On today's episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, we explore the growing crisis of homelessness in America, where recent analysis reveals that 0.19% of the national population is experiencing homelessness—the highest rate since 2012. Despite frequent media coverage, many stories miss the human element, leaving the public without a full understanding of the issue.

Our guest, Vera Kolpakova, co-founder of IMANATION, Inc., shares her journey from corporate America to full-time social justice advocacy. Vera discusses how her organization amplifies the voices of the underserved through the performing arts, working to break down stereotypes and bridge the gap between communities. We’ll also discuss how journalists can better capture the personal stories behind the statistics to drive meaningful change.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor. Alan shared his own experiences with homelessness, sharing insights that helped him and Vera engage more intimately with this topic while offering advice and resources to journalists.

On our latest episode, we explore the intersection of art and representation with award-winning playwright Dave Osmundsen. As newsrooms shrink and arts journalism dwindles, marginalized communities, particularly those with autism, are often misrepresented or overlooked in mainstream media. Dave, a queer and autistic playwright, shares his journey in reshaping the narrative around neurodiversity and the importance of authentic representation. His acclaimed works, including Light Switch and More of a Heart, have been celebrated for their honest portrayal of queerness and neurodiversity. Dave discusses how media exposure is vital for artists and how journalists can approach stories with both compassion and a commitment to impactful storytelling. Join us for an insightful conversation on the challenges and triumphs of being a leader in the autism "constellation."

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor.

On today's episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, we delve into the world of writing and environmental advocacy with Cristen Hemingway Jaynes.

As Ernest Hemingway’s great-granddaughter, Cristen offers a unique perspective on her famous ancestor's legacy and her own journey as a writer. With an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck and a JD with an Ocean & Coastal Law Certificate from the University of Oregon, Cristen is an accomplished author and environmental journalist for Ecowatch. She passionately covers issues like wildlife corridors and rewilding, aiming to balance her great-grandfather’s complex legacy with her own advocacy for animal and environmental protection.

We’ll explore her insights on writing, her environmental work, and her current projects, including her novel about traveling across America and Europe. Tune in for a compelling discussion on literature, legacy, and the future of our planet.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor.

There's been a major breakthrough in the realm of digital trade. Over 80 WTO members have released a "stabilized text" for the Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce, marking a significant step in global trade rules.

On today's episode, Dr. Deborah Elms, the Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation, unpacks the importance of this agreement and its potential impact on the future of digital trade.

Prior to joining the Hinrich Foundation, Dr. Elms was the Executive Director and Founder of the Asian Trade Centre (ATC). She was also President of the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA) and the Board Director of the Asian Trade Centre Foundation (ATCF). Dr. Elms has extensive experience working with governments, international organizations, and businesses and is a leading trade policy expert in the region.

This interview with Dr. Elms was conducted by Alan Herrera, AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor.

This episode is produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

On our latest episode, AFPC-USA's Vice President, Bob Rowley speaks with Cameron Batten, Chief Communications Officer at Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Batten, who has a BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, knows a thing or two about how to communicate with members of the press. Having spearheaded communications for companies as diverse as American Express and Samsung, he offers significant insights into the relationships forged between companies and journalists. Here, he speaks about how his career trajectory and time abroad, particularly in Amsterdam, have influenced his perspective and relays key information about Volkswagen's future plans for electric vehicles and decarbonization.

In 2021, independent journalist Mikhail Rubin was forced to flee his home after police searched his apartment. This came after the Russian government labeled his media outlet, "Proekt," as an “undesirable organization,” a designation that allowed for the prosecution of anyone associated with it. While in exile, Rubin was offered a prestigious fellowship in the U.S., which required him to navigate the difficult process of obtaining a visa amid strained diplomatic relations between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. After his initial visa expired, his renewal application was unjustly denied. Though Rubin eventually managed to continue his fellowship in the U.S., his legal status remains uncertain once the program concludes.

Rubin shares his immigration struggles with fellow exiled Russian journalist Elizaveta Kirpanova, who also faced significant challenges in securing her legal status in the U.S. In 2022, Kirpanova fled Russia out of fear of prosecution for her anti-war stance and journalistic work and sought sanctuary at the U.S.-Mexico border. She was granted asylum the following year after going through a tough court trial. In 2024, both Kirpanova and Rubin received a Press Freedom Grant from AFPC-USA.

On the latest episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, AFPC-USA's Vice President, Bob Rowley, speaks with George Svigos, the Executive Director of Communications for Global Affairs for General Motors. Svigos is a "global thinker," Rowley notes, whose long career has gone through multiple iterations and taken him to multiple countries. Here, Svigos speaks at length about his work in communications roles at different points and how his experience as the child of Greek migrants shaped his perspective.

In February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine and since then economic sanctions imposed by the West have been trying to neutralize and put pressure on Moscow. There are also sanctions on oil exports but shipments have remained steady as new buyers have stepped in. In May, Russia's export revenues dropped by 6%, to lowest levels since January, due to voluntary production cuts of crude oil, according to recent research. To help us foreign journalists better understand those numbers, the global trading order, and international politics, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents interviewed Robert York, the Director for Regional Affairs at the Pacific Forum, responsible for editing Pacific Forum publications. Prior to joining the Pacific Forum, York worked as a production editor at The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. A PhD in Korean history at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, York is a regular commentator on inter-Korean and Indo-Pacific affairs, as a regular contributor to NK News, The South China Morning Post, The American Conservative, The Journal of American-East Asian Relations, and China Review International, as well as conducting numerous interviews in various media outlets. His research agenda at the Pacific Forum includes trade and its relationship with security, media analysis, countering disinformation, and human rights.

This interview was conducted by Patrícia Vasconcellos, the White House correspondent for the Brazilian network SBT.

This episode is produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

Our latest episode of The Foreign Press Podcast highlights recent achievements in press freedom, featuring our annual forum at the National Press Club and the awarding of 2024 Press Freedom Grants to exiled Russian journalists. We discuss our advocacy for journalists facing extreme danger, including those in Gaza and efforts to free captives like Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Tatar-Bashkir Service.

Join us as we explore these critical issues with AFPC-USA Vice President Bob Rowley, a seasoned former foreign correspondent who heads our press freedom advocacy efforts. This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who leads AFPC-USA's editorial operations.

Artificial intelligence systems are revolutionizing tasks traditionally requiring human intelligence. However, the deployment of these systems must be approached with interdisciplinary solutions to ensure they are used ethically and sensitively. To learn more about this topic, AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor Alan Herrera spoke with Raj Korpan, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY).

Professor Korpan directs the Trustworthy, Intelligent, and Explainable Robotics Lab, focusing on human-robot interaction (HRI), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. His recent work has delved into ethical considerations for language-capable robots and participatory design in robotics and AI. Additionally, he is a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in robotics and AI, co-founding Queer in Robotics and organizing workshops on DEI in HRI.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who leads AFPC-USA's editorial operations.