emerging documentary filmmaker, they tell nuanced stories about BIPOC, queer and trans people as they navigate institutions not built to support them.
Project topic: Building trust with trans communities
More on TeShima's work:
Regine Cabato
Manila reporter, Washington Post
Philippines
Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Regine reports about the Philippines for the Washington Post. She has sat in a troll farm, followed drug war killings and, most recently, covered the 2022 presidential election. Her commentary has been featured on BBC, CBS, and CNN among other channels.
Project topic: How Filipino journalists can cover and counter disinformation
More on Regine's work:
- 'How the Philippines’ brutal history is being whitewashed for voters', Washington Post
- 'In Philippines, a child alleges abuse by Catholic priest — and tests Vatican promise for global reckoning', Washington Post
- Regine's Twitter account
Johny Cassidy
Digital Special Projects Producer, BBC News
United Kingdom
Sponsor: BBC
Johny has been a BBC journalist for more than 14 years during which time he’s worked across most of the BBC's TV and radio news output. He recently moved into digital news where he is hoping his passion for digital accessibility and inclusion can add value to all our content.
Project topic: Bridging the visual data journalism accessibility gap
More on Johny's work:
- 'Cost of living: How can I save money on my food shop?', BBC News
- 'How we pay the bills: Skipping meals and fewer car journeys', BBC News
- Johny's Twitter account
Ronson Chan
Multimedia Production Supervisor (Local News), Channel C HK
Hong Kong
Sponsor: Meta Journalism Project
Ronson is the head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and former deputy editor of Stand News. He now works for Channel C. As a journalist for 18 years, he has worked as an investigative reporter, online news editor, and assignment editor in different media.
Project topic: The power of live streaming
Laida Kaoma Chongo
Freelance journalist
Zambia
Sponsor: Meta Journalism Project
Laida Kaoma Chongo is an independent journalist based in Zambia with a passion for issues around gender. She is a firm believer that well-informed writing can change Zambia’s journalism narrative for the better and that writing is a powerful tool for advocacy.
Project topic: Combatting "Blalizo" payments in Zambia
More on Laida's work:
- 'The need to act inclusion for persons with disabilities', Paradigm Initiative
- 'Cyber law in Zambia: Should it be repelled? Thoughts from a female human rights defender', GenderIT.org
- Laida's Twitter account
Zsófia Fülöp
Journalist, Magyar Narancs
Hungary
Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Zsófia is a Hungarian journalist for the independent political-cultural weekly Magyar Narancs. She has mainly covered health care, social issues and has done a lot of reporting on underrepresented communities such as Roma, refugees or LGBTQ+ people.
Project topic: How the media represents Roma people in Hungary
More on Zsófia's work:
- '"My roommate shook my shoulder at dawn and told me to wake up because the war had started"', Magyar Narancs
- Article on gay and transgender youth, Magyar Narancs
- Zsófia's Twitter account
Tanmoy Goswami
Founder and editor, Sanity
India
Sponsor: Botnar Fondation
Tanmoy is the founder and editor of Sanity, India's first independent, reader-funded mental health storytelling platform.
Project topic: Mental health storytelling in the Global South
More on Tanmoy's work:
- 'The life-saving case for cash transfers', Sanity
- 'Explained: Global mental health's catastrophic cash problem', Sanity
- Our interview with Tanmoy
- Tanmoy's Twitter account
Vanessa Gruber
TV journalist, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation
Austria
Sponsor: Austrian Press Agency
Vanessa works as a TV journalist at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation in Vienna, with an emphasis on the economy and ecology. She grew up in Salzburg and studied Transcultural Communications, Digital Media and Journalism in Vienna and Madrid.
Project topic: Climate change journalism
More on Vanessa's work:
Manar Hafeth Ismail
Reporter, Radio Sawa
Jordan
Sponsor: Mona Megalli
Manar has been working in journalism for nearly a decade, contributing to several news websites and radio stations. She is an investigative journalist and is interested in human rights issues.
Project topic: Coverage of transgender communities in Jordan
More on Manar's work:
- 'Compromised innocence', Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
- Manar's Twitter account
Jussi Latvala
Producer, Yle
Finland
Sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation
Jussi is a Finnish journalist and producer working for the Finnish public broadcasting company, Yle. He is interested in how journalistic principles could be made more visible to our audiences.
Project topic: Journalistic principles and how they could be communicated to audiences, especially online and on social media
More on Jussi's work:
- 'Star Wars: The return of good and evil' [in Finnish], Yle
- 'On the spectrum of humor' [in Finnish], Yle
- Jussi's Twitter account
Evie Liu
Reporter, Barron's
USA
Sponsor: Google News Initiative
Evie Liu is a reporter at New York-based financial magazine Barron's. As the green economy grows, she's interested in scrutinising companies' climate commitments, keeping tabs on potential greenwashing, and exploring better ways to tell a sustainability-related business story.
Project topic: How journalists should scrutinise corporations' climate-related commitments
More on Evie's work:
- 'Why investors are toning down climate demands', Barron's
- '10 real estate companies that are both greener and more profitable', Barron's
- Evie's Twitter account
Soon Kiat Ng
Associate digital content editor, Lianhe Zaobao, SPH Media
Singapore
Sponsor: SPH Media
Ng Soon Kiat is an associate digital content editor at Lianhe Zaobao. He helps to drive and oversee video content, multimedia features and data-driven stories at the Chinese-language title.
Project topic: Building trust as SPH Media transitions to a company limited by guarantee
More on Soon Kiat's work:
- Data visualisation article on Change.org, Zaobao
- Data analysis article on racism in Singapore, Zaobao
- Soon Kiat's Twitter account
Frida Sandgren
News Editor, Dagens Nyheter
Sweden
Sponsor: Dagens Nyheter
Frida Sandgren is a Swedish journalist and news editor at the national daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter in Stockholm. In her current position on the national news desk, she covers different areas from gang violence and healthcare to education and immigration.
Project topic: How and when science journalism becomes breaking news
More on Frida's work:
Yuen-C Tham
Senior political correspondent, The Straits Times
Singapore
Sponsor: SPH Media
Yuen-C is a journalist with The Straits Times in Singapore, currently writing about local politics and working on multimedia content. She has also covered stories on a wide range of subjects from crime and court cases to technology and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project topic: The opportunities and challenges of the metaverse for news organisations
More on Yuen-C's work:
Olga Tokariuk
Freelance journalist
Ukraine
Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Olga Tokariuk is an independent journalist and non-resident fellow at CEPA (Center for European Policy Analysis). Olga has vast experience working with Ukrainian and international media. Her reports have been featured at TIME, The Washington Post, NPR (USA), Monocle (UK), and EFE (Spain).
Project topic: Disinformation and the impact on democratic societies
More on Olga's work:
- 'Syrian Doctors Are Teaching Ukrainians How to Prepare for Chemical Attacks', TIME
- 'Reflections on Ukraine's independence'. Audio diary for BBC Sounds
Natalia Zhdanova
Multimedia journalist
Russia
Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Natalia has been covering key socio-political events for top-tier independent media (across online, radio, podcasts and YouTube) for more than 10 years. In 2020, together with a well-known Novaya Gazeta investigative journalist Pavel Kanygin she founded and successfully developed a political YouTube show, 'To be continued'/'Продолжение следует'.
Project topic: The wartime model of Russian propaganda: myths, techniques and ways to escape
More on Natalia's work:
- 'Deadline' podcast episode on the new wave of Russian political journalism, Meduza.io
- 'To be continued', YouTube channel
