Katerina Barushka is a Belarusian journalist with a particular interest in the issues of propaganda, totalitarian mass psychology, social justice and democratic transition. She has worked in the management of several Belarusian news outlets; written for the Guardian, Transitions Online, New Eastern Europe and Pismo magazine; prepared documentaries for the “People and Power” series at Al Jazeera English; and run several TV projects for the only independent Belarusian channel, Belsat TV. Having witnessed the failure of a democratic revolution in her home country and the disastrous repressions that followed, she hopes to gain new perspectives on how to overcome authoritarian legacies.

Hakob Karapetyan has been a journalist for 13 years. His experience covers online media and TV, and he has served as press secretary and head of the press service for Yerevan City Hall. Currently, he is the chief editor of Fip.am – the leading fact-checking platform in his country including investigative journalism. Hakob received a bachelor’s degree from Yerevan State University for international relations and diplomacy and is interested in politics, international relations, peacebuilding, municipal affairs, and urban issues. During his Humphrey year, he hopes to improve his investigative skills, learn to use different digital tools, documentary making, and develop team leading skills.

Nellija Locmele is an award-winning Latvian journalist and editor. She has worked as a political reporter, breaking stories on corruption at the highest levels of government. As editor-in-chief at the biggest Latvian newspaper publisher, DIENA, she was leading the team through turbulent times of global financial crisis and local oligarchs’ take-over. Standing up for independent journalism, she became a founder and editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine IR. As a Humphrey Fellow, she will seek new bold ideas and sustainable ways of reaching out to digital audiences, knowing first-hand that quality journalism is essential for a future of democracy in a post-truth world.

Regina is the Founder and Executive Producer of Open Conversation - an award-winning podcast production company specializing in original content in partnership with private enterprises, public radio stations, foundations and other entities. She mentors NPR Next Generation Radio and teach audio storytelling and podcasting at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Prior to founding Open Conversation in 2017, she was a producer at NPR's KJZZ in Phoenix, KNPR in Las Vegas and at HQ in Washington D.C. producing for Tell Me More and Weekend Edition. Before joining NPR, Regina worked as a monitoring journalist at BBC's Caucasus Unit in North Ossetia, Russia, and as a correspondent at Kavkazskiy Uzel, directly affiliated with Memorial International, one of the oldest and most respected human rights organizations in Russia.