Nieman Foundation News

Nieman Fellows selected for class of 2014

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:46:56 GMT

The Nieman Foundation has selected 24 journalists as fellows in the class of 2014, the 76th cohort to study at Harvard since the foundation’s founding in 1938. The group includes reporters, editors, columnists, digital media leaders and producers in print, broadcast and online who work around the globe and across media platforms.

Announcing the class, Nieman Foundation Curator Ann Marie Lipinski said, “They are extraordinary journalists who have much to offer each other and the broader Harvard community interested in the future of journalism. As Nieman celebrates its 75th year, it is exciting to witness the ways in which these fellows are working to uphold journalism’s highest standards while focused on innovations for radically shifting audiences, technologies, and business models. We look forward to working with them all.”

Learn more »

View the Class of 2014 »

Richard Chacón named WBUR’s executive director of news

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:45:58 GMT

Boston’s NPR news station, WBUR, has named Richard Chacón executive director of news content. In the newly created position, he will oversee all of the station’s local news content and resources for both radio and digital reporting. Chacón, a 2005 Nieman Fellow, started his career in journalism at WBUR in 1984 while still a student at Boston University. He has worked in a variety of roles at The Boston Globe and has held several public policy and public affairs roles, notably overseeing the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants and serving as director of policy for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Most recently, he has managed a capital campaign for MIT. Learn more »

NYT Reporter Sam Dolnick Receives 2012 Worth Bingham Prize

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:43:08 GMT

During the Worth Bingham Prize dinner on May 9, 2013, New York Times reporter Sam Dolnick spoke about what it took to produce Unlocked: Inside New Jersey’s Halfway Houses. He credited editors Clifford J. Levy and Carolyn Ryan with providing the formula for his award-winning series: “You need personal stories to make statistics come alive; you need sympathetic characters the reader will connect with; you need data/statistics to be fully digested so that you can write with authority in every sentence; you need primary documents that no one has ever seen before; and you need to get everything on the record,” said Dolnick. “This work is rare and it’s hard and expensive but it’s crucially important. It’s also lonely – investigative reporting – it’s hard.”

During his 10-month investigation, Dolnick discovered a broken and horribly flawed correctional system in which gang activity, drug use, sexual assaults and other violent behavior were commonplace and where lax security led to thousands of escapes. “Unlocked” prompted calls for change and led to hearings in both houses of New Jersey’s state legislature, resulting in the introduction of 14 reform bills.

Read the press release »
Learn more about “Unlocked” and the Worth Bingham Prize »

2012 Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:07:39 GMT

New York Times reporter Sam Dolnick has won the 2012 Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism for his three-part series Unlocked: Inside New Jersey’s Halfway Houses. During a lengthy investigation of New Jersey’s privately run halfway houses, Dolnick discovered a broken and horribly flawed correctional system in which gang activity, drug use, sexual assaults and other violent behavior were commonplace and where lax security led to hundreds of annual escapes. The series also exposed the close ties between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Community Education Centers, the company that runs many of the state’s halfway houses.

“Unlocked” prompted calls for change and led to hearings in both houses of New Jersey’s state legislature, resulting in the introduction of 14 reform bills. The series is a cautionary tale for states across the country looking to privatize their own prison systems.

Read the press release »

Learn more about “Unlocked” and the Worth Bingham Prize »

Cartoonist Doug Marlette Dies in Car Accident

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:38:08 GMT

North Carolina-born Doug Marlette, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1988 and was a member of the Class of 1981, died Tuesday morning in a single-car accident in northwest Mississippi. He was 57.

How Latinos are Seen and Heard in America

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:25:15 GMT

National Narratives, Local Stories

During a special event at the Nieman Foundation, three leading journalists discussed how changing demographics and the new media environment are shaping the nation's understanding of migration, politics and Latino life. Panelists included: Maria Hinojosa, anchor of NPR's “Latino USA” program; Isaac Lee, president of news at Univision' and Laura Wides-Muñoz, Hispanic affairs writer for The Associated Press. Nieman Foundation curator Ann Marie Lipinski moderated the conversation. The talk was co-sponsored by the Nieman Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in conjunction with Radcliffe's "Crossing Borders" conference on immigration and gender in the Americas.

