Dumitru Stoianov

Dumitru “Dima” Stoianov is a reporter for RISE Moldova, a media outlet that investigates organized crime, money laundering, corruption, smuggling, tax fraud, arms trafficking, and the hidden business of politicians.

“From a small community of activists we grew up to a professional organization able to generate public reactions on high-level corruption, conflict of interest and misuse of power,” Stoianov wrote.

Stoianov is an investigative team coordinator for projects implemented by RISE and a fact checker for the Organized Crime and Corruption Project, including its work on The Panama Papers transnational reporting project. He developed an implemented the whistleblower platform on the RISE website.

Editor Nicolae Cuschevici, said ”he proved to be highly interested in promoting such values as democracy, freedom of information, human rights and civil society development through the journalism he produced and activities he implemented at RISE Moldova.”

Stoianov will work at Newsy, a cable and over-the-top video news network. Dima’s fellowship is funded by John and Kathy Schirger of Kansas City.

Danish Raza

Danish Raza’s reporting at the Hindustan Times, India’s second largest English language daily newspaper, focuses on social justice, gender and caste violence. Assignments range from covering the Maoist insurgency to national politics.

“His articles display a passion to cover humanitarian issues with a nuanced approach,” HT’s editor-in-chief, Sukumar Ranganathan, wrote. “He is able to grasp complex issues. Boiling down policy matters successfully requires a mastery of the subject. …Victims and survivors, rather than experts and aid workers, do most of the talking in his articles.”

Raza recently was promoted to assistant editor and has experience teaching journalism ethics and law to college students. He will work at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. By the end of his fellowship, he intends to produce a handbook for journalists, “Covering Muslims in India.”

“Based on my experience of covering Muslims, Islamic affairs in India, combined with the insights gained at the host newsroom (during the fellowship), I wish to help news organisations back home become pluralistic and inclusive, particularly in their portrayal of Muslims,” Raza said.

Raza’s fellowship is funded by the Patrick and Janna Stueve Foundation.

Justice Baidoo

Justice Baidoo is an award-winning news videographer and producer who supervises an eight-member team for Joy News, one of Ghana’s most influential broadcasters.

Baidoo will work on the staff of the new television news operation at the Los Angeles Times.

At Joy News, Baidoo produces news content for radio, TV and online platforms. His multimedia stories focus on issues including health, climate change, environmental problems and food security.

His story on bad roads connecting farms in Ghana to markets won the Food Sustainability Media Award organized by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He was selected to attend the Global Climate Reporting Program administered by the International Center for Journalists this year and was Ghana’s business journalist of the year in 2015 and 2016.

After a dilapidated school in rural Ghana collapsed and killed six children, “a series of stories I did moved the government and philanthropists to put up new structures for the entire community,” Baidoo said.

Baidoo is our second Food Security Fellow and will receive academic training along with hands-on training at MU and will spend a week at Danforth Plant Science Center. His fellowship is funded by friends and supporters of Alfred Friendly Press Partners.