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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mariyah Espinoza

Phone: 702-355-9551

Email: mespinoza@fullerproject.org 

Washington DC — February 15, 2023 – The Fuller Project announced today that it has been named a Gold winner in News & Journalism for best Human & Civil Rights media project for the video, “Afghan Women’s Year-long Fight Against the Taliban” in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards.

Anthem Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Members include: Nicholas Thompson, CEO, The Atlantic, Christina Swarns, Executive Director, Innocence Project, Zarna Surti, Global Creative Director, Nike Purpose, Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party, Lindsay Stein, Chief Purpose Office, Tombras, Jennifer Lotito, President & Chief Operating Officer, (RED), Lisa Sherman, President & CEO, The Ad Council, Emily Barfoot, Global Brand Director Dove, Unilever, Trovon Williams, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, NAACP, Roma McCaig, Senior VP of Impact, Clif Bar, Michelle Egan, Chief Strategy Officer, NRDC, Dinah-Kareen Jean, Senior Manager, Social Innovation, Etsy, Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO, GLAAD, Jad Finck, Vice President of Innovation & Sustainability, Allbirds, Christopher Miller, Head of Global Activism Strategy, Ben & Jerry’s, Shayla Tait, Director of Philanthropy The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation.

A year after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and stripped women of their basic human rights, the women are still fighting – in the streets, in their homes, from jail, and on social media. Our video chronicled 365 days of protests as Afghan women pleaded with the world to help, and builds on our reporting series, “Ending America’s Forever War: What is next for Afghan women?” documenting what the end of America’s longest war on foreign soil has meant for the women who lived through it.

“Since launching this platform in June of 2021, we have seen that social change has emerged as a dominant force in mainstream culture.” said Anthem Awards Managing Director Jessica Lauretti. “The sheer number, breadth and overall quality of the entries shared with us in the 2nd Annual Awards is a testament to the strength of this growing movement and demonstrates an enduring commitment to the work that is both humbling and inspiring to see. From the war in Ukraine, to protests in Iran and the ongoing battle for equality here at home in the States, the call for change not only perseveres but is a growing global chorus.

Winners for the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards will be celebrated at the Winners Celebration on February 27 in NYC. Fans will be able to hear from social impact leaders and their hallmark speeches at www.anthemawards.com.

The Anthem Awards was launched in response to the prevalence social good has taken within the national conversation and cultural zeitgeist in recent years. The 2nd Annual competition received nearly 2,000 entries from 43 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities. A portion of program revenue will fund a new grant program supporting emerging individuals and organizations working to advance the causes recognized in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards.

The Fuller Project is the global newsroom dedicated to groundbreaking reporting that catalyzes positive change for women. 

Washington, DC, February 13, 2023 – The Fuller Project has appointed Foreign Policy editor in chief Ravi Agrawal, veteran TV producer Stacey Samuel, award-winning media executive David Payne and entrepreneur and data scientist Maria Liberman to its board of directors, effective immediately. They will each serve three year renewable terms and will work with the board committees to help steward The Fuller Project as it enters its eighth year. The new members were formally approved at The Fuller Project’s board meeting last week.

“Ravi, Stacey, David and Maria share our vision of a world where women have equal standing in society, spurred by groundbreaking reporting,” said Xanthe Scharff, co-Founder and CEO of The Fuller Project. “We are thrilled to welcome them to The Fuller Project and grateful for their expertise and partnership as we continue to grow and deepen our impact.”

In addition to his role as editor in chief of Foreign Policy, Ravi Agrawal hosts FP Live and is a frequent commentator on world affairs on TV and radio. Before joining FP in 2018, Agrawal worked at CNN for more than a decade in full-time roles spanning three continents, including as the network’s New Delhi bureau chief and correspondent. He has shared a Peabody Award and three Emmy nominations for his work as a TV producer, and his writing for FP was part of a series nominated for a 2020 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary. Agrawal is the author of India Connected: How the Smartphone Is Transforming the World’s Largest Democracy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was named an Asia21 Fellow by the Asia Society. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Stacey Samuel is an award-winning journalist, with more than 20 years of experience covering stories that span the globe and is now the founder of her own media company. She leverages her network media experience to work with outstanding storytellers, news and media outlets to elevate their stories and projects to have greater impact and wide audience reach. She is a fellow with the East-West Center as well as the German-American journalism exchange program: Radio In the American Sector (RIAS). Stacey’s focus has broadened into telling stories through a global lens. Stacey most recently served as the Executive Producer of Al Jazeera English’s flagship news and current affairs podcast, The Take, which was recognized with several award wins, including the Online News Association’s Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling. Prior to this post, she was supervising editor for National Public Radio (NPR), where each day her job was crafting the news that shaped our national discourse and highlighted the human condition.

