Negotiating Salaries and Contracts

When negotiating a salary for a new job or making your case for a salary increase in your current job, it's important to keep in mind your skills and your ability to compete for a position. In this article, Marci Burdick of Schurz Communications and Liza Gross of The Miami Herald suggest some factors to consider when evaluating a job.

• Read an article based on a workshop conducted for the International Women's Media Foundation's 2007 U.S. Leadership Institute in Chicago.


• Watch a video of Marci Burdick sharing a story about how she negotiated a salary.


• Share your thoughts or stories on negotiating salaries and contracts.


• Learn more about and/or apply for the 2008 U.S. Leadership Institute.

IWMF Calls for Action for Former Courage Awardee, Iranian Magazine

The IWMF sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of Iranian journalist Shahla Sherkat and her magazine, Zanan.

Zanan was ordered to close on January 28 by the Press Supervisory Board in Iran. For nearly two decades, the magazine has been an important voice reporting on issues and problems that Iranian women face as well as their achievements.

Sherkat, a 2005 recipient of a Courage in Journalism Award, has previously been threatened concerning Zanan, and the IWMF believes that censoring her and her magazine to be a threat to press freedom and women's rights.

• Read our letter.
• Speak out for press freedom by sending your own letter in support of Sherkat and Zanan.
• Help support courageous women journalists worldwide.

Leadership Styles and Power in Newsrooms

Managing a newsroom is no simple task. But leaders see the big picture and get their teams involved and invested in their work. Learn about different styles of leadership and how to effectively manage your newsroom and maximize productivity.

• Read an article based on workshops conducted for the International Women's Media Foundation's 2007 U.S. Leadership Institute in Chicago.
• Share your thoughts or stories on leadership styles and power in newsrooms.
• Learn more about and/or apply for the 2008 U.S. Leadership Institute.

Difficult Conversations: How to Deal with Conflict in Newsrooms

Conflict in newsrooms can be exacerbated by tight deadlines. But it doesn’t have to dominate your interactions with co-workers or keep you from producing a great newspaper or program. So, it's important to learn how to manage conflict, ensuring positive dialogue and productive newsrooms as a result.

• Read an article based on a workshop conducted by Marci Burdick, senior vice president of broadcasting for Schurz Communications, for the International Women's Media Foundation's 2007 U.S. Leadership Institute in Chicago.


• Share your thoughts or stories on dealing with conflict in newsrooms.


• Learn more about and/or apply for the 2008 U.S. Leadership Institute.

IWMF Seeks Applications for U.S. Leadership Institute

Women journalists from print, broadcast and Internet media are invited to apply for the International Women's Media Foundation's 2008 Leadership Institute for Women Journalists. The innovative week-long program helps women journalists develop leadership skills and become leaders in their newsrooms. The Institute will be held July 21-25 in Chicago.

Session leaders include Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute and Liza Gross of The Miami Herald.

Application deadline is April 16, 2008.

• See the press release.
• Read an article about last year's U.S. Leadership Institute.
• Learn more about the Leadership Institute.
• Download an application.

Leading Generation Y in the Newsroom

Just because your musical tastes are miles away from your colleague's doesn't mean your work styles have to clash. Baby Boomers and members of Generation Y can strike a balance in newsrooms.

• Read an article based on a workshop conducted by Jill Geisler, Leadership and Management Group Leader at the Poynter Institute, for the 2007 International Women's Media Foundation U.S. Leadership Institute in Chicago.


• Share your thoughts on generational differences in newsrooms.


• Learn more about and/or apply for the Leadership Institute.


• Help support women in the news media worldwide.

Apply for the IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

The International Women's Media Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2008-09 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. The award is named for the 1998 Courage in Journalism Award winner and Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003.

One woman journalist will be selected for the fellowship, which will provide her with opportunities to pursue academic research and hone her reporting skills covering topics related to human rights.

Application deadline is April 1.

• Click here for details and to access the application.
• Read the press release.

IWMF Honors Women Journalists With Courage, Lifetime Awards

Angelina Jolie, pictured at left with IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award winner Peta Thornycroft, was one of the award presenters at the IWMF's Courage in Journalism Award ceremonies this fall.

The awards recognize women journalists who demonstrate exceptional bravery in reporting. In addition to Thornycroft, the IWMF honored Lydia Cacho of Mexico, Serkalem Fasil of Ethiopia and six Iraqi women from McClatchy’s Baghdad bureau.

• View photo galleries from the events.
• Watch a panel discussion with the 2007 Courage Award winners at the Paley Center for Media in New York.
• Learn more about the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

IWMF Offers Leadership Training in Lithuania

The International Women's Media Foundation, in partnership with the Kazickas Family Foundation and Internews Network, will conduct a three-day training session in Lithuania in April 2008. Journalists from former Soviet Republics are invited to apply for the program, which is intended to build reporting and leadership skills and prepare participants to advance to higher levels in the media.

Topics will include:

• Critical management issues
• New trends in media management
• The role of journalists in society
• Balancing work and private life
• The perception of women in former Soviet Republics

IWMF Calls for Nominations for Courage in Journalism Awards

The International Women's Media Foundation seeks nominations for its 2008 Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Courage in Journalism Awards honor women working in the news media who have demonstrated extraordinary strength of character in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for future generations of women in the media.

Nominations for the 2008 awards will be accepted by the IWMF until March 1, 2008.

• Read the press release.
• Nominate a journalist.
• Learn more about the Courage Awards.
• Read about previous Courage winners.
• Help support women in the news media.

IWMF Conducts Online Chat for World AIDS Day

To commemorate World AIDS Day and to help cultivate effective newsroom leaders worldwide, the International Women's Media Foundation conducted an online chat on December 3. Click here for a transcript of the chat.

Featuring participants in the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project to improve health coverage in African media outlets, the chat focused on leadership, the theme for World AIDS Day 2007. Media leaders and experts in Africa fielded questions from participants, discussing the role of the media in the fight against HIV/AIDS and mapping out strategies to help journalists ensure that media outlets highlight AIDS and related issues in their coverage.