Watch the video »

Journalism and the Boston Marathon Bombings

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:23:25 GMT

Timing, Trust, and Credibility in the Age of Twitter

The Boston Marathon bombings may well have been America's first fully interactive national tragedy. During a roundtable conversation, the Nieman Foundation hosted a town hall discussion about the important lessons we can learn from the coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. Participants included Boston Globe deputy managing editor for local news Jennifer Peter; Boston Globe reporter and 2013 Nieman Fellow David Abel; Cheryl Fiandaca, chief of public information for the Boston Police Department; Seth Mnookin, co-director of MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing; Callie Crossley, host of WGBH's "Under the Radar"; and The Washington Post's director of digital content David Beard.

Watch video of the event »

Read a recap of the event in Nieman Reports »

“Terrorism Has No Religion”

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:20:37 GMT

Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, came to the throne in 1999. Since then, he has expanded the rights of women, modernized his country, and established Bahrain as a financial center in the region. Two years ago, on February 14, 2011, several thousand demonstrators gathered in the Bahraini capital, Manama, to demand more popular political participation and reform. To many Western commentators and journalists, it was a sign that the Arab Spring was spreading to the Gulf countries.

Read Souad Mekhennet's, NF ’13, interview with the king »

Journalism & the Boston Marathon Bombings

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:21:47 GMT

How Latinos are Seen and Heard in America

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:24:12 GMT

During a special event at the Nieman Foundation, three leading journalists discussed how changing demographics and the new media environment are shaping the nation's understanding of migration, politics and Latino life. Panelists included: Maria Hinojosa, anchor of NPR's “Latino USA” program; Isaac Lee, president of news at Univision' and Laura Wides-Muñoz, Hispanic affairs writer for The Associated Press. Nieman Foundation curator Ann Marie Lipinski moderated the conversation. The talk was co-sponsored by the Nieman Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in conjunction with Radcliffe's "Crossing Borders" conference on immigration and gender in the Americas.

Watch the video »

“The Story of a Lifetime”

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:21:09 GMT

Brian McGrory was named editor of The Boston Globe just four months before the Boston Marathon bombings captured the world’s attention. Ten days into that coverage, McGrory spoke with David L. Marcus, NF ’96, the Globe’s former diplomatic correspondent, who worked with McGrory in the Globe’s Washington bureau in the 1990s. They discussed how the Globe has covered the story, the newspaper's decision to lower its paywall online, and plans for continued coverage.

Read the interview with Brian McGrory »

Niemans recognized with Pulitzer, Sigma Delta Chi honors

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:32:33 GMT

Two Nieman fellows have been selected as finalists for the 2012 Pulitzer Prizes. Judges recognized Tony Bartelme, NF’11, a special projects reporter for The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., as a finalist in the explanatory reporting category for his year-long, series, “Storm of Money.” His reports helped readers understand the complex factors driving up the cost of property insurance. The Society of Professional Journalists also chose Bartelme’s series for the Sigma Delta Chi Award in the non-deadline reporting category (daily circulation 50,001-100,000).

Alexandra Garcia, a 2013 Nieman Fellow and multimedia journalist for The Washington Post, produced video for reporter Spencer S. Hsu’s “Forensic Science” series, which was named as a finalist for the Public Service Pulitzer. The story examines flawed evidence in criminal cases prosecuted by the Justice Department that was never disclosed to defendants, leading to a review of more than 20,000 cases. Hsu’s series also won SPJ’s Sigma Delta Chi Award for public service journalism (daily circulation 100,001+).

Read more about the Pulitzer finalists »

Learn about the Sigma Delta Chi Awards »

Twitter, Credibility and The Watertown Manhunt

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:23:33 GMT

Twitter coverage of the manhunt in Watertown marks a wake-up call to journalists everywhere. Even more remarkable are the implications for ordinary citizens who, without a press pass, intentionally plant themselves on the scene to witness and tweet what they see in real time. For the latter group of news gatherers, this event instills a newfound sense of power and responsibility in how they verify and disseminate news; i.e., gain credibility and authority as a news source.

Read more from Visiting Nieman Fellow Hong Qu »

2009 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:36:46 GMT

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard presented the 2009 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence to Jon Alpert.

