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 Oct 24
Why Cambodian orphanages house so many children whose parents are still aliveThe concept of orphanages has long been considered outdated in developed countries. In the developing world, however, these institutions still house hundreds of thousands of children. But the surprising reality is that the parents of most of these children are…
Agents for Change Oct 16
Traditional Native foods are the key ingredient in the Sioux Chef’s healthy cookingChef Sean Sherman, founder of the company The Sioux Chef, uses ingredients native to the Americas to draw attention to the long-forgotten Native culinary tradition. His research and cooking are also a way to push back against processed foods that…
World Sep 18
In Cambodia, sand mining is big business — but it comes at a priceSand mining accounts for 85 percent of all worldwide mineral extraction, a $70 billion industry. In Cambodia, the practice is big business -- but it comes with a price. The country relies upon the Mekong River for commerce and transportation,…
Agents for Change Sep 10
How giant African rats are helping uncover deadly land mines in CambodiaFrom Angola to the former Yugoslavia, land mines are a lethal legacy of wars over long ago. Cambodia is among the most affected countries, with millions of buried explosives that kill and maim people each year. Now, an organization is…
Science Aug 23
A scientific approach to evaluating global anti-poverty programsIn Ethiopia, over a quarter of the population survives on less than two dollars a day. International organizations and foreign governments provide funds to address the rampant poverty in this country and others, but little data is available to assess…
Health Aug 07
How the Cayman Islands could become a new health care destinationAs health care costs continue to rise, practitioners in India are working to lower prices -- and bring their innovations closer to American shores. Health City Cayman Islands is a new frontier for India’s largest for-profit hospital chain. Focused on…
World Jul 29
A chef cooks her way to connection across South Africa’s cultural divideThis year marks the 25th anniversary of democratic rule in South Africa. A new generation of black South Africans, who grew up free of the restrictions of apartheid, are now transforming the country’s cultural landscape -- beginning with its food.
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…