David Payne is currently a Fellow at Stanford’s Distinguished Career Institute in Palo Alto. Originally trained as an attorney and serving as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., David spent 15 years at Turner Broadcasting where he was general counsel of Turner’s sports teams and, subsequently, led CNN Digital as SVP/General Manager. David later served as Chief Digital Officer of Fortune 500 company Gannett. David’s multi-decade media career has included responsibilities for general management, editorial, strategy, product, design, technology, business development and sales. Currently, David is also the writer and producer of the award-winning investigative podcast series, Somebody Somewhere, which was recognized as a Spotify Editor’s Choice and has over 4M downloads to date. In his “spare” time, David represents pro bono clients seeking post-conviction relief for their sentences in California’s Superior Courts. 

Maria Liberman is a Los Angeles-based futurist, entrepreneur, investor, and a mom of two. She is CEO of Humanism Co, the first pioneering VC firm that offers equity investments into an individuals’ future financial output. Following this model, she co-launched Libermans Co., a holding company for everything of value that she and her siblings produce over the next 30 years. Liberman is also the Chief Business Officer for Product Science, a service that maximizes mobile applications performance. She recently led the company through a Series A funding round that resulted in a USD 18mln raise. She also co-founded Frank Money Inc., a platform of radical financial transparency and launched a million dollar initiative with social non-profit Hack Club. In 2016, Snap, the company that owns Snapchat, acquired the company that Liberman and her sibling partners founded, Kernel AR, because of their dominance in technology innovation and digital avatars in Augmented Reality. Liberman’s contributions at Snap are credited with reaccelerating growth and success of the company after a massive devaluation that occurred as a result of mobile performance issues.

Current members of the board who will continue in their roles include: Sarah O’Hagan, Deneen Howell, Gina Maya, Jodi Rudoren, Mary G. Berner, Ritu Sharma, Robert “Rosey” Rosenthal, and Tim Isgitt.

About The Fuller Project

The Fuller Project is the global newsroom dedicated to groundbreaking reporting that catalyzes positive change for women. ​​We report exclusive stories centered on women that otherwise would not be told. Our long-standing focus on women, especially those facing racial or other forms of bias, leads to journalism that by challenging conventional thinking inspires action. Since we launched in 2015, our reporting has influenced new legislation, helped end life-threatening practices, and led to large scale releases of public data. www.fullerproject.org 

For media inquiries please contact Kim Abbott 202-441-4404 or Mariyah Espinoza 702-355-9551

CEO Xanthe Scharff’s OpEd on women missing on the frontlines of coverage in Ukraine was cited in George W. Bush Insitute Report, “Women’s Advancement: Why authoritarians target women and how we can help.”

Louise Donovan was featured on FUBAR Radio’s podcast to discuss her reporting on the issues around the treatment of women in Qatar.

The Fuller Project was featured as a case study for its partnership with Nation Media Group in a new report, “From Outrage to Opportunity: How to Include the Missing Perspectives of Women of All Colors in News Leadership and Coverage.

Louise Donovan was featured on the Guardian’s Daily Football podcast to discuss her reporting on female migrant workers at Qatar’s hotels alleging harassment and abuse ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

CEO Xanthe Scharff was featured on Madam Policy podcast to discuss topics ranging from the importance of uplifting women’s voices in journalism to how the power of journalism can make an impact around the world. 

Disha Shetty was featured on BBC World Service radio’s morning Newsday broadcast to discuss the impacts of climate change on women in South Asia ahead of COP 27.

Jezebel’s cover story in their newsletter mentioned Erica Hensley’s Twitter thread on providers testifying against Georgia’s six-week abortion ban.

Washington, DC, September 26, 2022 – A new independent report about an innovative partnership between Nation, the leading newspaper in East Africa, and The Fuller Project, the global newsroom dedicated to groundbreaking reporting that catalyzes positive change for women, found the newsrooms’ unique model of co-reported and cross-published stories has sparked positive change in women’s lives, elevated women’s voices, created more gender balanced readership, and could serve as a model for future global collaborations.

How Africa’s First Gender Desk Succeeded (and lessons for future initiatives) elucidates the cultural and news media context in Kenya, the partnership’s successes and challenges, and recommendations for the future of this or similar collaborations. The report was authored by Luba Kassova and Richard Addy of the international audience and strategy consultancy AKAS. Kassova is also the author of Missing Perspectives of Women in the News and The Missing Perspectives of Women in Covid-19 News, landmark studies about women’s representation along the news value chain.