2008 I.F. Stone Medal Presentation & Workshop

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:07:12 GMT

The presentation of the first I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence will take place on October 7, 2008 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The winner of the 2008 award is John Walcott , Washington bureau chief of the McClatchy Co. (formerly Knight Ridder bureau chief in Washington).

2013 Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:39:27 GMT

This year's Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism was held at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard on April 12-13, 2013. During the two-day event, more than 70 students from 17 college newspapers were able to take advantage of workshops and networking opportunities and participate in discussions led by award-winning journalists and news executives.

Social Media and the Boston Bombings

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:36:40 GMT

In a breaking news situation, journalists get an adrenaline rush. There is a palpable eagerness to get the scoop, to be the first to bring the story to the public. In today's world of social media, mobile phones, and real-time 24/7 news cycle, though, journalists face competition from all sides: eyewitness accounts, official sources, and even friends and family are sharing news before mainstream news institutions have "published" the official news story.

Read more from Visiting Nieman Fellow Hong Qu »

Niemans Cover the Boston Marathon Bombs

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:35:26 GMT

A selection of stories by Niemans about the Boston attacks

The explosions at the Boston Marathon made front-page news around the world, with Líberation in Paris, El País in Madrid, and The Jerusalem Post in Israel carrying coverage from 2013 Nieman Fellows Ludovic Blecher, Borja Echevarria, and Yaakov Katz, respectively. Katz’s story was headlined, “Boston will keep on running.” Another Nieman Fellow from this year’s class, Mary Beth Sheridan interviewed witnesses and covered the aftermath for The Washington Post. Brent McDonald, a videographer for The New York Times and a 2013 Nieman affiliate, produced “Witness to Chaos at the Boston Marathon,” a video that included an interview with a runner and several bystanders.

Another 2013 fellow, Boston Globe reporter David Abel was on the scene at the Marathon when the explosions hit. His video of the immediate aftermath and his stories brought him calls from media around the world eager to interview him.

Read about more reporting by Nieman Fellows »

“Some of the worst things I've ever seen”

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:35:01 GMT

Boston Globe reporter David Abel, NF '13, on covering the explosions at the Boston Marathon

As part of his Nieman Fellowship, Boston Globe reporter David Abel is taking a class on how to make documentary films. Yesterday he was working on his final project, about Juli Windsor, the first dwarf to run the Boston Marathon. He woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning and went to film Windsor getting ready, then took the bus with her to Hopkinton, where the race starts. He was standing on the finish line, shooting footage of all the runners coming across and waiting for Windsor to come in when the bombs went off. “It was some of the worst things I've ever seen,” Abel says. “I just picked up the camera and continued recording, to document what we were witnessing.”

Read Abel’s Nieman Reports interview about his experience. Also read his account of the bombings and watch a video of him discussing the experience, from The Boston Globe »

Lukas Awards go to Niemans

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:34:33 GMT

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Robert Caro, NF ’66, reporter Beth Macy, NF’10, and author Andrew Solomon are winners of the 2013 Lukas Prize Project Awards, honoring the best in American nonfiction writing. Read more »

Memorial Service for Anthony Lewis Is Set

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:19:55 GMT

A memorial service will be held May 23 for Anthony Lewis, a former New York Times reporter and columnist, author, and longtime advocate for free speech and justice, who died on March 25 at the age of 85.

The service will be held at 3 p.m. at Memorial Church in Harvard Yard.

A Nieman Fellow in the class of 1957, Lewis was a constitutional law expert whose groundbreaking coverage of the Supreme Court changed the way complex legal matters are reported in the United States.

Niemans honored by IRE

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:12:25 GMT

Investigative reporter David Jackson, NF ’11, is part of the Chicago Tribune team that that has won the 2012 Investigative Reporters & Editors’ FOI Award for “Empty-Desk Epidemic.” The series exposed a devastating pattern of student absenteeism in the Chicago school system and the indifference of city officials who ignored the problem.