Moderators were Otula Owuor, Maisha Yetu trainer for Kenya, and Beata Kasale, Maisha Yetu trainer for Botswana. Owuor and Kasale were joined by other officials and organizations from their countries, including:

• Dr. Poloko Kebaabetswe, clinical research scientist, Botswana
• Mary Odhiambo, National Women's Organization, Kenya
• Sheila Tlou, Minister of Health, Botswana
• Nonofho Molefi, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, Botswana
• Dr. Jeff Ramsay, Press Secretary to the President, Botswana
• Representatives of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization (MYWO), an NGO that deals with women's rights and gender equity, Kenya

IWMF Presents Annual Courage in Journalism Awards

The International Women's Media Foundation held its annual Courage in Journalism events in October, recognizing women journalists who demonstrate exceptional bravery in reporting.

At ceremonies in New York on Oct. 23 and Los Angeles on Oct. 30, the IWMF honored Lydia Cacho of Mexico, Serkalem Fasil of Ethiopia and six Iraqi women from McClatchy’s Baghdad bureau. Peta Thornycroft of Zimbabwe received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award.

• Learn more about the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Pursues Politics in Zimbabwe, Despite Risk

In the face of a media crackdown in Zimbabwe, Peta Thornycroft renounced her British citizenship in 2001 and became a Zimbabwean citizen so that she could continue to report in the country. A journalist for more than three decades, Thornycroft is one of the few remaining independent journalists in Zimbabwe. She has also paved the way for and supported other journalists. She helped to establish the Media Monitoring Project, an independent trust that works to promote responsible journalism in Zimbabwe and helped to form the Public Broadcasting Initiative, a project that brought broadcast journalism training to journalists.

Thornycroft is a recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, the global network for women in the news media.

• Read a profile story on Thornycroft.
• See Thornycroft’s bio.
• Learn more about or purchase tickets to the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

Iraqi Women Journalists are ‘Barometer of War in Iraq’

In the midst of the war in Iraq, the women of McClatchy’s Baghdad bureau risked their lives just to get to work. Driven by the desire to report to the world about the situation in their country, they became the backbone of the bureau. Constantly under duress, the McClatchy reporters have dodged gun battles and tiptoed around car bombs just to do their jobs. They’ve been targeted for their work. Their homes have been destroyed. They’ve lost family members and friends.

The reporters at McClatchy’s Baghdad bureau contribute to a blog at http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/iraq.

They are recipients of a 2007 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, the global network for women in the news media.

• Read a profile story on the Iraqi women of McClatchy’s Baghdad bureau.
• See the bio of the McClatchy women.
• Learn more about or purchase tickets to the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

Eithiopian Publisher, Free From Jail, Still Faces Charges

Ethiopian journalist and former publisher Serkalem Fasil was arrested in November 2005 and charged with treason and outrages against the constitution. On the day of her arrest, Fasil, who was pregnant, was severely beaten by police. In June 2006, while still imprisoned, Fasil gave birth to a son who was premature and underweight due to inhumane conditions and lack of proper medical attention. She was forced to care for him in a cell infested with rats, cockroaches and fleas. Fasil was released from prison in April but still faces charges.

She is a recipient of a 2007 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, the global network for women in the news media.

• Read a profile story on Fasil.
• See Fasil’s bio.
• Learn more about or purchase tickets to the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

Mexican Journalist, Activist Speaks Out for Justice

A correspondent for CIMAC news agency and a feature writer for Dia Siete magazine, Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho has endured numerous death threats because of her work reporting on domestic violence, organized crime and pedophilia. In 2004, she published Los Demonios del Edén [The Demons of Eden], a book based on her research on child pornography among Mexican politicians and businessmen. A year later, she was arrested on libel charges and driven to a jail 20 hours from her home in Cancún, with officers hinting that there was a plan to rape her. Cacho paid a fine and was freed; she later filed a successful counter-suit for corruption and violation of human rights.

Cacho is a recipient of a 2007 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, the global network for women in the news media.

• Read a profile story on Cacho.
• See Cacho’s bio.
• Learn more about or purchase tickets to the Courage in Journalism Awards.
• Help support the IWMF’s programs for women journalists worldwide.

IWMF Calls for Proposals for Research Project in Africa

The International Women’s Media Foundation seeks proposals for a research consultant to conduct a needs assessment of the current news media environment with respect to agriculture, rural development and women in Africa. The needs assessment is an integral part of the first phase of a four-year project that the IWMF will conduct among news media organizations in Africa. Goals of the project are to increase and sustain accurate, consistent and rigorous reporting on agriculture and rural development; incorporate women’s roles, stories, needs and solutions in the coverage of agriculture and rural economies; and develop gender equality in newsrooms.

• For more information about the project and to submit a proposal, click here for the RFP.
• Read the press release about the IWMF's new project, which is funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
• Help support the IWMF's programs for women journalists worldwide.

Australian Journalist Sally Sara Begins Year as the IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

Sally Sara, an anchor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has begun her 2007-08 IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. She is taking foreign policy and political science classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is also studying at Harvard Law School.

Sara has worked from Africa as a foreign correspondent and has also written a book on African women called GoGo Mama, which was published in July.

• Click here to read more about Sara.
• Learn more about the IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship.
• Help support the IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fund.

IWMF Receives $75,000 Challenge Fund for Journalism Grant

The International Women's Media Foundation recently received a $75,000 grant award from the Challenge Fund for Journalism, a capacity-building initiative that helps journalism organizations broaden their base of financial support.

A partnership of four foundations — The Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, McCormick Tribune Foundation, and Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation — provides the grants, which help ensure that organizations that support journalists and media managers have the leadership, organizational infrastructure and financial resources necessary to sustain their programs. The IWMF's grant requires a fundraising match of 150 to 200 percent.

• Click here to read the press release on the Knight Foundation's Web site.
• Help support the IWMF.

Help the IWMF Grow its International Network

The IWMF is looking for a manager of networking and membership to help us grow our vibrant international network. A new position, the manager is responsible for increasing the size of the network by marketing the IWMF to individual journalists and supporters and creating activities to keep the network active, including developing marketing plans, coordinating events in the U.S. and internationally, and creating an online community on the IWMF website.

Click here to find out more.

Recipient of 2007 Courage Award Shares Perspective on Reporting in Iraq

Huda Ahmed, the 2006-07 IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow, wrote about being a reporter in Iraq. Ahmed, a reporter for McClatchy, is one of the recipients of a 2007 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, along with five other staffers at McClatchy's Baghdad bureau.

