reporting

In remarks that are likely to stoke concerns through the corridors of CNN, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday he is looking forward to Paramount’s ownership of the network.

“The sooner David Ellison takes over that network the better,” Hegseth said during a morning briefing.

Hegseth’s invoking the name of the Paramount Skydance chief executive — whose company will take control of CNN once its deal to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery is finalized — amplified the fear many have that the cable news channel will seek to appease the Trump administration.

The typically combative Hegseth made the remarks after blasting CNN’s reporting on the U.S. military action in Iran. CNN said the Trump administration underestimated the impact its attack would have on the Strait of Hormuz, echoing the claims of other media outlets. Oil tankers have been unable to get through the passage due to attacks by Iranian drones, escalating gas prices as a result.

“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” Hegseth said. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report.”

Paramount declined to comment on the remarks by Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has a lot of experience in bashing the mainstream media. A CNN representative said the network stands by its reporting.

Trump has a friendship with Ellison’s father, Larry, and the two have reportedly discussed changes to CNN once Paramount takes ownership. But it’s the rare time such expectations have been offered up publicly by a top member of the administration.

Trump, who has long expressed disdain for CNN, expressed his preference for Paramount to prevail over Netfilx in its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery so that CNN would be in the hands of the Ellisons.

In his last public statement about CNN, David Ellison said he wants to be in the “truth business” and insisted there would be no corporate interference in the network’s coverage.

“CNN is an incredible brand with an incredible team, and we absolutely believe in the independence that needs to be maintained, obviously, for those incredible journalists, and we want to support that going forward,” Ellison told CNBC on March 5.

Paramount has been forced to battle the perception of that its news organizations will tilt to the right under its stewardship. One of David Ellison’s first moves after his company Skydance Media took over CBS was installing Bari Weiss as editor in chief of the network’s news division despite having no experience in TV news. Ellison acquired Weiss’s the Free Press, a centrist digital news site that often targets excesses of the political left and is staunchly pro-Israel.

The acquisition and the appointment of Weiss were seen as a way to help smooth the regulatory approval of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount last year. CBS News has been under intense scrutiny for signs that is shifting its coverage to please the administration.

A number of CBS News journalists unhappy over the division’s direction under Weiss have already departed. Scott MacFarlane, the Justice Department correspondent who announced his exit Monday, was said to be particularly unhappy over the network’s handling of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters who wanted to overturn the 2020 election results.

Anderson Cooper also passed on signing a new deal with “60 Minutes,” where he has been a correspondent since 2007. But with the merger, the CNN anchor will still be a part of the company.

Weiss’ has had some early missteps. The Jan. 6 story was among several highly criticized segments during the first week of “CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil.” She delayed a “60 Minutes” segment on the government’s use of an El Salvador prison to detain undocumented migrants for more reporting, only to have it air with minor changes. The delay prompted charges that Weiss was trying to placate the White House, which CBS denied.

Notwithstanding the controversy, some insiders contend there has
not been a significant shift in how CBS News is covering most stories.

The network was among the first to report that the severity of injuries to U.S. service members from an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait were far more serious than the government initially said.

CBS News is also moving ahead with the hiring of Jeremy Adler, once a top advisor to former congresswoman and outspoken Trump nemesis Liz Cheney, to handle communications for Weiss, according to people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Axios — citing unnamed sources — reported that White House officials are angry about Adler joining the network, as Cheney was vice chairman of the committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and one of the most conservative members of Congress during her time, supported Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris in the 2020 election.

Adler was Cheney’s deputy chief of staff and senior communications advisor from 2019 to 2023. He also served as a regional press secretary on now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign.

As part of its sixth-anniversary celebrations, HumAngle, Africa’s leading conflict and humanitarian crises reporting newsroom, held a training session on “ethical dilemmas in conflict reporting” on Tuesday, March 3, in Abuja, North Central Nigeria. 

The session, which brought together HumAngle editors and reporters, was led by award-winning journalist Sally Hayden and focused on the challenges and responsibilities of reporting from conflict zones. 

Founded in 2020, HumAngle has been at the forefront of covering insurgency and mass displacement, publishing investigations and exposés on state failure, human rights violations, climate vulnerability, abductions, disappearances, and systemic corruption.

According to Ahmad Salkida, Founder and CEO of HumAngle, the training is part of its bold agenda to transform the newsroom into a lasting knowledge institution.

“The initiative reflects our commitment to equipping journalists with skills that align with global standards, ensuring they are prepared to navigate the complexities of reporting in conflict-affected regions while maintaining professional integrity,” he said. 

