About Fred
Fred de Sam Lazaro is director of the Under-Told Stories Project at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, a program that combines international journalism and teaching. He has served with the PBS NewsHour since 1985 and is a regular contributor and substitute anchor for PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.
He also has directed films from India and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the documentary series Wide Angle. Fred has reported from more than 60 countries: from Haiti to sub-Saharan Africa to south Asia. He has focused on stories that are under-reported in the mainstream U.S. media. In addition to regularly covering AIDS, public health concerns, development issues and social entrepreneurship, he led the first American crew to report on the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.
Fred is the recipient of two honorary doctorates, numerous journalism awards and media fellowships from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Michigan. He serves on the board of Minnpost and was a trustee at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, his alma mater. He also has served on the boards of the Asian American Journalists Association and the Children's Law Center of Minnesota.
Fred’s Recent Stories
Health Aug 31
This dissolvable pacemaker could make heart surgery less invasiveMillions of Americans spend weeks recovering from heart surgery and other operations to repair brain and bone injuries every year. As special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Chicago, researchers are working on a novel approach to aid in…
Nation Aug 13
How the Twin Cities is trying to close the racial gap in home ownershipThe Twin Cities is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas of the country. Its longstanding racial disparities in home ownership are also among the worst. Just 25 percent of Black residents in Minneapolis and St. Paul own their homes,…
Agents for Change Aug 11
Minnesota students come together to bring water to schools in the developing worldDrinking water and restrooms are readily available to most school children in America. That is not the case across the developing world. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on schools coming together around water as part of his series,…
Nation Jun 25
What Chauvin’s 22.5 year sentence could mean for changing police behaviorMore than a year after George Floyd's murder set off national protests and a racial reckoning, former police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison by a Minnesota judge Friday. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro begins…
Nation May 26
Could a land bridge project help minority communities recover from displacement?President Joe Biden has proposed using some of the $2 trillion of his infrastructure plan to repair harm done to America's minority communities when highways were originally built through them. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro has the story of…
Nation May 25
Examining efforts toward police reform in Minneapolis amid crime spikeVoters in Minneapolis will be asked to approve a measure in November that could dismantle the police department, which is also the subject of an investigation by the Justice Department, and fold it into a department of public safety. But…
Nation May 21
How George Floyd’s image became an icon for artists and helped communities mournNext week marks the anniversary of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis. His death at the hands of police touched off global protests and a worldwide artistic response. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Minneapolis for our series, "Race…
Nation May 19
How colorism haunts dark-skinned immigrant communitiesThe death of George Floyd last year has shone a spotlight on what it means to be Black, and especially, to be dark-skinned in America. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro has our report from Minnesota, home to a growing…
Arts May 13
The artist behind a George Floyd mural reflects on how it became a ‘ubiquitous icon’Peyton Scott Russell's black-and-white mural of George Floyd's face became an iconic image amid the protests against racial injustice. The artist talks about how the large artwork came together and his mixed feelings about the global attention the mural received.
World May 06
Indian doctors in the US have deep ties to India. Here’s how they’re helping from afarAs India suffers through a devastating surge in COVID-19 infections, the 4.2 million members of the Indian diaspora in the U.S. are stricken with panic, pain and grief. Many are volunteering to help. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports…