Thomson Reuters Foundation
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MEDIA DEVELOPMENT
The Thomson Reuters Foundation is committed to fostering the highest standards of journalism worldwide. We believe accurate, impartial and independent journalism leads to better-informed societies. It holds power to account, strengthens the rule of law and contributes to economic and social development.
Approach
Programmes
Reuters Institute
News & Events
Resources
Alumni
Our Approach ▶OUR APPROACH
At the heart of all our media development work are the Thomson Reuters Principles of accuracy, impartiality, independence and integrity.
Drawing on the expertise and global footprint of Reuters News, we run philanthropic initiatives ranging from the creation of sustainable, independent news platforms to a wide range of skills and editorial programmes. We fund the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, a global research centre producing over 15 publications per year on the current and future trends in journalism.
This unique mix allows us to provide world-class solutions to pressing needs, helping superb journalism reach the largest possible audience. See our theory of change.
Download our Media Development brochureOur Approach
We see media development as a chain stretching from the incubation of professional skills at one end right through to the distribution of great journalism at the other. We combine any tools necessary to address every link in the chain.
Examples include:
- Training: Hands-on training from Reuters journalists with a focus on producing real stories
- Project grants: Funds for specific investigations and cross-border collaborations
- Mentoring: Editorial support from idea to publication by Reuters veterans to give stories global resonance
- Distribution: Global channels to bring the best journalism to the widest possible audience
- Fellowships: Opportunities to broaden horizons through research and exchanges
Our Programmes ▶OUR PROGRAMMES
From photojournalism workshops to independent news agencies, we run free programmes on every continent tailored to real needs.
For almost three decades, we have offered free professional training for journalists worldwide. But we have now gone beyond the concept of traditional training, allowing participants to forge specialist expertise through hands-on experience combined with
For almost three decades, we have offered free professional training for journalists worldwide. But we have now gone beyond the concept of traditional training, allowing participants to forge specialist expertise through hands-on experience combined with continued editorial support, story grants and opportunities for international distribution, including over the Reuters News service.
continued editorial support, story grants and opportunities for international distribution, including over the Reuters News service. We also address the challenges facing today's newsrooms, from collapsing business models to working with limited resources.
We also address the challenges facing today's newsrooms, from collapsing business models to working with limited resources.
Supporting independent news
We set up and manage platforms for independent journalism, providing infrastructure, training, editorial support and syndication tools. We build news services around specific countries or topics. The goal is to make them sustainable and commercially viable.
In 2004, after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, we set up the country's first independent news agency, Aswat al Iraq, offering unbiased news in Arabic in a country descending into sectarian strife. Handed over to full Iraqi management in 2008, it grew into a truly national agency with journalists working across 18 provinces.
In Zimbabwe, The Source is an independent online business and financial news service that provides accurate, real-time news and analysis. It is run entirely by Zimbabweans, serving local and international media organisations.
In 2015, we are launching a multi-lingual independent news service in Myanmar ahead of the country's landmark elections.
Fostering journalistic excellence
Our programmes combine training, mentoring, project grants, seminars, newsroom consultancies and other tools to raise journalistic standards worldwide and drive stories from start to finish - even in the most challenging environments.
Examples include:
Editorial Judgement and Ethics: Dealing with tough decisions in the use of pictures, text and video and in newsroom management
Advanced Photojournalism: Learn from award-winning Reuters photojournalists who have covered the biggest stories of recent years
Reporting Business and Finance in the Digital Age: Turn complex financial concepts into clear news stories that connect with audiences
Reporting Aid Transparency and Corruption: Follow the aid money and scrutinise the multi-billion-dollar humanitarian and development sector
Reporting Trafficking and Slavery: Cover a global scourge affecting millions with access to high-level sources at our annual Trust Women Conference
Reporting Women's Rights: From Mauritania to Myanmar, we help journalists cover key issues affecting women
The All-in-One Multimedia Journalist: Everything you need to be a one-person multimedia reporter in the field
Elections Reporting: Hone your skills to cover elections in a fair and balanced manner while beating the competition
Impact programmes
We run multi-year programmes aimed at lasting impact. Goals range from supporting investigative journalism to increasing mutual understanding among media professionals across divides. Many of our programmes are supported by partners including U.N. agencies, foundations and governments.
