The Center for Health Journalism announces Domestic Violence Student Impact Reporting Fund inaugural grantees
The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism is pleased to announce the selection of five talented student journalists who will be participating in our inaugural Domestic Violence Student Impact Reporting Fund.
Domestic violence affects more than 10 million Americans each year — and in California, more than half of families have been touched by domestic violence. Yet it is often treated as a criminal or private matter rather than a public health epidemic. Journalism can play a critical role in bringing about change and greater awareness.
This new program will provide student journalists with a roadmap for reporting about domestic violence with nuance and sensitivity. Student grantees will receive professional mentoring during the 2026 academic year along with reporting grants and a regular curriculum and peer-learning to support ambitious explanatory and investigative reporting about domestic violence. One resource for the student journalists will be the “Journalist Playbook” created by Blue Shield of California Foundation in collaboration with journalists and survivors.
Topics the students will cover in their reporting include how domestic violence crisis centers are grappling with budget cuts, the ways in which domestic violence intersects with housing insecurity, resources available to women and child survivors of domestic violence, and policy reforms that could help ease this crisis.
This program initiative began with a virtual 2025 symposium on domestic violence that brought together leading journalism, public policy, community and research experts to speak on the topic to journalists who joined us from across the nation. The program is made possible thanks to the generous support of Blue Shield of California Foundation.
The Center is very inspired by the talented Annenberg student reporters who will be working with us over the coming months to produce ambitious stories grounded in trauma-informed approaches. We need more journalism that brings visibility to abuse going on behind closed doors — and that explores ways to remedy intergenerational harms.
“Journalists have an important role to play in changing the way people think, talk about, and work to prevent domestic violence,” said Jenna Lane, Communications Officer of Blue Shield of California Foundation. “We look forward to the perspectives and reporting projects that these talented students, and the survivors and policymakers in their stories, will bring into the public conversation.”
We are pleased to announce the Domestic Violence Student Impact Reporting Fund Grantees: