Graphic with a lesson summary, reading: Connect your students with this recorded presentation from a professional journalist. Molly Knight Raskin discusses the sudden withdrawal of U.S. foreign aid from several African countries, its impacts, and how she investigated this story.

Other December 3, 2025

Virtual Journalist Visit on Demand: 'The End of USAID' With Molly Knight Raskin

State:

Ghana Kenya Mali

Grades:

Elementary Middle school High school
Author:
SECTIONS


The Pulitzer Center Education team connects students directly with journalists reporting on the issues shaping our world through our virtual journalist visit program. Through virtual journalist visits on demand, we are excited to open this opportunity to everyone, making it possible for educators and students to connect with journalists on their schedule, at their own pace, at no cost. On this page, you'll find how to access the video recording, activities and discussion prompts that prepare students to engage with the video, and a place for students to share their takeaways, opinions, and questions with one another after they watch.

In 2025, only 20% of surveyed students who participated in our live virtual visits had met a journalist before. Engaging with journalists has the power to deepen students' knowledge about global issues, strengthen their empathy, and sharpen their critical thinking and media literacy skills. After hearing from a Pulitzer Center-supported journalist, 86% of students agreed that the story presented was important, and more people should hear about it. We also saw a 30% increase in the number of students reporting that they understand the steps a journalist takes to put together a news story after their visits. Here's what teachers have to say about the program:

The conversation was powerful and as many students commented 'down to earth' to the point that they felt like journalism and media was no longer this disconnected entity that impacts their lives but something they can be a part of if they wish or at the very least, find ways to engage with it on a critical level.

Elementary school teacher

The opportunity to hear about these stories and take a deeper dive is so enriching for students. It fosters empathy and gets students to look critically and more deeply at a specific topic. My students always enjoy learning from the Pulitzer journalists. It is something I look forward to each year!

High school teacher

About the Resource: Introducing Your Guest Speaker on Demand

Meet Molly Knight Raskin! Knight Raskin is a freelance journalist who writes and produces for television, documentary films, and newspapers. Her producing credits include reports for PBS NewsHour and the investigative documentary program FRONTLINE. Her documentary film credits include series for Netflix, National Geographic, and A&E.

In this virtual journalist visit on demand, Molly Knight Raskin dives deep into her Pulitzer Center-supported reporting project, Cuts and Consequences: The End of USAID, which aired on PBS NewsHour. The project documents the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the agency responsible for distributing more than $40 billion a year to over 100 countries globally. She also explains how she reported this story on the ground in several countries on the African continent, and illuminates her job as a freelancer journalist. Finally, Knight Raskin answers some of the questions students most frequently ask during virtual visits through a Q&A with Pulitzer Center Education team member Jessica Mims.

After watching Knight Raskin's presentation, students will be able to...

  • Define foreign aid, USAID, and international development
  • Explain the goals of foreign aid and how countries can benefit, both as providers and recipients
  • Identify several impacts of the decision to shut down USAID and suddenly withdraw large portions of foreign aid
  • Understand the steps a journalist takes to put a news story together
  • Describe what a freelance journalist and an underreported news story is

Video length: 52:16

Appropriate audiences: Grades 4-12 (younger learners may require more introduction to the concept of foreign aid and comprehension check pauses during the video)

How to Access this Resource

To access the video, please fill out this short form. You will receive an automated response with a link to view or download the video, and links to three short surveys.

To help the Pulitzer Center continue making opportunities to learn about journalism and global issues accessible to students for free, we require all those sharing this video with others to complete the three surveys: one pre-video survey for students, one post-video survey for students, and one post-video survey for educators.

This resource is designed for K-12 students and educators, but may be accessed by other audiences. If you have questions about accessing the video or its appropriateness for your audience, please email [email protected].

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