Audio

15 Minutes to Change the World – Care International

January 19, 2022

Our guest today is journalist Neha Wadekar, an independent multimedia journalist reporting across the globe. Neha’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, PBS NewsHour, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Mother Jones, CNN, TIME, and others. In this episode, we talk to Neha about under-reported stories in the media, why its so important to cast a wider net, and how we can all advocate for more diversity and inclusion in the stories we see and hear.

The Facebook Files – The Wall Street Journal (image)

The Facebook Files – The Wall Street Journal

September 18, 2021

Scores of Facebook documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show employees raising alarms about how its platforms are used in developing countries, where its user base is huge and expanding. Employees flagged that human traffickers in the Middle East used the site to lure women into abusive employment situations. They warned that armed groups in Ethiopia used the site to incite violence against ethnic minorities. They sent alerts to their bosses about organ selling, pornography and government action against political dissent, according to the documents. They also show the company’s response, which in many instances is inadequate or nothing at all. A Facebook spokesman said the company has deployed global teams, local partnerships and third-party fact checkers to keep users safe. 

‘The Stories Are Heartbreaking.’ What 1 Reporter Witnessed In Mozambique’s Violence – National Public Radio

March 13, 2021

For more than three years, northern Mozambique has been ravaged by violence and destruction, as a local Islamic insurgency has grown in intensity and brutality. More than 1,300 civilians have been killed, according to one estimate, and some 668,000 have been internally displaced — nearly half of whom are children. Journalists are not usually granted access to the area, but Neha Wadekar accompanied an aid group to Cabo Delgado in November and was able to speak to survivors of the brutal campaign. Wadekar spoke with host Scott Simon about the victims she met on her trip, the origins of the violence and the criticism that has been leveled against the government in Mozambique. Below are excerpts from the conversation, edited in parts for clarity and length.

Podcast Interview – Unconventional Dyad

December 31, 2020

I spoke with hosts Carli and Laura for their podcast, Unconventional Dyad, where psychology and psychoanalysis meets social justice, feminism, politics, climate change, critical theory, graduate student mental health, and the arts.

Child Marriage in Kenya – RTE Radio World Report

August 16, 2020

Start listening at 12:23 mins to hear my radio report for IRE Radio World Report with John Burke on the factors contributing to high rates of early child marriage in Kenya, including climate change and COVID19.

Kenya’s Teenage Pregnancy Crisis – RTE Radio World Report

July 19, 2020

Start listening at 14:47 mins to hear my radio report on factors contributing to high rates of teenage pregnancy in Kenya, including COVID19, insufficient funding for reproductive health organizations and lack of sex education in Kenyan schools.

Rafiki Film Ban – RTE Radio World Report

September 30, 2018

Start listening around 12 minutes to hear my RTE radio essay about what lifting the ban on the controversial film, Rafiki, means for LGBTQ rights and freedom of expression in Kenya.

Somalia Opens First Forensic Lab Dedicated to Rape Investigations – Voice of America (image)

Somalia Opens First Forensic Lab Dedicated to Rape Investigations – Voice of America

September 14, 2017

Somalia has opened its first forensic laboratory to process rape kits. Sexual assault is widespread in the country, according to human rights groups, but few victims come forward and few perpetrators are punished. The new forensic lab in Somalia’s Puntland region has been hailed as a step in the right direction, but a long road remains to end impunity for gender-based violence.

Kenyan Election Interview – talkRadio London (image)

Kenyan Election Interview – talkRadio London

August 9, 2017

My quick interview on talkRadio London about the 2017 Kenyan elections.

A Journalist’s Reporting Trip to Jordan – USC Anneberg

March 10, 2017

USC journalism student Neha Wadekar recently returned from a reporting trip to Jordan.  She tagged along with the group Atlantic Humanitarian Relief to document its work and the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in the country.  James McDaniels spoke with Wadekar about her experience.