• Click here to read the story.
• Read more about Huda Ahmed.
• Help support the Courage Awards this fall.

Media Leaders Share Ideas on Navigating New News Media Landscape

The IWMF’s growing global network enables women who work in the news media to join together in new ways and share ideas, resources, strategies, and career advice. As a means to this end, the IWMF held a networking breakfast July 17 in Chicago. The event took place during the IWMF's annual Leadership Institute for Women Journalists, also held in Chicago.

Women journalists in the Chicago area connected with each other outside a newsroom setting and learned tips for success from six prominent women in the media industry.

• See a photo gallery from the event.
• Click here to read more about the networking breakfast.
• Help support these and other women journalists worldwide.

IWMF Names 2007-08 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

The International Women’s Media Foundation announced today that Sally Sara, anchor and senior reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has received the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship.

Sara is an anchor for the national news program “Landline.” She has worked from Africa as a foreign correspondent, reporting on topics such as human rights abuses in Darfur and Zimbabwe, child soldiers in Liberia, AIDS orphans in Lesotho and mutilation of women in Uganda. Sara has also written a book on African women, GoGo Mama, which will be published in July.

• Read the press release.
• Click here for more information about the program.
• Help support this or other IWMF programs.

IWMF Announces French Translation of Report on Maisha Yetu Project

The International Women’s Media Foundation has released a French translation of Writing for Our Lives: How the Maisha Yetu Project Changed Health Coverage in Africa, a report that documents how the Maisha Yetu project initiated changes in health coverage at media houses in Botswana, Senegal and Kenya.

The Maisha Yetu project empowered health journalists and expanded the roles they play in their media houses. The result was an increase in the quality and quantity of stories produced by those journalists.

The IWMF initially released Writing for Our Lives last summer in Johannesburg, South Africa.

• Click here to read Writing for Our Lives in French.
• Click here for the English version.

2007 IWMF Courage Awardee's Publishing Company Convicted

The IWMF is concerned for 2007 Courage in Journalism Award Winner Serkalem Fasil. Her publishing company was convicted June 11 by the Ethiopian High Court - along with two other publishers and four editors - on anti-state charges linked to coverage of the government’s handling of disputed parliamentary elections in 2005.

Fasil, a publisher who owned three newspapers at the time of her arrest in November 2005, could face heavy fines or have her company dissolved, according to CPJ. Fasil was acquitted in April.

Dawit Fasil, brother of Serkalem and deputy editor of one of the company's newspapers, had also been released in April, but he has now been returned to prison. He faces up to three years of imprisonment on charges of “inciting the public through false rumors.”

• Read the CPJ alert.
• See the press release about this year's IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winners.

IWMF Receives Grant from Buffett Foundation for African Media Project

The International Women’s Media Foundation will launch a new project to enhance coverage of agriculture, rural development and women in African media with a $2.5 million grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

The goals of the project are to increase and enhance reporting on agriculture and rural development, incorporate women’s roles in the coverage of agriculture and rural economics into reporting on those topics, and create more gender equality in newsrooms.

“We think this project can help advance better governance while helping populations gain a stronger foothold in addressing their own problems,” said Howard G. Buffett, president of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

Read the press release.

IWMF Announces 2007 Courage in Journalism Award Winners

The International Women's Media Foundation today announced the winners of its 2007 Courage in Journalism Awards:

• Lydia Cacho, Mexico. Cacho travels with guards because of ongoing threats to her life.



• Six women journalists in McClatchy's Baghdad bureau, Iraq - Shatha al Awsy, Zaineb Obeid, Huda Ahmed, Ban Adil Sarhan, Alaa Majeed and Sahar Issa. These women every day risk their lives to report on the war in Iraq.



• Serkalem Fasil, Ethiopia. Fasil, a publisher, was jailed for her work.

• Read the press release.
• Click here to sponsor or purchase tickets to the event.

IWMF Expresses Support for Internews Russia

The International Women's Media Foundation has expressed concern for the Educated Media Foundation (formerly known as Internews Russia). The EMF has been forced to suspend operations following the initiation of a criminal investigation into its president, Manana Aslamazyan, and a subsequent raid on its Moscow headquarters by Russian police in April. EMF, an independent Russian non-governmental organization, is a leading source of professional training and support for Russian media.

• Read the IWMF's letter of support for Internews.
• See the letter to President Putin from Russian journalists.
• Help support journalists worldwide.

IWMF Speaks Out for Mexican Journalist

Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho's car was sabotaged May 8. Cacho was also threatened earlier this month when she testified at the trial of a pedophile.

Cacho is a correspondent for CIMAC news agency and a feature writer for Dia Siete magazine in Mexico. She is also the founder and director of the Centro Integral de Atencion a las Mujeres in Cancun, a crisis center and shelter for victims of sex crimes, gender-based violence and trafficking.

• Click here to read the IWMF's letter of support.
• Comment on the issue in the IWMF blog.
• Read (in Spanish) about the situation in Cacho's blog.
• Help support journalists like Cacho.

IWMF Voices Concern for Women Journalists in Egypt, Uzbekistan

Last week, women journalists in Egypt and Uzbekistan were sentenced to prison; the IWMF is speaking out on their behalf.

Al-Jazeera producer Howayda Taha Matwali was convicted May 1 on charges of harming Egypt’s national interest and falsely depicting events for her work on a documentary exposing police abuse. She was fined and sentenced to six months in prison. Matwali, of Qatar, also works as a reporter for the London-based daily Al-Quds al-Arabi.

Umida Niyazova, an independent journalist in Uzbekistan and a human rights advocate, was sentenced May 1 to seven years in prison. At a trial that was closed to the press, Niyazova was found guilty of charges of smuggling subversive literature and distributing foreign aid material that threatens national security.

UPDATE: Niyazova's prison sentence was suspended May 8 in an Uzbek appeals court.

• Read the letters of support for Matwali and Niyazova.
• Visit the IWMF blog to comment on these situations.
• Help support these and other journalists worldwide.

