It all began with a Facebook post in early 2016. Hussin Satoof, a Syrian refugee living in rural Western Germany, appealed for help finding his nephew Ahmad. The 17-year-old, who came to Germany alone, had disappeared a month earlier … Read more
On May 29, I watched in disbelief as the police handcuffed a CNN crew while broadcasting live from Minneapolis in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. The appalling violation of freedom of the press would have … Read more
When Australian investigative journalist Nick McKenzie arrived at his desk one morning in 2014, he was surprised to find a bunch of flowers had been sent up from the mailroom. “In the flowers there was a note that said, ‘There … Read more
Listen to this article: https://niemanreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MainArticleAudio.mp3 In spring 2016, the Danish digital magazine Zetland prepared to launch its daily news operation. The effort was crowdfunded, and the team at Zetland asked their … Read more
Teju Cole is a critic, photographer, essayist, and novelist who has been lauded for his engaging use of Instagram and Twitter. It was on Twitter that Cole coined the term “White Savior Industrial Complex.” He elaborated on his ideas … Read more
Since the attacks of 9/11, the United States has been in a perpetual state of fighting, in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. About 7,000 American troops have been killed and at least … Read more
When a gunman killed 51 people and injured dozens more at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March, the official response was swift. Restrictions were imposed on military-style semiautomatic weapons and … Read more
Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them My childhood in Afghanistan coincided with a communist regime under which we had access only to government-sponsored media, including TV, radio, and a couple of newspapers—all … Read more
During my Nieman year, I spent Spring break in Harpers Ferry, a town of 300 in West Virginia. I went there looking for traces of Ruth Cowan, the World War II correspondent with whom I was obsessed … Read more