NPR’s Howard Berkes, a 1998 Nieman Fellow, was among the finalists for the in multiplatform /large category for “As Mine Protections Fail, Black Lung Cases Surge,” co-produced by NPR, the Center for Public Integrity and The Charleston Gazette. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's John Diedrich, an affiliate from the Class of 2012, was a finalist with colleagues in two categories: the FOI Award for “Police Problems,” and the Investigations Triggered by Breaking News Award for “Spa Shooting.” Read more »

Lunch conversation with Jodi Kantor

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:00:12 GMT

COMING INTO HER OWN: Michelle Obama's political transformation, and how it may help sway an election

A talk with New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, author of "The Obamas." Co-sponsored by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and the Harvard Writers at Work Lecture Series, which is organized by the Harvard College Writing Program, the Harvard Extension School Master’s Degree Program in Journalism, the Harvard Review, and the Program in General Education.

Shooting Ghosts

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:09:34 GMT

A conversation with Reuters photojournalist Finbarr O'Reilly and retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Thomas James Brennan about their journey through wars, trauma and loss. Watch video of the event »

From Watergate to WikiLeaks: Journalism and Secrecy in the New Media Age

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:10:10 GMT

The WikiLeaks Iraq and Afghanistan war logs—and now the roll out of diplomatic cables—are having an enormous impact on journalism.

On December 16, 2010, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism convened a group of reporters and editors along with other watchdog experts for a one-day conference.

“From Watergate to WikiLeaks: Journalism and Secrecy in the New Media Age” explored how secrets are investigated, shared and filtered (or not) in an era of self-publishing, online whistle-blowing, data mining and social media websites.

Participants discussed journalism’s role—what it traditionally has been and what it can or should be in this new environment.

Watch videos of the event »

2011 Christopher J. Georges Conference On College Journalism

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:07:02 GMT

The Christopher J. Georges Award for Excellence in Student Journalism honors exceptional, in-depth reporting by a student reporter on a policy issue of importance affecting his/her campus, community, or beyond. Judges look for reports that delve beneath the surface of the story and presenting all sides of its complexities with fairness and accuracy. The award is presented during the annual Georges Collegiate Weekend for college journalists, which is co-hosted by the Nieman Foundation and students from The Harvard Crimson.

The Georges Award aims to encourage and promote the type of journalism Christopher Georges loved best: feature stories that do not simply examine policy making and reform, but explore from a human perspective both the intended and unintended consequences of these policies on the people who are affected by them.

Journalism in Eastern Europe: Who controls the media?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:05:03 GMT

The end of the Cold War and the collapse of a dozen totalitarian states 20 years ago triggered the emergence of democracy in the region previously known as the Communist bloc. Each country took its own path: Some are now full democracies and part of the European Union, some struggle with fragile democracies and some remain de facto authoritarian regimes.

The practice of journalism in these evolving states is problematic, especially under continuing authoritarianism. In early May, the Nieman Foundation brought together academics, journalists and media experts to discuss the different paths societies and journalism took in post-communist Eastern Europe. Using the Spring 2011 issue of Nieman Reports, “Shattering Barriers to Reveal Corruption,” as a starting point for discussion, the conference explored control over information, the lack of professionalism in mainstream media, the risks journalists face, the development of experimental networks of independent journalists and the industry of media assistance.

The goal of the conference was to generate new ideas for media and information policies in Eastern Europe and other post-totalitarian states.

Watch videos of the event »

Freedom of the Press in Latin America

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:02:27 GMT

Leading Latin American journalists — including past and present Nieman Fellows — gathered at Harvard on Nov. 18 for a one-day conference that took a close look at press freedom in Latin America. The speakers discussed the difficult challenges many journalists face in their countries, including the killings of colleagues, abductions, intimidation, pressure from government officials or from powerful media moguls, and the absence of legal protection and press freedom laws. They also presented innovative solutions to some problems, including how online news magazines can make a difference.

This event was co-sponsored by the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at HKSG, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

Watch videos of the event »

An Evening with Cartoonist and Journalist Joe Sacco

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:59:32 GMT

A presentation and discussion with award-winning cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco. One of the most influential and best-known cartoonists working today, Sacco developed a unique form of journalism that combines on-the-scene reporting with graphic storytelling. His books include "Palestine," "Safe Area Goražde," "The Fixer" and "Footnotes in Gaza."