IWMF Launches Blog for World Press Freedom Day

In recognition of World Press Freedom Day today, the IWMF is launching a blog. Dedicated to promoting press freedom by fostering communication among journalists and press freedom advocates worldwide, the IWMF blog is a way for you to voice your thoughts. We’d like to hear your comments on the work we’re doing to strengthen the role of women in the news media.

To participate, look for our blog icon with various features on our homepage, and click to leave your comments.

Learn more about what’s being in support of a free press:

• Read the stories of the IWMF’s Courage in Journalism Award winners, who are champions of a free press.
• From IFEX: World Press Freedom Day Events
• RSF’s Predators of Press Freedom
• CPJ’s Journalists Killed since 1992
• IPI World Press Freedom Review
• From IFEX: MISA Releases Report on State of Media in Southern Africa

Three Former IWMF Awardees Participate in Panel Discussion in New York

May Chidiac, a 2006 recipient of an IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, and Huda Ahmed, the 2006-07 Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fellow, served as panelists April 19 for a discussion entitled, “Women, the Media, and the Middle East.”

The event, which was held at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York, was moderated by Barbara Walters, the 1992 recipient of the IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award.

Among the topics of discussion were the changing roles of women and the approach that regional radio and television outlets are taking to incorporate female voices. The event was part of the series, "Media as Lens: News & Views from the Middle East.”

Other panelists were:

• Muna AbuSulayman, anchor, MBC’s Kalam Noua’em (Saudi Arabia)
• Tasneem Ahmar, director, Uks Research (Pakistan)
• Ghida Fakhry, anchor, Al Jazeera English
• Mehrangiz Kar, visiting scholar, Harvard Law School Human Rights Program (Iran)

IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Forum Calls for Global Understanding, Respect

Evoking Elizabeth Neuffer's intense interest in understanding the world around her, Major General William L. Nash (U.S. Army, Ret.) spoke about living by her example at the IWMF's 2007 Elizabeth Neuffer Forum on Human Rights and Journalism, held March 29 in Boston.

"In her questions," he said, "you understood her quest for justice.”

• Click here to read more about and hear audio clips from the event.
• View a photo gallery of the Elizabeth Neuffer Forum.
• Apply for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship.
• Help support the Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fund.

Women Journalists Connect at the IWMF Networking Breakfast in Boston

Providing a chance for women journalists to connect outside the newsroom, the IWMF held a networking breakfast March 29 at The Boston Globe. Women journalists in the Boston area were invited to network with each other and learn tips for success from six prominent women in the media industry.

• Click here to read more about the event.


• View a photo gallery from the networking breakfast.


• Help support this and other programs for women journalists.

Women and Islam to be Focus of 2007 Elizabeth Neuffer Forum

Major General William L. Nash (U.S. Army, Ret.) gave the keynote address at the IWMF's 2007 Elizabeth Neuffer Forum on Human Rights and Journalism, which was held March 29 at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. Nash is director of the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations; he was the commander of the 1st Armored Division of the U.S. Army when it went to Bosnia in 1995.

The forum, which included a discussion on "Women and Islam: Understanding and Reporting," featured distinguished panelists and the 2006-07 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow.

• Read the press release.
• Click here to apply for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship.
• Help support the Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fund.

IWMF Calls for Applications for Leadership Institute

Developing leadership skills. Networking with colleagues from across the country. These are just a couple of the opportunities available at the International Women's Media Foundation's 2007 Leadership Institute for Women Journalists. The IWMF is now accepting applications for the innovative week-long program, which will be held July 16-20 in Chicago.

Session leaders include Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute and Liza Gross of The Miami Herald.

Application deadline is April 16, 2007.

• Download an application.
• Read the press release.
• Learn more about the Leadership Institute.

IWMF Hosts Live Online Chat for International Women's Day

In honor of International Women’s Day, the International Women’s Media Foundation hosted a live online chat from 8 to 9 a.m. EST on Wednesday, March 7.

The chat, which featured participants in the IWMF’s Maisha Yetu project to improve health coverage in African media outlets, called attention to violence against women and women living with HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; it also emphasized the importance of including the voices of women in the media.

• Click here to read the press release.
• Visit the chat webpage to view the chat transcript.
• Help support journalists worldwide.

IWMF Speaks Out for Uzbekistan Journalist

Showing its concern for worldwide press freedom, the International Women's Media Foundation sent a letter to the president of Uzbekistan in support of independent journalist Umida Niyazova.

The IWMF is alarmed at the Niyazova's situation; she was detained and charged with illegal border crossing and smuggling subversive literature, each of which carries up to 10 years in prison.

Niyazova has covered politics and human rights in Uzbekistan for the Central Asia news Web site Oasis, a project of the Moscow-based media watchdog Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations.

• Read the IWMF's letter on Niyazova's behalf.
• Help support journalists like Niyazova.

IWMF Announces New Board Members

The International Women’s Media Foundation has named five new members of its board of directors:

• Christiane Amanpour, CNN
• Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
• Campbell Brown, NBC News
• Ferial Haffajee, (South Africa) Mail & Guardian
• Peggy White, Yahoo! Finance

• Read the full press release.
• For full bios of these and the other members of the IWMF’s 2007 board of directors, click here.

IWMF Lifetime Achievment Award Winner Molly Ivins Dies

Molly Ivins, a 2005 recipient of the IWMF's Lifetime Achievement Award, died Jan. 31 in Texas. She was 62.

Ivins, a syndicated newspaper columnist and best-selling author, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999.

"...if there is any contribution I have made," Ivins said in her Lifetime award acceptance speech, "it is to prove that laughter actually – if it doesn’t improve the world any – will at least enable you to endure it a lot better. I think that in its way, laughter is a form of courage."

• Click here to read an obituary in The Washington Post.
• Read Molly Ivins' bio on the IWMF website.
• See Ivins' acceptance speech for her Lifetime award.

IWMF Accepting Applications for Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

The International Women's Media Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2007-08 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. The award is named for the 1998 Courage in Journalism Award winner and correspondent for The Boston Globe who was killed in Iraq in May 2003.

One woman journalist will be selected for the fellowship, which will provide her with opportunities to pursue academic research and hone her reporting skills covering topics related to human rights.

Application deadline is April 15.

• Learn more about the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship and Forum on Human Rights and Journalism.
• Read Elizabeth Neuffer's bio.
• Read the press release.
• Help support the Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fund.

