Under Reported Stories | Thomson Reuters Foundation

Under-Reported Stories

Our global editorial team of almost 50 journalists and about 300 freelancers covers the world’s under-reported stories at the heart of aid, development, women’s and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, climate change and social innovation.
We make our stories available free of charge to hundreds of smaller media outlets and non-government organisations around the world.

Global Coverage

Our correspondents and stringers shed light on stories that are often overlooked by mainstream media. We are truly global. We have correspondents in Britain, Spain, Italy, Lebanon, the United States, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and freelancers in most developing nations.

News

We cover the world’s under-reported stories through breaking news, features, interviews, and in depth analysis. We produce exclusive videos and photos. We also publish blogs and op-eds from decision makers and thought leaders.

Videos and Photos

Our videographers and photo-journalists use the power of images to document how the issues that we cover have an impact on ordinary human beings and vulnerable communities. Our documentaries and photo essays introduce viewers to inspiring characters, drawing them into unfamiliar worlds.

Women's Poll

When gathered and analyzed by experts, data can illustrate scenarios as vividly as photojournalism. Our annual perception polls generate international debate by putting women’s rights at the top of the news agenda.

2017Most dangerous megacities for women With cities across the globe growing rapidly, the future looks set to be urban with an estimated 66 percent of the population to be living in urban areas by 2050 up from 54 percent today. The number of megacities housing over 10 million people has tripled since 1990 to 31 with the United Nations forecasting this will rise to 41 by 2030. While cities can drive development and reduce poverty, rapid urban growth can also create a new set of problems if the right infrastructure is not in place or policies don’t ensure the benefits of city life are equally shared.
In the first poll of its kind, the Thomson Reuters Foundation asked experts in women’s issues which of the world’s megacities are safe for women – and which need to do more to ensure women are not at risk of sexual violence and harassment and harmful cultural practices and have access to healthcare, finance and education.
2016The best countries to be a Social Entrepreneur 2016 Social entrepreneurs using businesses to help tackle social problems are emerging across the globe but there is little data to see which countries are encouraging this growing sector. To fill this gap, the Thomson Reuters Foundation teamed up with Deutsche Bank, UnLtd and the Global Social Entrepreneurship Network to conduct the world’s first experts’ poll on the best countries for social entrepreneurs.
2015The 5 key issues facing women working in the G20 Statistics track the number of women working, their educational qualifications and salaries. But the data does not tell us the whole picture. It doesn't tell us how women feel, and how they fare day-to-day in the workplace. With a major drive to get more women into the workforce, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, embarked on a global undertaking to shed light on this increasingly critical issue, asking women across the G20 countries to name the five key challenges they face at work.
2014Most Dangerous Transport Systems for Women The survey involved questioning women in 15 of the word's largest capital cities and in New York, as well as experts focused on women’s rights, gender equality, urban planning and gender-friendly urban spaces. The survey was carried out in collaboration with a major UK polling company, YouGov. Bogota, Mexico City and Lima were ranked at having most dangerous transport systems for women.
2013Women's rights in the Arab world The poll of 336 specialists was designed to assess the extent to which Arab states adhere to key provisions of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), factors ranging from political representation and economic inclusion to reproductive rights and gender violence.
2012G20 countries: the worst and best for women We ranked the best and worst G20 countries for women, looking at health services, violence, political participation, workplace opportunities, access to resources such as education and property rights, and freedom from trafficking and slavery. Canada ranked as the best place to be a woman while India ranked worst due to infanticide, child marriage and slavery.
2011The world's most dangerous countries for women From rape and domestic violence to lack of healthcare and education, millions of women experience daily peril, but nowhere more than in the five countries a TrustLaw expert poll identifies as the world's most dangerous countries to be female in 2011: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Soma.

Impact

Our mission is to raise awareness and inform society about often overlooked issues using the Reuters principles of fair, accurate, and impartial journalism. The power of news is that it can affect government policy, shape legal reform, assist law enforcement, empower civil society, engage business. We highlight stories that can have real impact.

Crackdown on illegal sand mining in Maharashtra and drive to provide alternative jobs to miners spending nights diving for sand after our investigation found impoverished workers dying in the illegal industry feeding India's construction boom.

Offer of funding from Nigerian charity, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, and the UNFPA after we revealed that some of Nigeria's freed Chibok girls were struggling with injuries and psychological trauma from their time in captivity under Boko Haram but unable to afford medical treatment.

Malaysian Health Ministry amended a video contest on how to “prevent” homosexuality, dropping a “gender identity disorder” category, after our story on the controversial competition.

Funding offers after our story 'Stateless Rohingya to get digital IDs with blockchain' - about a pilot project giving digital identity cards using blockchain technology to Rohingya who have fled Myanmar to help them access services like banking and education.

The improvement of working standards on palm oil plantations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after an exclusive Foundation story revealed that workers for a company backed by British and European aid money was paying its workers less than the minimum wage and their living conditions were dire.

$3 million offer of funding from the U.S. and Canadian governments for a Kenyan NGO after we reported on their school programme designed to teach boys that no means no and violence against women cannot be tolerated.

An offer of a university scholarship was made to a Nigerian teenager kidnapped by the Boko Haram and married to one of the militant commanders, who made her pregnant before she was rescued by the Nigerian army. Our story highlighted her wish to get an education and build a better life for her son.

Blood Mica: Deaths of child workers in India’s mica “ghost” mines covered up to keep industry alive - Our investigation into child deaths in India’s illegal mica mines prompted Volkswagen to suspend

ties with a number of suppliers of the mineral and sparked Jharkhand state to conduct raids, arrests, public awareness campaigns and steps to better regulate the mines.

