Obinna Anyadike

Editor in Chief

IRIN

Obinna Anyadike is editor-in-chief of IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), the global news service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. IRIN delivers more than 200 reports and news articles a month “from the frontlines of humanitarian action” to more than three million online readers."IRIN covers parts of the world that are often ignored or misunderstood,” says Obi, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya. IRIN was established in 1995 in response to the gap in humanitarian reporting exposed by the Rwandan genocide. The reports serve as a primary source for news organizations such as Reuters, the BBC and CNN, Obi said. They also are used directly in humanitarian advocacy, planning, and policy development. Obi joined IRIN in 1997 after earning his master’s degree at the Kroc Institute. He oversees regional news desks in Johannesburg, Dakar, Nairobi, Dubai and Bangkok, along with a network of local correspondents who cover humanitarian news in nearly 70 countries. “Having a dense network of on-the-ground reporters enables us to provide news and analysis before, during, and after a crisis, ” he said. Obi’s responsibilities include oversight of traditional text and multimedia reporting, as well as mentoring young journalists. In 2010, IRIN’s film unit was honored at the 14th Annual Webby Awards, which are hailed as the leading international accolade for excellence on the Internet. “I still get excited every time we try something new with film, text and audio,” Obi says. Originally from Nigeria, Obi came to the Kroc Institute after working as the Africa editor for Inter Press Service, a global news agency based in Harare, Zimbabwe. “Most of my work as a journalist has focused on violent conflict,” he said. “Graduate school in peace studies at the Kroc Institute gave me a chance to step back, analyze and research the underlying causes of those conflicts.”