IWMF Board Member Assumes Position at Emerson College

Carole Simpson, a veteran journalist and member of the IWMF's board of directors, recently became Leader-in-Residence at Emerson College.

Simpson, an ABC World News Tonight anchor from 1988-2003, will teach, mentor and lead community conversations at Emerson. In February, she will launch "Conversations with Carole Simpson" for students, faculty and the public.

A three-time Emmy award winner, Simpson is a longtime supporter of the IWMF's Carole Simpson Leadership Institute, which has offered African women journalists the opportunity to build media leadership skills since its inception in 1998.

See the press release on Emerson's website.
Read Simpson's bio on the IWMF website.

IWMF Board Member Named NewsHour Correspondent

Judy Woodruff, a founding member of IWMF's board of directors and the chair of the Courage in Journalism Awards, will become a senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Feb. 5.

Woodruff will lead in-studio discussions, report from the field and conduct interviews. She'll also serve as editor of The NewsHour's 2008 political coverage and be a back-up anchor to Jim Lehrer.

Woodruff served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN from 1993 to 2005. Before moving to CNN, she spent ten years at The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour as the chief Washington correspondent.

Read Woodruff's bio on the IWMF website.

IWMF Calls for Nominations for Courage in Journalism, Lifetime Achievement Awards

The International Women’s Media Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 2007 Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Courage in Journalism Awards honor women working in the news media who have demonstrated extraordinary strength of character in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for future generations of women in the media.

• Click here for more information or to nominate a journalist.
• Help support courageous journalists worldwide.

IWMF's Maisha Yetu Journalists Win UNESCO Awards

Pamela Asigi, a participant in the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project, received a 2006 UNESCO HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon Award for Excellence in Journalism. Asigi, a reporter for the Nation Group in Kenya was recognized as the top journalist in the television category for her coverage of World AIDS Day (Dec. 1). The topic of her coverage was discordant couples.

Another Maisha Yetu participant, Tuduetso Setsiba of Mmegi and Monitor newspapers in Botswana, received a third place Red Ribbon Award for her article in Mmegi on fashion and HIV/AIDS.

The goal of the awards is to recognize exceptional reporting while increasing coverage and raising awareness of issues related to HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa.

• Visit UNESCO's website for more information.
• Help support these and other journalists worldwide.

IWMF Recognizes World AIDS Day

In light of its Maisha Yetu project, which aims to increase the quality and consistency of health reporting in African media outlets, the IWMF recognizes World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Maisha Yetu project plays important role in helping to prevent and better understand HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

• Read UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's World AIDS Day message.
• Learn more about the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project.
• Help support women journalists who are covering HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

IWMF Co-Sponsors Discussion on Peace, Stability

In a briefing co-sponsored by the International Women's Media Foundation, women activists from countries in conflict discussed peace and stability efforts.

Women Leaders Speak! was held Nov. 15 in Washington, DC.

The IWMF is sponsored the event along with the Centre for Development and Population Activities and the Center for Women Policy Studies.

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IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow Arrives in U.S.

Research, reporting and writing are on Huda Ahmed's agenda for her stay in the U.S. Ahmed, an Iraqi journalist who is a correspondent for Knight Ridder, is the IWMF's 2006-07 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. She arrived Nov. 7 in Washington, DC, and subsequently traveled to Boston to begin her fellowship.

Ahmed, who is based in Baghdad, is the second recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to focus on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

• Read the press release about Huda Ahmed.
• Learn more about the Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fund and fellowship.
• Help support Ahmed and other international journalists.

Refusing to Be Silenced: A Conversation with the 2006 Courage in Journalism Award Winners

Recipients of the IWMF's annual Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement awards participated in a panel discussion Oct. 25 at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC.

The women were honored Oct. 24 at an awards ceremony in New York and Nov. 2 at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

• Read the awardees' acceptance speeches: May Chidiac, Gao Yu and Elena Poniatowska. Jill Carroll's mother, Mary Beth Carroll Roth, gave a speech on her daughter's behalf at the Courage awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
• See photo galleries from the panel discussion and the awards ceremonies.

IWMF Welcomes 2006 Courage in Journalism Award Recipients

The International Women's Media Foundation this week welcomed the winners of its Courage in Journalism Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award. Jill Carroll, May Chidiac, Gao Yu and Elena Poniatowska will be honored at ceremonies Oct. 24 in New York and Nov. 2 in Los Angeles. They will also participate in a panel discussion Oct. 25 in Washington, DC. Profiles of the award recipients are below.

• Read more about the Courage awards.
• Help support these and other extraordinary journalists.

Outraged at Journalist's Murder, IWMF Calls for Justice in Russia

The IWMF sent a letter to Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, on behalf of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Politkovskaya, a 2002 recipient of an IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, was found murdered in her apartment building Oct. 7.

"The need to risk is part of the profession here," she wrote in her Courage Award acceptance speech. "If you are tired and cannot take the risk any more, you have to leave. As for me, I am not tired yet."

• Read our letter.
• Send your letter of concern.
• Support journalists like Politkovskaya.

'The Right Thing to Do'

May Chidiac, one of the best known faces on Lebanese television, every Sunday presented the program Nharkom Said (Good Day). But in September 2005, she lost her left hand and left leg when a bomb exploded under the driver’s seat of her car. She had just hosted a show addressing Syria’s possible involvement in former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination. Chidiac resumed her job at the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation in July.
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An Unbroken Voice from China

Gao Yu originally received a in 1995, but she was unable to accept it due to her imprisonment. Gao was sentenced in 1993 to six years in prison for “leaking state secrets” through a pro-Chinese government newspaper in Hong Kong. Her writing and involvement in the 1989 pro-democracy movement and her willingness to jeopardize her safety and career in the service of freedom, democracy and human rights significantly contributed to the free press movement.
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A Passion for the Middle East

After being held in captivity in Iraq for 82 days, Jill Carroll returned to the U.S. April 2. She was abducted January 7 in Iraq after she was attacked along with a driver and an interpreter. Her interpreter, Alan Enwiya, was killed. Carroll was named a Courage in Journalism Award winner shortly after she was released March 30.
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Interviewing Mexico's 'Ordinary People'

Renowned journalist and author Elena Poniatowska Amor is the recipient of the IWMF's 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award. Poniatowska, of Mexico, spent the majority of her more than half-century career reporting for the newspaper Novedades. A collaborator and contributor to various Mexican media outlets throughout her career, Poniatowska was the first woman to receive Mexico’s National Journalism Prize.
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IWMF Holds Vigil for Anna Politkovskaya

The International Women's Media Foundation joined several other organizations to hold a candlelight vigil Oct. 16 honoring Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered Oct. 7 in her apartment building.