Romanian Govt steps in to help village swallowed by a coal mine - Our story ‘Swallowed by a coalmine, the village that disappeared’, prompted a high level group of Romanian cabinet ministers to meet with campaigners from Greenpeace and Bankwatch to examine the fact of villagers of Runcurel who faced losing their homes to make way for the expansion of a coal mine. Ministers said they had not been aware of the situation until our report, picked up in full by several major publications including New York Times, shone a light on this.

Leading show companies vow to help homeworkers - Our story on homeworkers making shoes in Ambur, India - Women workers exploited in India's high end shoe industry, say campaigners - led to three international shoe brands coming forward to intervene and ensure better conditions for workers.

Awards

Our unique journalism has been recognised with some of the media world’s most prestigious awards.

SOPA - South Asia Correspondent Nita Bhalla won 2017 Journalist of the Year from SOPA with our mica investigation highly praised.

Newswomen’s Club of New York - Ellen Wulfhorst won “Beat reporting in the wires category” from Newswomen’s Club of New York in 2017 for her coverage of Louisiana coastal parishes hit by rising seas.

My Hero International Film Festival - Liz Mermin won first place in the Humanitarian Category in the 2017 My Hero International Film Festival for her documentary “No Exit: Jordan’s most vulnerable refugees”.

Mediterranean Journalist Awards - Umberto Bacchi won 2017 online media category of the Mediterranean Journalist Awards for a story about African migrants in Italy setting up an organic yoghurt company.

Impact AFRICA Award - Freelancer Moraa Obiria of Kenya won the 2017 Impact AFRICA award for her story on disabled mothers in Kenya

ILO Global Media Competition - Multimedia feature No country for Young Men - Senegal's villages deserted for dreams of Europe winner of the multimedia/videos category of the 2016 ILO’s Global Media Competition “Breaking Stereotypes on Labour Migration”.

Ron Kovic Peace Prize - Winner of 2016 Ron Kovic Peace Prize for film “Post-War Machismo: Be a Man”.

SOPA - Finalist in six 2016 SOPA (Society for Publishers in Asia) awards, winning top prize for Environmental Reporting and honourable mentions for covering Women’s Issues in India and Investigative Reporting in Myanmar.

United Nations Foundation Prize - Bronze Award in 2016 in United Nations Foundation Prize for print and broadcast media for coverage of humanitarian and development aspects of the UN and UN agencies.

Joint winner of the Gold medal for the 2015 United Nations Foundation Prize for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV & Radio) for coverage of humanitarian and development aspects of the U.N. and U.N. agencies.

Lorenzo Natali Media Prize - Winners of 2015 European Commission’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize 2015 for a feature on underage sex workers in Myanmar.

Asian Environmental Journalism Awards - 2015 SEC-Lee Foundation Excellence in Environmental Reporting by a Media Organisation for a series o f 10 climate change related stories from Asia

SOPA - Finalist in 2015 SOPA (Society for Publishers in Asia) Environmental Reporting Award for a series on water shortages in India

ACCER - 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes at the 2014 African Climate Change and Environment Reporting (ACCER) Awards for stories on Cameroon community radio tracking climate change, Zanzibar¹s warming seas challenging seaweed farmers, and Zimbabweans struggling with flooding.

Green Media Award - 2014 Green Media Award from the National Forum for Environment and Health for environmental coverage.

APO - 2014 APO (African Press Organisation) Media Award for story on cheap, green solar bottles lighting up Kenyan slum.

SOPA - 2013 SOPA Excellence in Human Rights Reporting Award for series on women¹s rights in India ranging from honour killings to prostitution to trafficked maids.

Asian Environmental Journalism Awards - 2013 SEC-Lee Foundation Excellence in Environmental Reporting by a Media Organisation for a series of 13 stories from Asia.

Webby Awards - 2012 AlertNet Climate official honoree in 16th annual Webby Awards in the Green category.

Women’s Refugee Commission - 2011 AlertNet awarded the “Voices of Courage” Award by the Women¹s Refugee Commission.

EPPY Award - 2011 AlertNet was awarded an EPPY Award for the "Best News Website" category.

EPPY Award - 2011 EPPY Award for “Best Overall Website Design” for its online platform trust.org.

Lovie Awards - 2011 AlertNet received a gold trophy for “Best News Site” at the Lovie Awards.

Emmy Award - 2010, “Surviving the Tsunami: Stories of Hope”, a multimedia documentary created for the fifth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, was nominated for an Emmy award, won a prize at the Best of Photojournalism Awards, and was a finalist in the 2010 Dart Awards for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma. It was also named Best Web Special Feature by Editor & Publisher.

Partnerships

Team up with us to highlight a key issue and raise awareness of some of the challenges facing the world’s vulnerable communities.

Three-year programme with Deutsche Bank to cover the growing number of social enterpreneurs globally using businesses to help people and the environment.

Two-year programme with the Rockefeller Foundation to cover resilience globally and curate the dedicated website Zilient.

Collaborating with Omidyar Network to raise awareness about the vital role of property rights in poverty alleviation. This initiative involves a team of 12 journalists, including two from Citiscope, producing unique stories for a global audience and the creation of PLACE, the first digital platform dedicated to land and property rights featuring news, expert opinion, and other resources.

A three-year initiative with C&A Foundation aimed at raising awareness of trafficking and forced labour in India and across South Asia through a team of dedicated journalists, a Hindi and Tamil translation service, and training for reporters from local newsrooms.

Involvement in a five-year programme, “Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED)”, backed by the British government and launched in 2014. BRACED responds to the most immediate impacts of climate change and aims to benefit an estimated 5 million people across Asia and Africa by sharing information and news on the BRACED website.

A three-year agreement with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to cover food security and hunger.