Ahmad also revealed that over the last six years, HumAngle has consistently shifted the world’s gaze to underreported stories, fought for accountability, and demanded justice. “When we started HumAngle, we knew the road would be tough, but we also knew it was necessary. We set out to create a platform that would not only report the news but transform it into a tool for change,” he added. 

The CEO also highlighted plans to strengthen digital security and newsroom resilience by expanding the scope and quality of fellowships and investing in capacity-building initiatives. He added that a key part of this vision is establishing permanent institutional infrastructure, which he described as critical to sustaining HumAngle’s mission and impact in the long term.

“Going forward, our newsroom focus will be on scaling investigative capacity across the Sahel, expanding immersive and data-driven storytelling, and deepening transitional and reparative justice and reporting,” he noted.

Through interactive discussions, Sally unpacked the ethical grey zones that define conflict reporting: access negotiated under restrictive conditions, the burden of bearing witness, and the solitude of decision-making in volatile environments. Drawing on years of reporting from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Palestine, Nigeria, and beyond, she shared practical frameworks for risk assessment, personal safety, and editorial judgement.

“Sometimes, you face situations that no one has ever faced because you’re the only one in that specific place at that specific time, so sharing experiences helps other journalists who may be there some day,” she reflected. 

Drawing on her years of experience covering conflict-affected regions such as Iraq, Syria, and Sudan, among others, risk assessment and decision-making were also central to the discussions, equipping attendees with frameworks to evaluate personal and organisational safety in volatile contexts.

One such moment came in 2025, when she reported from a Syrian prison housing suspected Islamic State members. The access was conditional.

“We were told we could go to the prison as long as we followed certain rules. We could not ask how the prisoners were or about other things. Most importantly, we could not tell them about current events. We were told this was for security reasons.”

Sally and the attendees further discussed how ethical reporting in conflict zones demands constant negotiation between access, accuracy, and accountability.

Equally pressing was the psychological toll of the work. She spoke candidly about trauma, burnout, and the importance of self-awareness. In conflict reporting, she stressed, it does not merely document suffering; it absorbs it.

“When you’re constantly surrounded by insecurity, it can be helpful to find something to do rather than constantly be lost,” she advised, urging journalists to cultivate routines and boundaries that protect their mental health.

According to Saduwo Banyawa, HumAngle’s Adamawa and Taraba Correspondent, the conversation made her realise that “it is okay to feel stuck as a journalist at times and when one gets unnecessarily pressured or has their mental health strained, they should prioritise self-care.”

Over the years, HumAngle has prioritised the mental well-being of reporters and other team members through an Employee Assistance Programme, which offers confidential, one-on-one counselling sessions with our in-house licensed clinical psychologist.

Recently, the newsroom introduced an Anti-Burnout Work Policy that has embedded a three-month rest period into newsroom staff contracts while still providing full annual pay. 

“HumAngle’s reporters routinely work in and around conflict zones, camps for displaced people, and communities living with violence and trauma. This kind of journalism demands not just technical skill but emotional stamina and deep empathy, and the costs are often borne silently,” the CEO noted. 

Reflecting on the training, Sabiqah Bello, Multimedia Reporter, described it as both relevant and validating to the experiences of conflict reporters.

“It was particularly insightful because it came from a journalist with extensive, cross-regional experience covering conflict and war, and who has had to confront the realities of that work firsthand. It was especially valuable that we explored ethical dilemmas faced in conflict reporting,” she added. 

When Ahmad Salkida first conceived HumAngle in 2014, the idea was audacious: build a newsroom dedicated to conflict reporting at a time when Nigeria’s media space was shrinking, resources were scarce, and insecurity was widespread. It would take six more years before that vision materialised. In 2020, HumAngle formally launched. Today, as the organisation marks its sixth anniversary, Salkida describes the journey as a roller coaster.

“It takes you to a peak where you feel unstoppable,” he says of building HumAngle. “Then suddenly, you’re reminded of the realities: financial strain, political pressure, operational risks. It’s a constant test of resolve.”

Yet, even amid the highs and lows, Ahmad is certain of one thing: HumAngle has become more than a newsroom. It is a platform of purpose. “I’m glad that HumAngle has been a vehicle that has helped so many young people to discover themselves,” he said. 

HumAngle’s roots are deeply personal. On Sept. 6, 2016, Ahmad returned to Nigeria after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Army over allegations that he had withheld information about the whereabouts of the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram. Following interrogation, he was released by the Department of State Services without charge.