The vigil was held from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. outside the Russian Federation's Embassy to the United States.

Personal and professional contacts of Politkovskaya spoke about her work as a journalist and her commitment to protecting human rights in Russia. Participants included Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, the International Center for Journalists and the Open Society Institute.

  Listen here to a clip about Anna Politkovskaya on Washington Post radio.

See a photo gallery from the vigil.

Courage Award Winner Politkovskaya Shot Dead In Moscow

Anna Politikovskaya, who won an IWMF Courage in Journalism Award in 2002 for her unrelenting reporting on Russian society, particularly the war in Chechnya, was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment Oct. 7.

"The first thing that comes to mind is that Anna was killed for her professional activities," Vitaly Yaroshevsky, deputy editor of Novaya Gazeta, Politkovskaya's newspaper, told Reuters.

Click here to read the Reuters story.
See a press release and read Politkovskaya's acceptance speech from when she won a Courage Award.
Read a commentary piece about Politkovskaya in Newsweek.

See coverage in The Washington Post:

• An article about Politkovskaya's death
• Coverage of a rally in Moscow
• An editorial about Politkovskaya

Former IWMF Board Member, CBS News Executive Assumes Post at Stony Brook

Marcy McGinnis, a former chair of the IWMF board of directors, was named interim director of the broadcast journalism program at Stony Brook University's School of Journalism. She will work to recruit faculty and develop a broadcast curriculum.

McGinnis, an award-winning former senior news executive at CBS News, was senior vice president for news coverage at CBS News from June 2001 through December 2005 and vice president for news coverage from 1997-2001.

Stony Brook University announced the establishment of its School of Journalism in June. The school began offering a bachelor's degree program in fall 2006.

Building Networks, Creating Opportunities

IWMF supporters in the Washington, DC, area gathered in Arlington, Virginia, Sept. 25 with IWMF staff and board member and WJLA-TV anchor Maureen Bunyan to network and learn more about the IWMF. If you are interested in organizing or attending future events, please contact Samantha White at swhite@iwmf.org.

New Study on Women in Media Leadership Launched at IWMF Institute

IWMF's annual Leadership Institute for Women Journalists in July coincided with the launch of a new study about women in the media.

To address the question of why women have less of a presence in top media jobs, the IWMF joined Northwestern University’s Media Management Center for the launch of the MMC’s study, "Women in Media 2006: Finding the Leader in You."
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South African Editors' Forum Publishes Report on Women Journalists

A recent report calls for change in the lives of South African women journalists.

The Glass Ceiling and Beyond: Realities, Challenges and Strategies for South African Media is based on a project conducted by the South African National Editors’ Forum. Its goal was to identify the realities and challenges faced by South African women journalists and pinpoint strategies for change.
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IWMF's 2006 Leadership Institute for Women Journalists

Last month, women journalists from across the U.S. gathered in Chicago for the IWMF's 2006 Leadership Institute. The event, geared toward mid-career journalists, featured sessions on such topics as work-life balance, diversity and leading change in a newsroom.

View a photo gallery of this year's Leadership Institute.

Learn more about the IWMF's Leadership Institute.

IWMF's Public Health Fellow Reflects on End of Project

Along with her suitcases, Hu Yan – a 2005 IWMF Public Health Fellow – took something extra with her when she returned to China last December: a better understanding of a global epidemic.

Hu spent four months last year honing her HIV/AIDS reporting skills at The Philadelphia Inquirer. She then returned to China to complete her fellowship in her home country. Hu recently wrote about her experiences in an e-mail to the IWMF.
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Jill Carroll Tells the Story of Her Kidnapping

Freelance reporter Jill Carroll, a 2006 Courage in Journalism Award recipient, has written about her experiences in captivity in Iraq. The series, which appears in The Christian Science Monitor, chronicles Carroll's kidnapping and her subsequent 82 days as a hostage. She was released March 30.

Click here to read the series.
Read the press release about Carroll's Courage in Journalism Award.

IWMF Releases Report on Maisha Yetu Project

Empowering women, encouraging networking and increasing depth of reporting are a few of the ways the IWMF’s Maisha Yetu project has changed health reporting in Africa.

On July 19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the IWMF released Writing for Our Lives: How the Maisha Yetu Project Changed Health Coverage in Africa, a report that documents how the Maisha Yetu project initiated changes in health coverage at media houses in Botswana, Senegal and Kenya.

Read the press release.

IWMF to Hold Leadership Institute, Help Launch Media Publication

Women journalists leave their careers earlier than men. As they age, they face a growing gender pay gap. And women media executives lag behind men media executives in both numbers and position level.

To address the question of why these trends are occurring, the IWMF will join Northwestern University’s Media Management Center for the launch of the MMC’s study, "Women in Media 2006: Finding the Leader in You" A reception will take place Tuesday, July 11 at the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum in Chicago.

The launch will coincide with the IWMF’s annual Leadership Institute, which will be held July 10-14 in Chicago.

Click here to read bios of the presenters for the IWMF's Leadership Institute.

IWMF Names 2006 Courage in Journalism Award Winners

The International Women's Media Foundation announced the winners of its 2006 Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement Awards on May 31. Jill Carroll, an American freelance journalist who was held in captivity in Iraq, and May Chidiac, a Lebanese television broadcaster who survived a car bomb explosion, are recipients of this year's Courage award.

The IWMF will also honor Gao Yu, a Chinese journalist who was unable to accept her 1995 Courage in Journalism Award due to her imprisonment.

Elena Poniatowska Amor, a renowned journalist and author from Mexico, is the recipient of the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards will be presented in the fall.

Read the press release.
Learn more about the winners.