In 2019, and with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nation launched a Gender Desk dedicated to reporting stories about women that would inform, inspire, and lift up profiles of women leaders. A Fuller Project reporter embedded with the Gender Desk team, working inside the Nairobi-based newsroom, and reporting side by side with a number of reporters on the desk. The partnership leveraged Nation’s rooted understanding of issues in Kenya and The Fuller Project’s expertise in groundbreaking reporting about women to offer a global perspective to their readers, and investigative reporting that would spur lawmakers to make better policies for women. The resulting co-reported stories have been published in Nation and in global legacy news outlets, including The Guardian, TIME, Foreign Policy, and elsewhere.

“This collaboration with The Fuller Project has been one of a kind for me; my team and I have grown
tremendously,” says Dorcas Muga-Odumbe, Nation Gender Desk Editor. “Through this common cause,
we have changed the lives of many women, told thousands of their stories from a local, regional and
global lens; and realised that women’s issues, worldwide, are similar. Lessons we have learned are more
than we would have on our own – they are immense. I take pride knowing that I am part of a journey that
changed the lives of many women, one story at a time, not just in Kenya, but globally. I take pride in
leading an enthusiastic team that has not only attracted local policymakers’ attention, but also within the
region and beyond. I am proud to be associated with The Fuller Project whose ground-breaking reporting
is one of a kind.”

AKAS conducted a rigorous assessment of the performance of the Gender Desk, including evaluating
nearly 1,000 articles published over two years. Their methodology was anchored in 17 research tools
across the news value chain, capturing insights about organizational resources, newsgathering, outputs,
news consumption, individual impacts, influencer impacts, and decision maker impacts.

“The stories born out of the partnership have led to the enhancement of the lives of thousands of women:
some have been sheltered, others protected from unsafe abortions, or given loans to make an independent living. All this and much more has been a direct result of the joint high-quality journalism produced,” the
report states.

Using a sample of stories, AKAS found that the Gender Desk’s reporting represented women far more
robustly than prior coverage in Kenya, according to baselines they established in their previous portrayal
analysis:

• 94% of all experts sourced in Gender Desk articles were women, compared to a baseline of 14%
• 78% of the protagonists in Gender Desk stories were women compared to 31%
• 67% of spokespeople sourced in articles were women, compared to 0%

“The perspectives of women have been amplified through the Gender Desk stories in every element of the
news value chain. Half of the reporters telling stories about women are female … Gender Desk stories
often use angles that support women-centric policymaking through, for example, structural inequalities,
human-interest and solidarity frames,” the report detailed.

The report also offers lessons learned from the partnership as well as a series of recommendations that
could apply to any newsroom launching a Gender Desk or engaged in partnerships between countries
such as Kenya and the United States. Among them, providing ongoing gender sensitivity training,
prioritizing face-to-face collaboration, systematically collecting impact indicators and prioritizing deep
investigations over a high volume of stories.

Nation and The Fuller Project’s partnership stemmed from our shared commitment to reporting
women’s stories in the region.” says Dr. Xanthe Scharff, co-founder and CEO of The Fuller Project.
“From nearly 20 years of working with partners in Africa, I know the threats that women face when they
stand up for women and girls. Women leaders do the work that changes the course of nations, yet
newsrooms rarely take that work seriously. Nation and The Fuller Project aim to change that. And with
this case study, we hope to support other newsrooms to do the same.”

The full report can be found here.

AKAS Co-Founder Luba Kassova, Nation Gender Desk Editor Dorcas Muga-Odumbe, and Fuller Project Co-founder and CEO Xanthe Scharff are available for interview.

Contact: Mariyah Espinoza 702-355-9551

Yahoo News mentioned The Fuller Project’s abortion map that shows a state-by-state comparison of major abortion laws in the U.S. 

The European Sting newsletter mentioned The Fuller Project’s reporting on climate change in the Sundarban and its unlikely effect on child trafficking and how it won a Lorenzo Natali Media Prize. 

Disha Shetty was featured in The Spin, The Guardian’s weekly newsletter, discussing the need for more conversations around climate change as it increasingly affects sports players.  

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle mentioned The Fuller Project’s reporting on how a state fund designed to financially support victims of violent crimes in New York has distributed money to only a small fraction of those eligible.

Gothamist’s Early Edition newsletter mentioned The Fuller Project’s reporting on how a state fund designed to financially support victims of violent crimes in New York has distributed money to only a small fraction of those eligible. 

Erica Hensley was featured in an interview on the RAJA Foundation’s site, discussing the current legislation on abortion access in the United States and what would happen if Roe V. Wade gets overturned.

Fortune’s Broadsheet newsletter mentioned The Fuller Project’s reporting on how pregnant Ukrainian refugees are struggling to get abortion care.

Katie Couric Media’s Wake Up Call newsletter mentioned The Fuller Project’s reporting on how pregnant Ukrainian refugees are struggling to get abortion care.


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