Santa Clara Univ Appoints PBS’s Fred De Sam Lazaro, Journalist In Residence
India-West News Desk
SANTA CLARA, CA – Santa Clara University will become the new home of the Under-Told Stories Project, the documentary journalism initiative founded by veteran PBS NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro.
The move comes as de Sam Lazaro takes on a new role at the university as its inaugural Journalist in Residence. His three-year appointment begins September 1, and he will also join Santa Clara’s Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences as a professor of the practice.
The Under-Told Stories Project features documentary reports on some of the world’s pressing issues, along with educational materials and discussion questions for educators. Its digital archive contains more than 300 documentary reports and related resources.
De Sam Lazaro will work with Santa Clara faculty to bring material from the archive into the undergraduate curriculum. The project’s reporting is also featured on PBS NewsHour.
The appointment will give students opportunities to work directly with de Sam Lazaro through journalism and digital storytelling classes, workshops and the university’s journalism program. He will also collaborate with the Miller Center for Global Impact and involve students in reporting projects covering the process from research and pre-production through fieldwork and completion.
De Sam Lazaro has spent 40 years in journalism and has reported from more than 70 countries. His career includes multiple CINE Golden Eagle Awards, several Emmy nominations, a Peabody Award and three honorary doctorates. He has also been a Kaiser Media Fellow and a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan.
For de Sam Lazaro, the Under-Told Stories Project is closely tied to his own professional identity. He said its work seeks to increase awareness and understanding of human suffering and poverty, while focusing on solutions where possible.
He also said the project’s journalistic approach reflects Santa Clara’s Jesuit commitment to social justice and poverty alleviation, with an emphasis on stories that illuminate human dignity and advance the common good.
“I am thrilled to embed at Santa Clara, work directly with students, and bring under-reported stories to the forefront,” de Sam Lazaro said.
His work at the university will begin with a series of reports from Southern Africa. He is scheduled to cover stories in South Africa and Namibia involving global health and immigration.
Amna Nawaz, co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour, also welcomed the appointment, pointing to de Sam Lazaro’s long record of reporting from remote villages and communities that are often overlooked.