IWMF's Maisha Yetu Trainers Visit Baltimore

The stigma of living with HIV/AIDS was at the forefront of discussions during a visit to Baltimore by the IWMF’s Maisha Yetu project trainers last month.

Tidiane Kasse of Senegal, Beata Kasale of Botswana and Otula Owuor of Kenya traveled to Baltimore for a day during a two-week visit to the United States in April.

Drawing from their experiences with Baltimore’s health issues, officials spoke with the trainers about their successes and failures in tackling the HIV epidemic and other health and violence concerns.

View a photo gallery from the trip.
Listen to a WYPR piece about the trainers’ visit to Baltimore.

IWMF Holds Elizabeth Neuffer Forum, Announces New Fellow

The International Women's Media Foundation held the second annual Elizabeth Neuffer Forum on Human Rights and Journalism May 10 in Boston.

Iraqi journalist Huda Ahmed, a correspondent for Knight Ridder, was named the 2006-07 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow.

Humanitarian interventions was the focus of the forum, which featured a panel of distinguished journalists and human rights advocates moderated by Amy Goodman, anchor and senior producer of Democracy Now!.

Keynote speaker for the luncheon was Pulitzer-prize winner Samantha Power, author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.

Read the press release about the new Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow.
Read the press release about the forum's speakers, or see their bios.

IWMF Presents Panel Discussion on Maisha Yetu Project

Improving journalists' committment to health coverage.
Strengthening rapport with health and government officials.
Establishing mentoring relationships with journalists.
These are just a few of the accomplishments of the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project.

The International Women’s Media Foundation presented a panel discussion on April 28 about how the project is revolutionizing health coverage in Africa.

"There are more and more stories and programs on these issues," said Tidiane Kasse, the IWMF's Senegal-based trainer for Maisha Yetu.

The Maisha Yetu project was launched in 2002 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its goal is to enhance the quality and consistency of media coverage about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa with responsible, accurate and relevant media messages.

View a webcast of the panel discussion.
Read the press release about the event.
Learn more about the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project.

IWMF Congratulates Katie Couric on New Job

The International Women's Media Foundation sent a congratulatory letter to NBC's Today Show co-anchor Katie Couric upon learning that Couric accepted a nightly news anchor position at CBS. Couric was a co-chair of IWMF's Courage in Journalism Awards in New York in 1998. She will serve as anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News starting in September.

Read the letter here.
Read the article in The Washington Post about Couric's job change.

Jill Carroll Wins IWMF Courage in Journalism Award

On the same day she was freed in Iraq, American journalist Jill Carroll was named a 2006 Courage in Journalism Award winner by the International Women's Media Foundation.
“We are delighted to announce her selection in celebration of her freedom,” said Courage in Journalism Award Chair Judy Woodruff of PBS.
After 82 days of captivity in Iraq, Carroll was released March 30. A freelance reporter working for The Christian Science Monitor, Carroll was abducted Jan. 7 after she was attacked along with a driver and an interpreter. Carroll, 28, is a Michigan native who came to the Middle East in October 2002.

Read the press release.
Read coverage of Jill Carroll's release in The Christian Science Monitor.
Watch a video interview with Jill Carroll.

Former Courage Winner Lectures at University of Alaska

Tatyana Goryachova, a 2003 Courage in Journalism Award recipient, is a guest lecturer this week at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. She shared her experiences as a journalist in the Ukraine at a public lecture Monday at the Fairbanks' Noel Wien Library.
Goryachova, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Berdyansk Delovoy, is a University of Alaska Fairbanks Snedden Guest Lecturer. She has spent the past week talking to university students, and she and professor Hal Foster -- this semester's Snedden Chair of Journalism -- presented a lecture called "The Cost of a Free Press in Ukraine" for students and faculty.

Listen to Goryachova talk about her experiences as a journalist.
Read coverage of Goryachova's visit on the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's website.
Read more about Goryachova on IWMF's website.

IWMF Recognizes World TB Day

March 24 is World TB Day. The IWMF joins in raising awareness of the disease, which -- along with HIV/AIDS and malaria -- is one of the focus areas of the Maisha Yetu project.
Various efforts are underway in observance of World TB Day; among them, a team of Maisha Yetu participants from Le Soleil and Sud FM (Maisha Yetu Centers of Excellence)are gathering in Poponguine, Senegal. Activities planned include an interview with the national coordinator of Senegal's TB program by Le soleil, as well stories from correspondents and a debate to be aired on Sud FM.
Read coverage in The Nation.
Read the UN's statement on World TB Day.
Learn more about the IWMF's Maisha Yetu project.

IWMF Calls for Applications for 2006 Leadership Institute for Women Journalists

The International Women’s Media Foundation is seeking applications for its annual Leadership Institute for Women Journalists. This year's event will be held July 10-14 in Chicago, and session topics will include leadership skills as well as key issues facing media leaders today.
The program, which is made possible by a grant from the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation, builds on the innovative leadership training programs the IWMF has offered in the U.S. since 1999. Application deadline is Friday, April 28, 2006.
Read the press release.
Click here for more information about the program.

IWMF Names Jane B. Ransom Executive Director

Washington, DC, March 14, 2006 -- The International Women’s Media Foundation announced that Jane B. Ransom has been appointed executive director, effective March 20. Most recently, Ransom was vice president of strategic initiatives of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, an organization that champions economic, political and social equality for women.
"Jane’s commitment to helping women reach their full potential, her visionary leadership skills and her commitment to turn vision into action make her the perfect person to lead the IWMF at this time," said IWMF Co-Chair Eleanor Clift.
Click here to see Jane Ransom's bio.
Read the press release.

Raid on Nairobi Media Group Causes Backlash

Otula Owuor, a Kenyan journalist and a trainer for the IWMF’s Maisha Yetu project, shares his commentary on last week's raid of the Standard Group in Kenya.
Police raided the headquarters and printing plant of the media house March 2, burning copies of the newspaper and shutting down Kenya Television Network.
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Women Make the News 2006

In recognition of International Women's Day on March 8, UNESCO has launched for the fifth year Women Make the News, a global initiative intended to increase the presence and influence of women in the media. Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO’s Director-General, calls on the media worldwide to hand over editorial responsibility to women for a day to promote equal access to decision-making positions for both men and women in newsrooms.
Visit UNESCO's website to learn more about the initiative.
Click here to enroll your organization.