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WEALTH OF NATIONS
Wealth of Nations is a three-year programme working with media across Africa to investigate dirty money flows and improve oil reporting. It is supported by a grant from Norad, Norway’s aid agency.
Financial chicanery such as tax avoidance costs Africa billions every year. Wealth of Nations works with 150 individual journalists and 12 carefully chosen news organisations to expose the practices that stop Africa from flourishing.
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PERSPEKTIVY
Perspektivy aims to strengthen journalism in Russia and Eastern Europe, to advance regional expertise on under-reported issues, and to contribute to mutual international understanding.
The programme embraces media organisations of all kinds across Russia and in countries in the Baltics, Caucuses and Central Asia. It is supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung, a German corporate foundation committed to increasing international understanding, and Norwegian free speech NGO Fritt Ord. Other activities include fellowships, exchanges, debates, seminars and practical workshops.
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REPORTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Smallholder farmers produce more than 80 percent of food consumed in the developing world yet over two-thirds of extremely poor people live in these rural areas. Reporting rural development, put simply, is about reducing poverty.
With support from the United Nation's International Fund for Agricultural Development, we work with journalists to show how rural development is a story that spans science, climate change, business, politics and social innovation.
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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL REPORTING IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE
Participants from the Balkans and Southeast Europe spend four weeks in London, Brussels, Frankfurt and Berlin to meet policymakers and journalists reporting on European financial and political affairs.
Supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung, the programme ranges from covering emerging market economies to reporting on financial markets and company news to practical exercises based on current European topics.
Leadership events
We bring together some of the world's best media professionals with top experts to debate the big issues reshaping the media landscape and driving the stories that dominate headlines in a fast-changing world.
Our Global Security Seminar gathers top journalists and speakers for three days of discussions, site visits and workshops to improve reporting of security issues and extremism. It is a partnership between the Thomson Reuters Foundation, The Stanley Foundation and Gerda Henkel Stiftung.
Our Global Media Startup Seminar brings innovative media outfits from North America and Europe to the developing world to exchange expertise and business models with creative and entrepreneurial counterparts doing incredible things far removed from the funding and frapuccinos of Silicon Valley.
“The courses have enha nced my arsenal as a business investigative journalist and now I am confident that I can tackle any story idea or investigative assignment to its logical conclusion.”
Collins Mtika, Bureau Chief, NyasaTimes.com, Malawi“This was a wonderful conference. I really enjoyed listening to so many colleagues from different countries. I gained perspectives, some story ideas and new friendships. All sessions were relevant, timely and there were speakers who have really done work on the ground.”
Syed Nazakat, The Week, India, referring to our Global Security Seminar“I wish to thank you and the Reuters family for offering me the opportunity to attend the Kampala training. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and something am proud of. I really learnt a lot and I promise to be a better journalist now and forever more.”
Paul Shalala, Zambia, on a Financial and Business Reporting course
Reuters Institute ▶REUTERS INSTITUTE
News & Impact ▶NEWS & EVENTS
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A good time to hold a business reporting course in Ulaanbaatar
No matter how long you are in journalism, if you do not keep revising and upgrading your professional skills, you will start to make mistakes
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Our Resources ▶OUR RESOURCES
Our Alumni ▶OUR ALUMNI
Over the years we have trained some 12,000 journalists in about 120 countries and seven languages. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has more than 500 fellowship alumni from almost 100 countries. That's a powerful network that we seek to energise and engage.
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Social mediaIn addition to our Thomson Reuters Foundation Alumni Facebook group, we have an ever-growing selection of specialist social media groups allowing alumni of different programmes to stay in touch and share expertise. Click on the "+" above to see all our Facebook groups.
Below are Facebook groups related to various media development programmes. Some are closed to alumni of the programmes while others are open anyone interested in the issues
Thomson Reuters Foundation Alumni
Wealth of Nations: Reporting Dirty Money Flows
La Richesse des Nations (aFRIC100fraude)
Reporting Trafficking and Slavery
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Story grantsThe Thomson Reuters Foundation is not a grant-giving organisation but for certain media development programmes we make available small grants for investigative work or cross-border collaborations.
NewsletterJoin our Media Matters newsletter for the latest insight from the front lines of media development, along with practical tips, job opportunities and information on awards, grants and training courses.