When he resettled in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, Ahmad began refining an idea that had been forming for years: a media platform dedicated to conflict, one that would amplify the voices of victims and survivors rather than merely echo official narratives. He envisioned a newsroom that would not only report on violence but also interrogate its causes, document its human cost, and advocate for a future in which the media could highlight pathways to peace—not just the spectacle of war.

HumAngle was born from that conviction.

Launching in 2020 meant confronting immediate adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economies and shuttered newsrooms worldwide. Independent journalism in Nigeria faced chronic underfunding, while security risks loomed over reporters covering insurgency, displacement, and corruption.

Still, HumAngle persisted. Three years later, the peacebuilding advocacy arm, HumAngle Foundation, was launched. What began as a small, mission-driven team evolved into a diverse newsroom of nearly 40 staff members, pushing the boundaries of how conflict is reported in Nigeria and across Africa. The organisation adopted an innovative approach, blending deep investigations with ground reporting, data journalism, GIS mapping, and even virtual reality documentaries.

From stories on insurgency and mass displacement to exposés on bureaucratic failure, climate vulnerability, abductions, disappearances, and systemic corruption, HumAngle carved a niche as a trusted source for underreported narratives.

“It was supposed to be a general interest publication, but considering my long and rough experience with the Nigerian security sector, the escalating insecurity across the country, and the media black hole surrounding various dimensions of the conflicts, it made more sense for it to be a niche platform,” according to Ahmad.

Behind the scenes, however, the burden was immense.

“Every morning, I walked into the HumAngle building, feeling the weight of a mission at odds with its environment—carrying not just the hopes of nearly 40 staff members, but also the invisible pressure to prove that public-interest journalism can exist in a society that has never been structured to sustain it,” he recently wrote.

Amidst the struggle, deep investigations, ground reporting, data stories, GIS maps, VR documentaries and stories of insurgency, displacement, bureaucracy, climate vulnerability, abductions, disappearances and corruption continue to emerge. 

Despite acknowledging that HumAngle is “far from achieving its target objectives,” Ahmad speaks with unmistakable gratitude. “I am proud of everything HumAngle has nurtured.” 

In Nov. 2025, Ahmad Salkida was selected for the 2026 Yale Peace Fellowship, alongside 13 other global peacebuilding leaders. “Being selected for this fellowship validates the work I am doing with HumAngle, and I look forward to gaining more insight to improve our processes after the fellowship,” he said. “Peace is achievable in our lifetime. And fellowships like this ensure that that belief is not only a feeling, but a destination that can be reached through small incremental steps.”

He maintains that the fellowship, along with several other recognitions the newsroom has received and the impact it has recorded, serves as fuel to do more.

Six years on, HumAngle stands not merely as a newsroom, but as proof that even in fragile environments, journalism can be courageous, innovative, and deeply human. 

As part of the sixth-anniversary activities, a book-reading conversation was held on Monday evening, March 2, with award-winning Irish journalist Sally Hayden. Her book, “My Fourth Time, We Drowned on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route”, explores the harrowing realities faced by refugees, weaving together shocking personal accounts with a broader investigation into systemic failures—highlighting NGO negligence, corruption within the UN, and the disturbing economics of modern slavery.

Sally, while commending HumAngle’s work in documenting the human cost of insecurity in the Sahel, emphasised the importance of independent journalism in the region and the use of appropriate, generally acceptable language when reporting on conflict and displacement.

“Journalists have the duty to question the languages they use, especially when describing people in the face of conflict, migration crisis or displacement. If I were to rewrite this book today, I would probably correct certain descriptive words or language,” she added. 

Every March 2, HumAngle Media marks its anniversary. This year, the award-winning newsroom turns six, a milestone for a publication that has dedicated itself to covering conflict, humanitarian crises, and development challenges across Africa.

This year’s anniversary is marked by reflection and knowledge-sharing activities. On Monday, award-winning Irish investigative journalist Sally Hayden attended HumAngle’s editorial meeting, where she met the newsroom team. During the session, she described herself as “a big follower of the work” and added, “I’m star-struck,” expressing admiration for the organisation’s impact and growth over the years.

Founded in March 2020 by Ahmad Salkida, HumAngle was born out of a determination to report on conflict and terrorism with nuance, depth, and humanity. Over the years, Ahmad’s work – and that of the newsroom he built – has shaped both local and global understanding of crises across Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

“HumAngle stands as one of the most consequential media institutions covering conflict, displacement, extremism, governance failures, and community resilience in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin,” he said. 

From the outset, the newsroom set itself apart by centring people rather than power. Its investigations and analyses prioritise lived experiences, while holding authorities accountable. Through solutions journalism, HumAngle not only documents harm but also explores pathways to peacebuilding and conflict resolution across the continent. 

