China, Indonesia and other work
Schnellinger’s first work with journalists overseas was in China, in 1991-92, when she worked as a visiting editor at China Daily. Although the walls of censorship were high, the experience gave her insights into the difficulties faced by journalists in constrained environments.
It also put her on a new career path, and after her Knight Fellowship she joined a team to help Indonesian journalists cover their first democratic election in decades, in 1999.
Elections coverage became Schnellinger’s speciality, and she designed and managed projects in Afghanistan, Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Timor Leste. In addition to these projects, highlighted here on NearMedia’s website, Schnellinger also has trained journalists in Macedonia, Laos, and Iran (long-distance).