Summary of Madison Activities
IRIS NRC hosted investigative journalist Jason Motlagh in Madison from April 7th to 10th, 2024. During his visit, Jason was interviewed by student journalist and Badger Herald managing editor Cat Carroll, met with Dr. Michael Cullinane of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and visited two journalism classes—Science and Environmental Journalism (taught by Kajsa Dalrymple) and Long Form Video (taught by Adam Schrager)—where he discussed his career and reporting approach. On Tuesday, Jason visited Madison East High School for a classroom session, met with International Division Vice Provost and Dean Frances Vavrus, and capped off the day with a public talk titled “Human Rights, Human Wrongs: Stories from the Frontlines”, highlighting his work in Haiti, Myanmar, and Afghanistan as part of IRIS NRC’s Global Dialogues series.
Jason’s Biography
Jason Motlagh is a journalist, photographer and filmmaker drawn to challenging, under-reported stories on the margins. A contributing editor at Rolling Stone, he was formerly Time magazine’s correspondent in Afghanistan, where he filed enterprise stories and video dispatches from around the country. He has traveled to more than 60 countries and covered conflicts in Latin America, Africa, the Mideast and Southeast Asia for National Geographic, Outside, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The Economist. As founder of Blackbeard Films, he produces, directs and hosts news documentaries for Al Jazeera English, National Geographic, Vice on Showtime and others. Motlagh’s feature documentary about the war in Afghanistan, Riders on the Storm, premiered in 2023 at SXSW festival. His recognitions include a National Magazine Award, Overseas Press Club Award, George Polk Award Sydney Schanberg Prize, Kurt Schork Award for international reporting, and an Emmy. He lives in Baja, Mexico, with his wife and two sons.
Interested in getting in touch? You can contact Jason here.