Two data journalism fellows participating in Media-K—SCS Global’s USAID-funded media strengthening project in the Kyrgyz Republic—have been recognized by the International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) for writing one of the most influential Russian language articles of 2018.

Kloop Media published the article, “Dependent country: Kyrgyzstan survives on outside money but does not know how to spend it,” by Savia Hasanova and Anna Kapushenko. The article has also been translated and published in English and German.

Using open data sources, the fellows came to the unfortunate conclusion that, while the country depends heavily on money transfers from labor migrants, relatives at home do not use the funds to generate further income. Dependence therefore continues over time.

Media-K, implemented at the field level by Internews, launched its Data Journalism Fellowship in 2017. Fellows receive training and mentorship to produce data-driven stories that demonstrate the importance of the genre to other media and the public.