Center for Health Journalism announces $24,000 in reporting grants for the 2024 California Health Equity Impact Fund
The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism is pleased to award $24,000 in reporting grants from its 2024 California Health Equity Impact Fund to support six journalists as they undertake ambitious reporting projects about important health concerns affecting Californians.
The 2024 Impact Fund class includes a diverse group of reporters from print, digital and broadcast outlets who will join us for a five-month program that includes one-on-one mentoring and peer learning. Their projects will tackle issues such as the health effects of extreme heat on the Central Coast, the health toll of gun deaths, nursing home safety, how rising utility costs affect public health, and the challenges to expanded Medicaid coverage among undocumented immigrants.
We look forward to the ambitious journalism being undertaken by these talented reporters. Thanks to the California Health Equity Impact Fund, and support from the California Wellness Foundation, accountability journalism will shed light on California’s progress in reducing health inequities and achieving a healthier state.
The California Health Equity Impact Fund program and awards are supported by a generous grant from The California Wellness Foundation.
“It seems like every few days we see hear of more newsroom budget cuts,” said David Littlefield, public affairs manager at California Wellness. “We’re pleased that our grants will help talented journalists sustain their reporting on health equity during such challenging times and deepen their skillsets with the assistance they will receive from The Center.”
The competitively-chosen Health Equity Impact Fund grantees will each receive a reporting grant and ongoing mentoring from veteran journalist Marla Cone, a deputy editor at CalMatters who has overseen both health and environmental reporters.
The Center also will provide engagement grants and mentoring by its California Engagement Editor, Cassandra Garibay, for select California Impact Fund grantees, thanks to generous support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation and The California Endowment.
The grantees are:
Robert Hansen, The Sacramento Observer
Peter Shurmann, Ethnic Media Services
Manuel Ortiz, Peninsula 360 Press
Beth Thornton, KCBX
Adia White, North State Public Media and California News Hub
Randall Yip, Asian American News