Twenty journalists have been chosen from 15 states to participate in a weeklong institute as National Health Journalism Fellows as part of the USC Annenberg / California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships. This new track of the fellowship program is designed for professional journalists covering topics related to health and health care, and to explore the intersection between community health, health policy and the nation’s growing diversity.
- Ana Campos, KTVW 22 Univision, Phoenix
- Mary Agnes Carey, Congressional Quarterly
- Evelyn Coley, The Post and Courier , Charleston, S.C.
- Alejandro Dominguez, La Raza del Noroeste , Everett, Wash.
- Don Finley, San Antonio Express-News
- Anne Geggis, Daytona Beach News-Journal , Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Josh Goldstein, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Maria Huynh, BN Magazine (a Vietnamese-English publication), Sacramento, Calif.
- Jan Jarvis, Fort Worth Star Telegram , Fort Worth, Texas
- Nesita Kwan, WMAQ-TV (NBC), Chicago
- Piet Levy, The Post-Tribune , Merrillville, Ind.
- Shamane Mills, Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison, Wisc.
- Monica Navarro, KWEX Univision, San Antonio
- Kristi Nelson, Knoxville News Sentinel , Knoxville, Tenn.
- Kawanza Newson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Hiran Ratnayake, The Wilmington News-Journal , Wilmington, Del.
- Lisa Rosetta, Salt Lake City Tribune
- Sharon Salyer, The Herald , Everett, Wash.
- Leah Ward, Yakima Herald Republic , Yakima, Wash.
- Valentina Wilson, WLVA-TV (NBC), Baton Rouge, La.
The seminars, running from April 13-18, delve into health trends, policy innovations and the political context of health reform. “The fellowships encourage reporting on health status in relation to race, ethnicity, poverty and environment,” said Michelle Levander, director of the fellowship program. “Fellows emerge with a greater understanding of community health, health disparities, access to care and the nation’s frayed safety net.”
“In understanding how California has dealt with the health challenges that come with population change, we hope the fellows will gain insights to improve their reporting in their own communities,” said Michael Parks, director of USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. “Los Angeles is an international city that has become the proving ground for a multicultural society.”
The program is funded by a generous grant from The California Endowment, a statewide health foundation working to improve the health of California’s underserved communities. “Connecting the dots between looming and complex health policy issues back to how those issues are affecting communities on the ground is an incredible challenge. Journalists have a daunting but critical job to do to help communities and policy makers alike understand both the barriers to building healthy communities as well as potential solutions,” said Robert K. Ross, M.D., the Endowment’s president and CEO.
The program gives a $2,000 reporting stipend for major fellowship projects, with an emphasis on collaborative efforts between teams with backgrounds in mainstream and ethnic media. Two teams of fellows, one from western Washington state and the other from San Antonio, will undertake collaborative projects.
