Valuable journalism is created worldwide every day. Too often, however, it gets overlooked – especially reporting produced in smaller communities.
The Human Journalism Network (HJN), which I previously served as an editor, launched in 2023 to meet the needs of these audiences, while boosting the work of newsrooms globally. Founded by ICFJ Knight Fellow Chani Guyot, an experienced Argentine journalist, editor and media innovator, the bilingual journalism initiative translates and shares reported articles between and among news outlets all over the world. It has become an essential bridge for 14 of them today.
HJN curates “human journalism” narratives that highlight critical global challenges and amplify underreported stories, emphasizing their significance in driving positive change and fostering a deeper understanding of a wide range of global issues.
“Readers are nowadays many times exposed to a fast, superficial approach to international news. We’re facilitating a network that provides outlets with local, in-depth, quality journalism that showcases the constructive human stories behind those many times overwhelming headlines,” said Guyot.
It’s all a big “extreme collaborative experiment,” said Guyot. “They’re essentially media outlets who didn’t know each other, republishing their work mutually, trusting the project and our management of it.”
Guyot and the HJN team select, edit and translate one article per week, providing the 14 participating news outlets with a well-reported article telling a human journalism story. Topics covered in 2023 included migration, climate change, health, human rights, gender-based violence, homelessness and urban issues, among others.
The newsrooms taking part in 2023 were Convoca from Peru, Daily Maverick from South Africa, elDiario.es from Spain, El Toque from Cuba, GK contributing from Ecuador, The Globe and Mail from Canada, Rappler from the Philippines, RED/ACCIÓN and Río Negro from Argentina, the San Francisco Chronicle from the U.S., The Irish News from Ireland, The Quint representing India, Mi Voz from Chile, and Reasons to be Cheerful from the U.K.
Stories like “How a farm in Northern Ireland proves the healing power of nature” from The Irish News and Rappler’s “Masbate illegal fishers turn wardens of the sea” offered insights into environmental resilience and community-driven conservation efforts. These pieces underscored the urgency of addressing environmental challenges while highlighting local initiatives that are putting forth sustainable solutions.
Articles such as “A mentoring program boosts Cuban women in the creative industries” published by El Toque and “#MeToo Cuba: shaping a safe community for survivors” by Rappler illuminated empowering initiatives around gender equality, and the significance of safe spaces for fostering equality and recovery for survivors of sexual violence.
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