George de Lama, a 1992 Nieman Fellow and former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, has been appointed External Relations Advisor for the Washington, D.C.-based Inter-American Development Bank. de Lama will head the Bank’s strategic communications, congressional relations and cultural affairs office. Read more
Guy Raz, a 2009 Nieman Fellow, has been named weekend host of NPR News’ signature afternoon newsmagazine All Things Considered. Raz will step into the role fulltime this weekend, after guest-hosting for the past several months. Previously, Raz was NPR’s defense correspondent. Read more
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism joins Harvard President Drew Faust in expressing concern about the arrest of Harvard professor and Nieman Advisory Board member Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his own home in Cambridge last week. Read more
Iason Athanasiadis, a 2008 Nieman Fellow, was arrested after writing a piece for The Spectator on the Iranian demonstrations. He learned from his interrogators how deep is the historic hatred of the British. Read more
Paul Hemphill, who brought a lean journalistic style and a sharp ear for dialogue to essays and novels devoted to the blue-collar South of stock-car racing, football, country music, evangelists and wayward souls, died Saturday morning in Atlanta. He was a 1969 Nieman Fellow. Read more
In his 33 years with the Toronto Star, Robert Nielsen's roles ranged from foreign correspondent to editorial page editor and acting editor-in-chief. He died July 10 after suffering an aneurysm. Nielsen was a 1953 Nieman Fellow. Read more
Ines Pohl, a 2005 Nieman Fellow, has been named Editor of die tageszeitung, the leading leftist newspaper of Germany. Known as "the taz," the alternative daily offers social and political news coverage and commentary. Read more
Dan Froomkin, deputy editor of the Nieman Watchdog Project, has been named Washington bureau chief for The Huffington Post. He will oversee a staff of four reporters and an assistant editor and will contribute to Huffington’s home and political pages as a regular blogger. Read more
In response to reports that Iason Athanasiadis, a journalist detained in Iran since June 17, was released today we issued the following statement...
"We are relieved that Iason's ordeal has come to an end and that he will soon be reunited with his family and loved ones," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "However, there are still around 20 journalists imprisoned in Iran. We hope that they too will be released soon." Read more
Iason Athanasiadis, the journalist and photographer arrested in Tehran June 17, was released Sunday, July 5. He was said to have been the only non-Iranian among more than 40 journalists detained in the days of protest following the June 12 Iranian elections. Read more