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
Agents for Change Jul 01
How to improve education and economic opportunity for black South AfricansIt’s been 25 years since the end of apartheid in South Africa, but parts of the brutal era’s legacy still linger. Ensuring that all South Africans receive an equal education, for example, remains an elusive challenge. Special correspondent Fred de…
Agents for Change May 31
How Uganda’s former child soldiers try to heal from the scars of warA community in Lamunu, Uganda, is struggling to return to normal after decades of violent conflict that displaced nearly 2 million people. The Lord’s Resistance Army, led by Joseph Kony, abducted 35,000 children and deployed them as soldiers in an…
Agents for Change May 16
How failing infrastructure and climate change leave many South Africans without waterIt's been 25 years since South Africa dismantled apartheid, and while political progress has occurred, the young democracy continues to face hurdles. In recent years, extreme drought pushed the country to the brink of disaster, and although rainfall finally mitigated…
World May 06
Why immigration is a focal issue in South African electionIn South Africa, voters will go to the polls Wednesday in an election that could present the strongest challenge to date for the ruling African National Congress. A recent wave of xenophobic attacks has put the issue of immigration front…
Agents for Change Apr 19
How a volunteer surgical team in Rwanda chooses which patients to saveRheumatic heart disease develops when strep throat goes untreated. It causes an estimated 275,000 premature deaths per year, mostly youth in developing countries like Rwanda, where antibiotics are rarely available. Surgery is the only treatment option for advanced cases. Special…
Health Apr 16
How drones are delivering lifesaving medical supplies in RwandaGetting medical supplies to where they are needed fast can mean the difference between life and death outcomes, but moving them efficiently across long distances to remote and rural areas can be difficult for traditional transportation. Special correspondent Fred de…
Science Mar 20
Can Uganda block Ebola’s spread from neighboring Congo?Eastern parts of Democratic Republic of Congo are suffering from the second-worst outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in history, with more than 500 dead so far. Neighboring Uganda is watching with concern as the crisis unfolds, wary of allowing…
Agents for Change Feb 21
Wisconsin nonprofit seeks to better connect U.S. farmers with their Mexican employeesMexicans who come to the U.S. seeking employment often leave their loved ones and culture behind. In Wisconsin, a nonprofit helps connect American farmers with their migrant employees through language and cultural education. Some of the farmers travel to Mexico…
Agents for Change Feb 06
How this Thai educational movement empowers rural studentsMore and more in Thailand, rural students learn in traditional classrooms, but with an emphasis on hands-on activities. The idea is to empower young villagers to bring economic development to their communities, as well as learn leadership, empathy and compassion.
Agents for Change Jan 23
In Thailand, tracking animal health to prevent outbreaks of human diseaseViruses like avian flu, Ebola and Marburg often fester in animals before moving into human populations. Animals in regions that are geographically remote present particular challenges for disease containment. But in Thailand, local residents are using technology, including digital scanning,…
