Nine journalists are joining the Reuters Institute's fellowship programme in October 2026

Nine journalists from across the globe are joining the Reuters Institute to take part in our world-leading fellowship programme. They will spend one to three terms here in Oxford taking part in an exciting programme of seminars, discussions, events, networking and field trips, to explore the future of journalism. They each bring expertise from a range of journalistic backgrounds including fact-checking, science journalism, photography and visual journalism, and broadcasting.

Our new fellows will embark on a  personal project around a topic that addresses a key challenge in their area of news. Above all, they will share their unique insights and perspectives on journalism with each other in a close-knit, supportive environment. Find out more about each of them, their projects and some of their work below.

Florian Schmidt

Verification Officer, APA - Austrian Press Agency
Austria
Sponsor: Austrian Press Agency

Florian is the head of the fact-checking department at the Austria Press Agency (APA) in Vienna, overseeing a team of experts to verify viral claims and debunk misinformation. When he’s not fact-checking for APA, Florian teaches verification skills at six Austrian universities.

Project topic: Trading transparency for trust: what journalism can learn from fact-checkers

More on Florian’s work:

• APA fact-check collection
• CheckBar media literacy platform
• Florian’s LinkedIn page
   

Natalie Jonas

Investigative Journalist, Freelance
United States
Sponsor: Columbia University

Natalie is an investigative science journalist based in New York City who specialises in data-driven reporting. Her work has been syndicated across the United States, triggered policy change and shed light on corruption at a national level. She recently graduated with a master’s degree in data journalism from Columbia Journalism School.

Project topic: Affiliate marketing and online scams in local news

More on Natalie’s work:

• Article on charity blocking Gaza relief. | Rolling Stone
• Article on Alaska’s disappearing snow crabs | Salon
• Natalie’s Instagram page
   

Carol Francis

Programmes Manager, The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ)
Jamaica
Sponsor: Laudes Foundation

Carol is a Jamaican journalist and multi-award-winning media professional with over 30 years’ experience in radio and TV. Since 2013, she has been Programmes Manager at the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica, advancing public service broadcasting and innovative media projects.

Project topic: Climate-proofing digital news archives in the Caribbean

More on Carol’s work:

• Video on the impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica | YouTube
• Video on the impact of weather disasters in Jamaica | YouTube
• Carol’s LinkedIn page
   

Tatu Blomqvist

Visual Journalism Producer & News Photography Lead, Yle
Finland
Sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation

Tatu works for Finland’s public broadcaster Yle as a visual journalism producer and news photography team lead. He is interested in visual journalism ethics, AI, and spatial storytelling such as photogrammetry.

Project topic: Computational photography and the future of photojournalist trust

More on Tatu’s work:

• Welcome to Our Home | Yle
• Tatu’s LinkedIn page
   

María José de la Iglesia

Visual Journalist, Freelance
Spain
Sponsor: Laudes Foundation

María José is a photographer, picture editor and visual ethics researcher with more than a decade of experience in visual journalism, including work for the Telegraph and The Times. Her current research focuses on AI-generated imagery and the representation of climate, nature and animals in journalism.

Project topic: The visual baseline of environmental journalism

More on María José’s work:

• Article on AI and wildlife imagery | Substack
• Article on art, wildlife and AI | Substack
• María José’s LinkedIn page
   

Mamatjan Juma

Executive Director, Uyghur News Network
United States
Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation

Mamatjan is the founder and executive director of Uyghur News Network (UNN). He launched it in 2025, after Radio Free Asia shut down its Uyghur Service, where he served as deputy director. Mamatjan started his career teaching at Xinjiang Art College. He later completed a master’s in fine arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

Project topic: Sustainable journalism models for communities in exile

More on Mamatjan’s work:

• Article on China’s warnings to Uyghurs abroad | Uyghur News Network
• Article on Uyghur forced labor and weak import laws | Uyghur News Network
• Mamatjan’s LinkedIn page
   

Magdalene Fung

Hong Kong Correspondent, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust
Singapore
Sponsor: SPH Media

Magdalene has worked for the Straits Times since 2020, most recently serving as their award-winning Hong Kong correspondent. Before starting work at the ST, she was a markets editor at Bloomberg and a China news editor at the South China Morning Post.

Project topic: Lost voices from Hong Kong news

More on Magdalene’s work:

• Article on fear and anxiety in Hong Kong | The Straits Times
• War in Ukraine: a week that changed the world | The Straits Times
• Magdalene’s LinkedIn page
   

Michelle Martin

Senior Presenter, SPH Media
Singapore
Sponsor: SPH Media

Michelle is a senior presenter at Singapore’s MONEY FM 89.3, and has spent over 25 years covering money, power and policy. A two-time Asia Podcast Awards winner, she has led national election and Budget coverage, moderates for think tanks worldwide, and is a trained psychotherapist.

Project topic: Engagement strategies for broadcast audiences

More on Michelle’s work:

• Interview with Kishore Mahbubani, YouTube
• Podcast on Singapore’s new wellbeing attraction, Spotify
• Michelle’s Instagram page
   

Khaled Al Khawaldeh

Online Journalist, editor and founder of Counterpoint, Arab News
United Arab Emirates
Sponsor: Mona Megalli

Khaled is a Jordanian/Australian journalist currently based in Dubai, working on regional breaking stories for Arab News. His work has been published in outlets around the world, including the Guardian. He has a degree in Finance and a Master’s in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney. A budding OSINT investigator, Khaled is interested in using digital verification to shed light on stories emerging from conflict zones.

Project topic: How to identify coordinated online attempts to shape political narratives

More on Khaled’s work:

• Khaled’s LinkedIn page