In conversation with journalist Chris Hedges, Sacco discussed his work and the challenges and rewards of practicing journalism in an unconventional medium. Sacco and Hedges have worked together in conflict zones overseas and are currently collaborating on a book about poverty in the United States. A Q&A session with the audience followed.

Watch videos of the event »

2012 Christopher J. Georges Conference On College Journalism

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:56:42 GMT

Global Interests / Local Failures

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:53:53 GMT

Peruvian miners turn rain forest into wastelands. Corruption and mismanagement keep West Africans from clean drinking water. These and other stories were heard from international journalists who are mapping the impact of globalization on people and the planet.

On Thursday evening, April 12, our panel discussed what it takes for journalists to accurately tell international stories that have economic, scientific, cultural, political and public health impact; and how these complex, global subjects are still being covered well, even as journalism reinvents itself online and via social media.

This program is part of the Nieman Foundation's collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, D.C.

Watch videos of the event »

Google’s head of news products looks to future

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:51:47 GMT

Addressing an audience at the Nieman Foundation on May 11, Richard Gingras, the head of news products for Google, discussed the need for constant innovation in journalism. Changes in the news industry aren’t temporary problems that will be fixed and go away, he stressed. Rather, the field will remain in constant flux as disruptive technology dominates and those who wish to thrive must learn how to adapt. Gingras mentioned a number of ways newspapers and journalists can draw attention to their work online and build audience, from spending less time on home page design to regularly updating story pages to keep them relevant over time. He also discussed the need for greater transparency, new reporters’ tools and collaboration with the trusted crowd.

Watch a video of the event »

Read the Nieman Journalism Lab’s report »

Out of Eden: The Walk

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:48:15 GMT

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek discusses plans for his epic journey around the world and a groundbreaking experiment in slow journalism.

In January 2013, journalist Paul Salopek will start walking out of Africa, following the pathways of the first human migration about 60,000 years ago. Toting a small laptop and a satellite phone in his rucksack, Salopek will report on the major issues of our day — poverty, conflict, climate change, local innovations — from the ground level, living among the people he will cover from Ethiopia to Patagonia.

After researching the project while on a visiting Nieman Fellowship last spring, Salopek returns to Harvard to talk about the why and the how of this ambitious undertaking and to share how the best of old and new media are merging in this experiment in slow journalism. A worldwide audience is invited to follow the talk — and then “walk along” — via the hashtag #edenwalk and on the project website www.outofedenwalk.com.

Moderated by Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and Salopek's longtime editor at the Chicago Tribune; with a welcome by Oliver Payne, articles editor at National Geographic.

Watch videos of the event »

Mastering Disruptive Innovation in Journalism: Nieman Webcast

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:42 GMT

In a special Nieman seminar on Feb. 27, Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen and 2012 Nieman Fellow David Skok, director of Globalnews.ca, spoke about how Christensen's groundbreaking theory of disruptive innovation can be applied to journalism to generate bold solutions for the struggling news industry.

In the Fall 2012 issue of Nieman Reports, Christensen and Skok collaborated on the “Breaking News” cover story, which examined how news executives can use the lessons of disruption to create fresh revenue streams and successful business models.

Learn more about Christensen, Skok and disruptive innovation in media on our microsite »

2013 Louis Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:37:06 GMT

Learn more about Marcela Turati, a reporter for the Mexican news magazine, Proceso and winner of the Louis Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism. The Nieman class of 2013 chose to honor Turati for her courageous coverage of the drug war in Mexico and her efforts to protect and train members of the media in a dangerous reporting environment. Learn more »

2012 Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Newspapers

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:28:10 GMT

The Chicago Tribune has won the Nieman Foundation's 2012 Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Newspapers for “Playing with Fire.” The six-part series revealed how the chemical and tobacco industries for years misled the public with deceptive campaigns that promoted the use of toxic flame-retardant chemicals that don't work and pose serious health risks to consumers.

Read the news release »
Learn more about the Taylor Award and winners »

Junot Díaz

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:27:19 GMT

Join us for a conversation with Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, provocateur, science fiction enthusiast and MacArthur “Genius Award” winner.

