Used to be, future journalists could refine their craft at a small newspaper or radio or TV station, do good work, get noticed,  head to ever-bigger markets, and eventually find themselves reporting from outside U.S. borders.  For generations, this is how foreign correspondents got their start.

The need for good work hasn’t changed, but with U.S. newsrooms both big and small contracting, the venerated editor-reporter relationship is getting harder to find. For journalists aspiring to be global correspondents, it’s harder still.

Meanwhile, the need for unbiased, well-researched, responsibly reported global news and information has never been greater.

This points to the particular mission of Round Earth Media, a nonprofit media organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under veteran global journalist Mary Stucky, Round Earth finds important stories from remote regions of the world and reports those stories in some of the outstanding media outlets of our day, notably the popular radio programs “Marketplace” and “The World.”

In a time when news organizations increasingly rely on independent journalists for content, we are their foreign correspondents, their tight, fleet-footed foreign bureau that travels to the far corners searching out the unique angles and asking the unexpected questions.

Collaborating with Emerging Talent

As part of our commitment to the future of journalism, we work in partnership with early-career reporters and photographers.  For virtually every story, we identify a talented, independent-minded reporter living in the local culture to partner with and share a byline. The result of these collaborations is rich, balanced, knowledgeable reporting – and a rare learning experience for the next-generation global journalist. Meet one of our in-country journalist partners, Kenyan Sarah Ooko.

Our Media Outlets

A selected list of programs and news organizations that carry stories by Round Earth Media:

• “Marketplace” and “Marketplace Morning Report” (American Public Media). More than 8 million listeners per week.
• “The World” (Public Radio International). Brings international news to an American audience of 2 million listeners per week.
• “Studio 360” (PRI).  Weekly public show about art and culture, airs nationwide.
• “Living on Earth” (PRI). Weekly environmental news and information program that airs on 300 public radio stations, reaching 80 percent of the U.S. public radio market.
• “The Splendid Table” (APM). Culinary, culture and lifestyle program that airs on 200 stations nationwide and on satellite radio.
• “FRONTLINE/World” (Public Broadcasting Service). This television series, which focuses on the global community, has published our stories on its award-winning website.
• “World Vision Report.” Round Earth Media was a frequent contributor to this award-winning radio newsmagazine, which specialized in global issues and events affecting the world’s poor. The show had its last broadcast in May 2011, but our WVR stories are still accessible on the Round Earth Media website.
• GlobalPost
• “PBS NewsHour”

Round Earth Media Leadership

Round Earth Media was founded by veteran journalists Mary Stucky and Mary Losure. A former reporter at the NBC-TV affiliate in Minneapolis, and a long-time contributor to National Public Radio, Stucky shared in a 2006 Peabody Award for her reports on Hmong and Chinese immigrants in the documentary Crossing East: Our History, Our Stories, Our America.

We are pleased that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation acknowledged our work with a generous capacity-building grant to help us expand our board of directors.

Board of Directors: Mary Stucky | Bradley Lehrman | Ann Mond Johnson | Carla Baranauckas

Advisory Board: Nancy Sharkey | Marla J. Kinney | Andi McDaniel |  Naka Nathaniel | Mara Hvistendahl | Nancy H. Fushan | Magdalena Georgieva

Our Interns. If you’re interested in an internship with Round Earth, send us an email <info@roundEarthMedia.org> with your resume and career goals and we’ll get back to you if we think there’s a fit.

Our Photographers. Round Earth works with some of the world’s most acclaimed photographers and also with early-career photojournalists and photojournalism students.

Sustainable Global Journalism

As a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, Round Earth Media is supported by fees paid to us by our journalism outlets and by grants from foundations and contributions from individuals.  Round Earth is in the forefront of exploring new transformational models for sustainable global journalism, including innovative entrepreneurial and media collaborations. Round Earth’s model is emerging as a way to provide high-quality global reporting to a broad audience in the United States and in the countries where we are reporting.

Your individual contributions – of any size — make it possible for us to continue to receive support from important national foundations, which have included the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Please join us today!