1 Project. 100th Fellow. 1 Million Conversations.

Dear Supporters of Logan Nonfiction Program, 

For the past four years, the Logan Nonfiction Program has steadily stood for the independent journalism, deep investigation and brave filmmaking that have changedour world. In 2019 we supported the works of 43 nonfiction storytellers reporting from 20 different countries. Our fellows were at work on books, films and multimedia projects covering everything from the troubled teen industry in the U.S. to extrajudicial killings in Central America to the refugee crisis across the world. Seven alumni published books this year and one finished a documentary, which won an award at Sundance. We also deepened our commitment to serving as a nonfiction ecosystem builder in both our upstate community and the industry at large. Conversations about the impact of nonprofit journalism deepened on our campus and we hosted 12 public events in Rensselaerville, furthering dialogue right here in upstate New York. As we start a new decade, the Logan Nonfiction Program will continue to empower independent journalists, documentary filmmakers, podcasters and multimedia reporters to complete the nonfiction that matters most.

Impact:

Logan Nonfiction Fellows' work continues shine light on critical issues, resulting in tangible impact. Just a few examples include:

• Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, was forced to resign due in part to continued investigations by Matthew Caruana Galizia ('18) into his mother's assassination.
• The ACLU took immediate action after AP's publication of Victoria Mckenzie's ('19) series of investigations into sexual assaults of native women in Alaska.
• Documentary filmmaker Elena Horn ('17) addressed the United Nations about the important role media play in the representation of refugees.

Industry:

On April 11 and 12, 2019, 32 people representing 28 organizations gathered at the Carey Institute for Global Good to dig into the concept of media impact. "Evidence and Impact: Understanding the Impact of Nonprofit Journalism in a Post-Impact Industry" hosted by the Logan Nonfiction Program with support from Impact Architects LLC, was supported by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism. Together, we worked toward solidifying our shared understanding of impact and the role of media in our society and moved toward a framework for measuring the impact of media (particularly indicators and methods).

Accolades: 

• Sundance U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency Jacqueline Olive ('18), "Always in Season"
• Global Shining Light Award Patricia Evangelista ('18)
• Overseas Press Club Cornelius Ryan Award Rania Abouzeid ('15), "No Turning Back"
• New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award Shane Bauer ('17), "American Prison"
• Foreign Affairs Best Books of 2019 Nanjala Nyabola ('17), "Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics

Professional Development:

Throughout 2019, we offered a number of professional development opportunities for our fellows, including one-on-one workshops and group discussions. Mentors and speakers included:

• Mark Bowden, author
• Samanth Subramanian, author
• Margaret Brown, documentary filmmaker
• Sheri Fink, author
• Nick Capezzera, documentary filmmaker
• RafilKroll-Zaidi, editor
• Suzy Hansen, author & foreign correspondent
• Suzannah Lessard, author

 Community:

The Logan Nonfiction Program seeks to inform and enage the community; both locally and beyond; in conversation around the issues raised by its Fellows in their writing. To that end, the following events were held in 2019:

Book Releases, NYC

• Zach Vertin, in conversation with Glenn Raucher
• Lisette Poole

Carey On Tap

• The Future of Documentary Film with Youth FX
• "The Desert and the Sea" with Michael Scott Moore
• The Price of Fast Fashion with Dana Thomas

Alumni Screenings

• "Don't Tell Anyone (No Le Digas A Nadie)" by Mikaela Schwer

Longform & Lagers

• Discussion of Shane Bauer's "American Prison" paired with Ava DuVernay's film, "13th" 
• Discussion of Sheri Fink's "Five Days at Memorial" paired with Fisher Steven's "Before the Flood" 

Fireside Chats

• Suzannah Lessard
• Nick Capezzera
• Suzy Hansen
• No-No Boy

This important owrk would not be possible without the generosity of supporters like you.  We look forward to soon welcoming our Spring 2020 cohort to campus and sharing with you their narrative shifting and powerfully illuminating work. 

• Logan Nonfiction Program 2019 Annual Report (PDF)