17 Journalists Chosen for IJJ Fellowships

"Seventeen journalists have been selected for a fellowship program that will focus on the economic and educational challenges faced by children in immigrant families.

The Institute for Justice and Journalism will conduct its annual “Immigration in the Heartland” program at the University of Oklahoma April 21-24. The program will feature discussions with experts, database workshops and a reporting trip about children in immigrant families, who count for one in four of all U.S. youngsters. With immigration at the forefront of this year’s political debates, the conference will explore how policies have impacted families. As part of their fellowships, reporters will be working on projects that will be published by their news organizations.

The Heartland fellows, chosen from a competitive application process, are:

•  Kalyn Belsha, Beacon News/Sun-Times Media Group, Aurora, Ill.
•  Andrea Castillo, The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
• Chase Cook, Oklahoma Watch
• Serena Daniels, Detroit News
• Daysha Evans, KSKA Alaska Public Radio
• Ruxandra Guidi, KPCC Southern California Public Radio
• Jordana Gustafson, Oregon Public Broadcasting/Northwest News Network
• Mirela Iverac, WNYC Radio, New York
• Peggy Lowe, Harvest Public Media, Kansas City, Mo.
• Mary Beth Meehan, freelance photojournalist, Providence, R.I.
• Ray Parker, Salt Lake Tribune
• Samuel Vega, Hoy, a Spanish-language daily, Chicago
• Jeremy Adam Smith, San Francisco Public Press
• Zaidee Stavely, Radio Bilingue/Latino Community Radio Network, Oakland, Calif.
• Abbie Swanson, KBIA Radio/Harvest Public Media, Columbia, Mo.
• Eileen Truax, Huffington Post Voces, Los Angeles
• Jarrel Wade, Tulsa World

This is the fourth year that IJJ has organized an “Immigration in the Heartland” conference in partnership with OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and its Institute for Research and Training. IJJ, a nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif., seeks to strengthen journalism on social justice issues through fellowships, reporting workshops, direct support of in-depth stories and the development of digital resources for reporters.

The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation has funded all four Heartland programs. The 2013 program also is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States.

For more information, please contact IJJ Executive Director Phuong Ly, phuong@justicejournalism.org."