Aida Alami
freelance journalist
Abdi Latif Dahir
East Africa correspondent The New York Times
Pavni Mittal
freelance journalist
Astha Rajvanshi
staff writer Time Magazine
Foreign reporting can be extractive - ‘stringers’ and ‘fixers’ are hired who have an ‘in’ with communities and a deep knowledge of countries and contexts. In many ways, these local journalists are the unsung heroes of international journalism, and have often not received their due in terms of credit or pay.
In this panel, we aim to speak about how newsrooms can better recognize the often outsize contributions of local journalists. How should foreign reporters approach and empower local journalists, who form the backbone of foreign reporting? How should these local journalists and freelancers better advocate for themselves?
The speakers have a unique perspective on this issue, given that they are all local reporters who have had careers working with and for both local and international media outlets. They will share how they made this shift and how best to open doors for others. They will also talk about the common pitfalls when it comes to working with local reporters and the best practices newsrooms can adapt to improve their working conditions.