A HumAngle investigation on the social media interactions fuelling the ethno-religious violence crisis in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, was recently shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to Peace Category of the 2025 Festisov Journalism Awards. 

For the editorial team, the past six years have been defined by innovation, resilience, impact, creativity, and challenge.

Mansir Muhammed, Senior Specialist in GIS, open-source intelligence, and emerging technology, describes the journey as deeply impactful. In 2023, he collaborated with HumAngle’s former investigations editor, Kunle Adebajo, on an investigation that uncovered mass graves in Nigeria’s North East.

“We had access to knowledgeable fixers who took our reporter close to these scenes. We then took pictures and collected supplementary information. We further probed the coordinates using open-source intelligence and geospatial tools, including satellite imagery and data, alongside contextual information,” Mansir wrote in a reporter’s diary. 

The investigation went on to win the Sigma Award for Outstanding Data Journalism in 2024, a recognition of the newsroom’s growing strength in digital and data-driven reporting.

“The award showcases the kind of work we have been doing with digital journalism and geographic information systems,” he said. He urged the public to look out for more innovations and impressive output from the newsroom. 

The Sigma Award is only one of several recognitions HumAngle investigations have received. Beyond accolades, however, the team points to something more important: measurable impact on communities whose stories might otherwise have gone unheard. 

Most recently, an investigation by Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu, the Managing Editor, won the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Media Africa Award. The story explored the life of Modu Bakura, a 30-year-old resident of Bama, northeastern Nigeria, whose house was robbed in 2022, his wife killed, and his source of livelihood taken away. 

In its citation, the jury reflected on the story’s lasting power:

“There are some stories, even great stories, that one reads and immediately forgets. And then there are the stories that stay with you, that you think about days, weeks or even months later. Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu’s fascinating and heartbreaking profile of Modu Baraka – a trader in northeastern Nigeria whose life was unravelled by a robbery – is in the latter category.”

For Ibrahim Adeyemi, Investigations Editor, HumAngle’s defining feature is its editorial culture.

“We don’t tell basic stories. We ask critical questions which make our work distinct,” he said, adding that the most interesting thing about working with HumAngle is that every reporter is encouraged to think like an investigative journalist: to dig deeper, question assumptions, and follow evidence wherever it leads.

That philosophy has culminated in the development of the HumAngle Investigations Handbook, a practical guide designed to support reporters in producing rigorous, groundbreaking work.

Innovation at HumAngle extends beyond investigations.

“I’m proud to say that HumAngle is six. It’s been really fun watching HumAngle grow,” said Damilola Lawal, Creative and Innovation Manager at HumAngle. Working across animation, multimedia, motion graphics, and virtual reality, she has helped shape the newsroom’s visual and immersive storytelling. She describes her work as exciting. 

Looking ahead, she plans to push those boundaries even further. “I’m going to be diving into immersive storytelling and also look at creative and impressive ways that we can apply virtual reality,” she noted. 

HumAngle’s sixth anniversary will be marked with a week-long programme of activities, including editorial sessions and workshops with Sally Hayden. The sessions are aimed at strengthening capacity, refining processes, and scaling impact. 

In the years ahead, HumAngle plans to expand its investigative and storytelling capacity, strengthen digital security and newsroom resilience, and broaden its fellowships and capacity-building initiatives. Ahmad said that HumAngle remains committed to documenting Africa’s most complex conflicts, not only with rigour and courage, but with empathy, accountability, and an unwavering belief in journalism’s power to serve the public good.

Feb. 25 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday promoted expanded financial rewards for whistleblowers who report stock price manipulation, saying payouts could reach tens or even hundreds of billions of won.

“Now, reporting stock manipulation can earn you tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of won in rewards,” Lee wrote on social media. “It is certainly easier than winning the lottery to change your life.”

Lee urged individuals to refrain from engaging in stock manipulation, warning that such conduct would lead to severe consequences. He added that even participants in manipulation schemes could receive reduced punishment and financial rewards if they come forward.

The president shared a post by Financial Services Commission Chair Lee Won-eun outlining plans to raise whistleblower rewards to as much as 30% of illicit gains recovered.

A day earlier at a Cabinet meeting, Lee made similar remarks about rewards for reporting collusion, telling Fair Trade Commission Chair Joo Byung-ki that generous payouts could serve as a deterrent.

The administration has said it aims to strengthen enforcement against unfair market practices by increasing incentives for insiders to report wrongdoing.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260225010007766