Medill National Security Reporting Project
Medill/GlobalPost investigation sheds new light on $3.2 billion U.S. mine clearance and victim assistance effort.
→ Visit the project site
→ Read more about the project
Medill/USA TODAY investigation of U.S. international food aid programs finds significant, entrenched problems
Read about the project.R.I.P. James Wright Foley, 1973-2014
#MedillRemembers James Foley, One Year Later
Remembering James Foley's life and legacy one year after his death at the hands of the Islamic State.
→ Continue to the story.
→ James Foley: A legacy that lives on (VIDEO)
Major TV networks sign onto freelancer safety compact
Read about the compact, which was signed by Medill NSJI Co-Director Ellen Shearer at Columbia University in September, here.McCormick Foundation renews grant for Medill National Security Journalism program
EVANSTON, Ill. — The Robert R. McCormick Foundation has renewed a $1 million grant to fund the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative at Northwestern University over the next two years.
The NSJ program provides journalists-in-training and working journalists with the knowledge and skills necessary to report accurately, completely and with context on events and issues related to defense, security and civil liberties. The initiative began in January, 2009 with an initial three-year, $1.3 million McCormick Foundation grant. The grant was also renewed for $1 million over two years in 2011.
Posts by David Charns
Just a piece of the puzzle
(Aug. 21, 2011)WASHINGTON–So we went into Afghanistan, looked for the bad guys, and helped the country build a new government. Sounds nice of us. But with our national debt sitting at more than $14 trillion, why is the United States using its own resources, and money, … Continue reading
The National Guard deploy overseas, too
(Jul. 27, 2011)WASHINGTON — The National Guard: The state militias that stay on American soil and help us out after natural disasters. Right? Kind of. According to the Department of Defense, 292,765 National Guardsmen have deployed overseas since the Sept. 11, 2001 … Continue reading
Covering the National Guard
(Jun. 06, 2011)When my professor randomly assigned me to report on the National Guard, I didn’t know what to expect. A lot of questions went through my head, including this big one: What did a governor mean when he said the National … Continue reading
Weather as a security threat
(Jun. 03, 2011)Weather. You may not consider it a threat, but with tornados and other kinds of severe weather killing an average of more than 60 Americans each year, you could equate it with an attack. But is climate change, what some … Continue reading
DHS wants more guardsman at U.S.-Mexico border
(May. 26, 2011)Don’t say “adios” just yet. Last August, President Barack Obama ordered more than 1,000 National Guard troops to patrol the United States’ southern border with Mexico. The president announced the deployment of troops to the border in May 2010. The … Continue reading
Sen. Brown to train in Afghanistan
(May. 22, 2011)Every active National guardsman must partake in a two-week training program each year. U.S. Senators are not exempted. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), a lieutenant colonel, said he’d like to conduct his annual training in Afghanistan. “As a Lieutenant Colonel in … Continue reading
National Guard 101
(May. 22, 2011)Could you define the National Guard? Here’s a Q-and-A to answer some initial questions. We often hear about governors deploying the National Guard during natural disasters, but what does that mean? Could you explain the National Guard to a friend … Continue reading
‘I was completely terrified, yet overwhelmed with excitement’
(May. 19, 2011)“Every war is the same. 90-percent boredom, 10-percent adrenaline rush. All the movies made are made from that 10-percent.” — Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Vorpahl Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Vorpahl of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd Brigade served overseas in Operation … Continue reading
Illinois’ 5th trained to respond to terrorist, natural events
(May. 09, 2011)The Illinois National Guard’s 5th Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear and High Explosive Response Force Package is just one of a handful of teams across the country certified to respond to manmade and natural disasters. The team received its CERFP certification in … Continue reading
“Always Ready, Always There.”
(Apr. 24, 2011)As we approach the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11, the importance of the National Guard only grows, not only because of terrorism, but also the threats Mother Earth brings to our country. Those threats aren’t just large hurricanes and tsunamis. … Continue reading