Police Raid, Shut Down The Standard Group

Police raided the headquarters and printing plant of The Standard Group March 2, burning copies of the newspaper and shutting down television station KTN.
The IWMF is alarmed at the situation, particularly because The Standard is one of the organization's partners for the Maisha Yetu project.
The raids followed a running dispute between The Standard Group and the government over a story alleging President Kibaki had held a secret meeting with one of his fiercest critics, former Cabinet minister Kalonzo Musyoka. Three of the company's journalists were seized and held in police custody for two days.
Read The Standard's coverage of the events.
Click here to read the article from The Nation on AllAfrica.com.
Read the CPJ alert.
See the Washington Post article.
Above image is courtesy www.eastandard.net.

CSLI Provides Opportunities for Professional, Personal Growth

Launched in 1998 to help move women into leadership positions in the media, the IWMF’s Carole Simpson Leadership Institute aims to develop a network of women media managers across Africa. The most recent CSLI session was held in December in Kenya and featured informational talks on practical career and personal development skills. Two participants recently reflected on the program.

IWMF Expresses Alarm Over Journalist's Detainment

The IWMF has expressed alarm regarding the detainment without charge of an Ethiopian journalist. Frezer Negash, a correspondent for the U.S.-based Ethiopian Review website, has been detained in Addis Ababa since Jan. 27. The government launched a crackdown on the press in November following protests over the disputed May elections, resulting in the detainment of Negash and at least 16 other journalists.
Read IWMF's letter on behalf of Negash.
Learn more about the situation from CPJ's alert.

IWMF Expresses Concern Over Abduction of Reporter

The International Women’s Media Foundation is disturbed and alarmed by demands from the kidnappers of Jill Carroll, a freelance journalist from the United States working for the Christian Science Monitor in Iraq, that they will kill her if the U.S. does not free all female Iraqi prisoners.
Carroll was kidnapped Jan. 7 in Baghdad. Her interpreter, Iraqi Allan Enwiyah, was killed in the attack. On Jan. 17, her captors released a brief video to Al-Jazeera and threatened to kill her in three days if their demands are not met.
"Carroll’s abduction and her translator’s murder are additional signs that reporters working in Iraq have become pawns in a political game that is a threat to a free press,"said IWMF co-chair Larry Olmstead. "The IWMF joins in calls for Carroll’s immediate release."
“In all parts of the world, journalists are regularly targets of political groups hoping to silence open debate,” said IWMF co-chair Eleanor Clift. “In Iraq, this practice has escalated and taken a deadly turn. It’s alarming.”
Carroll’s father has issued an appeal for her release, which is posted to the Christian Science Monitor's website. His statement is followed by one from Richard Bergenheim, editor of the Monitor, who assured readers that the newspaper is continuing "to pursue every possible avenue in Baghdad to locate Jill and secure her release as soon as possible."

Applications Sought for Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

Applications for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship are now being accepted by the International Women’s Media Foundation. One woman journalist will be chosen for the award, which is named for a 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003. The program, created with Neuffer’s family and friends, aims to perpetuate the memory of Neuffer and advance her life's mission of promoting international understanding of human rights and social justice.
Read the press release.
Apply for the fellowship.

IWMF Seeks Courage in Journalism Award Nominations

The International Women's Media Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2006 Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement awards. The Courage in Journalism Awards honor women journalists who have demonstrated extraordinary strength of character in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for future generations of women in the media.
Read the press release.
Nominate a journalist.

IWMF's Maisha Yetu Project Holds Workshop in Kenya

As part of the IWMF's Maisha Yetu Project in Kenya, a workshop was held Oct. 28 to bring together journalists, non-governmental AIDS organizations and Kenyan experts in the fields of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Held at the headquarters of the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi, the workshop -- the fourth in a series -- allowed journalists to visit labs and learn about relevant research. Click here to see a photo gallery.

After IWMF Fellowship, Hu Yan Returns to China to Report on Health and Medicine

Sex. Drugs. HIV/AIDS.
Asking questions about these tough public health issues doesn't intimidate Hu Yan, a reporter and editor from China. The recipient of a 2005 IWMF Public Health Fellowship, Hu isn't afraid to delve into the fields of health and medicine. She hopes her reporting will make a difference in the lives of individuals and have an impact on the future of China.
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Botswana Journalists Step Up Coverage of Health with IWMF Project

World AIDS Day, observed on Dec. 1, took on new meaning for some journalists in Africa. With an eye toward improved coverage of health in the media, a trainer in Botswana worked with participants in IWMF's Maisha Yetu project. The result was an AIDS-focused supplement to Mmegi, an independent daily newspaper in Botswana. Topics include HIV testing and counseling. Click below to learn more and to read the report.
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Courage Winner Sandra Nyaira's Life in Exile

After winning the IWMF's Courage in Journalism Award in 2002, Sandra Nyaira of Zimbabwe's independent Daily News received a master's degree in journalism from the City University in London. She never returned to her country. Instead, she became one of at least 90 Zimbabwean journalists now living in exile as a result of President Robert Mugabe's crack downs on the independent press.

Elizabeth Witchel of the Committee to Protect Journalists reported on Zimbabwe's Exiled Press in the Fall/Winter issue of Dangerous Assignments.
Read the CPJ article.

Passion to Report: A Conversation with the 2005 Courage in Journalism Award Winners

Courage in Journalism Award recipients Sumi Khan, Anja Niedringhaus and Shahla Sherkat participated in a panel discussion Oct. 27 at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. The women answered questions posed by moderator Eleanor Clift of Newsweek and also fielded questions from the audience. see photo gallery
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Courage in Journalism Award acceptance speeches

IWMF presented Courage in Journalism Awards Oct. 25 in New York to Sumi Khan, Anja Niedringhaus and Shahla Sherkat. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Molly Ivins. Click below to read the award recipients' acceptance speeches.
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Uncovering Violence in Bangladesh

Sumi Khan risks her life to cover crime, fundamentalism and violence against women. She works in Bangladesh, one of the world's most dangeorus countries for journalists. In 2004, the violence engulfed her. Three unidentified assailants attacked her with a knife, severely injuring her. She received a Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation in New York on October 25 and in Los Angeles on November 2.
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