Nieman Foundation's 75th Anniversary Celebration

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:26:23 GMT

The Nieman Foundation will celebrate its 75th anniversary during a reunion weekend in Cambridge September 27-29, 2013.

Robert Clark, NF ’61, dies in Ohio

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:35:26 GMT

Robert P. “Bob” Clark, a retired top editor of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times, died recently in Ohio. He was 91. Under his leadership, the newspapers won three Pulitzer Prizes. Clark also served as president of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association and of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Learn more »

Longtime urban-affairs specialist Grady Clay, 96, dies

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:39:14 GMT

Grady Clay, NF ’49, a journalist and a leading national authority on urban design who wrote for The Courier-Journal and edited Landscape Architecture Quarterly, died Sunday, March 17, at 96. Architect and friend Steve Wiser called Clay “one of the nation’s leading urban design thinkers.” Learn more »

Kevin Cullen wins ASNE’s Batten Medal

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:28:18 GMT

Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen, a 2003 Nieman Fellow, has won the Batten Medal for individual achievement in public-service journalism from the American Society of News Editors. Cullen, who also received the award in 2008, is the only journalist to have won the Batten twice. Judges praised his work saying “Kevin Cullen's work epitomizes the values Jim Batten stood for: compassion, honesty, courage and a high regard for those on the margins of contemporary society. In compact prose, Cullen tells powerful stories that move the heart and get results; he's not just a chronicler of the human condition, he's an advocate for those whose lives he touches." Learn more »

Remembering Murrey Marder, Washington Post reporter and Nieman Watchdog founder

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:57:19 GMT

Longtime Washington Post reporter and Nieman Watchdog Project founder Murrey Marder died on March 11 at the age of 93. A tireless crusader for watchdog and accountability journalism, he retired as a diplomatic correspondent for the Post in 1985 after reporting there for nearly four decades. During his long and storied career, he covered topics ranging from the Alger Hiss trial the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and was perhaps best known for challenging Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist investigations in the 1950’s. In 1957, he opened the Post's London bureau, the first of the Washington Post Foreign Service. Marder was a Nieman Fellow in the class of 1950 and used his life savings to fund the Nieman Watchdog Project at Harvard.

Learn more about Marder’s legacy to journalism »

Chicago Tribune wins Taylor Family Award with "Playing with Fire"

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:37:56 GMT

Dorothy Parvaz, receives McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:36:04 GMT

Journalist Dorothy Parvaz, a 2009 Nieman Fellow who was jailed and interrogated for several weeks in 2011 while attempting to cover the civil war in Syria, will receive the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage. A reporter for Al Jazeera’s English channel in Qatar, she was detained and jailed when she entered Syria in April 2011. Authorities there held for three days then deported to Iran, where she was held and interrogated for more than two weeks before being sent back to Qatar.

She will receive the medal from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and its McGill Program in Journalistic Courage in the fall. Learn more »

Robert A. Caro wins National Book Critics Circle Award

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:41:32 GMT

Robert A. Caro, NF ’66, has won a National Book Critics Circle Award for The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson the fourth installment of his widely acclaimed biography of the 36th president of the United States. Earlier volumes of Caro’s biography of Johnson have won top literary and journalism awards including two Pulitzer Prizes, two previous National Book Critics Circle Awards, the Francis Parkman Prize, and the National Book Award. Lean more »

Assessing the value of criticism

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:44:10 GMT

Critical Condition: Why Professional Criticism Matters in the Winter 2013 issue of Nieman Reports, examines how professional criticism can not only survive but thrive in the age of user reviews. As Nieman deputy curator James Geary points out in his introduction, “criticism’s condition is critical—to informing and inspiring the public and to keeping our cultural conversations alive.”

Read Critical Condition articles in Nieman Reports »

Mastering Disruptive Innovation in Journalism: Nieman Webcast

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:53:07 GMT

Beth Macy wins SABEW Award

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:08:20 GMT

Beth Macy, NF ’10, has won a Society of American Business Editors and Writers award for her three-part Roanoke Times series Picking Up the Pieces. Her reports examine how globalization has ravaged manufacturing in parts of Virginia and what communities are doing to try to recover. In the town of Martinsville alone, unemployment is estimated to be as high as 35 percent. Learn more »