The Center for Health Journalism launches the 2026 Ethnic Media Collaborative

The USC Center for Health Journalism is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 Ethnic Media Collaborative, with a Feb. 2-4 symposium on the USC campus that brings together six California outlets serving Black, Latino, Korean, Indian and Native American audiences.

The Ethnic Media Collaborative’s “Healing California” program, now in its third year, is an initiative of the Center for Health Journalism. The Center partners with ethnic media across California over the course of the year to report on health equity, community well-being, and gaps in health care.

The collaborative is based on the belief that the state’s vibrant ethnic media is uniquely situated to chronicle the health circumstances of California communities, sharing perspectives historically overlooked or often ignored by traditional media. Participating outlets and journalists jointly choose health topics to explore over the course of a year, supported by a learning curriculum developed by the Center in response to the interests and priorities of participating outlets and their audiences. 

The initiative is made possible thanks to the generous support of Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, the California Health Care Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation.

We are delighted to welcome this talented group of journalists to the Ethnic Media Collaborative. These journalists fulfill an essential and urgent role – telling investigative, narrative and explanatory stories that chronicle the health of California communities of color at a time of unprecedented upheaval.

“I am honored and excited to join the Center and welcome these journalists in this pivotal moment when health disparities affect so many,“ said Katie Tandy, incoming collaborative editor at the Center. “These newsrooms will grant communities a vital voice in public discourse that too often excludes them, informing our understanding of health equity in California and beyond — where we are, how we got here, and where we’re going.”

“The way these journalists come together from different California communities, to help all of us understand and take action on health equity issues, is an inspiration,” said Jenna Lane, communications officer at Blue Shield of California Foundation. “We are proud to have helped launch this collaborative and confident that it will continue to have impact around the state.”

“At a time when deep cuts to our health care system are putting families and communities at real risk, bearing witness matters. Ethnic media play a critical role in documenting what these decisions mean in people’s daily lives — whose care is delayed, whose health is compromised, and whose voices are too often ignored,” said Mary Lou Fulton, Director of Communications at The California Wellness Foundation. “We’re proud to support the Ethnic Media Collaborative and the journalists helping California see the human impact behind the policy choices being made right now.”

“Ethnic media is essential to a state as diverse as California," said Eric Antebi, director of communications at the California Health Care Foundation. “Their reporters have deep roots in their communities and the trust of their audiences. That connection is vital for sharing health information that can make a real difference in people's lives.”

Under the umbrella of immigrant health, the February symposium will explore health equity and disparities, access to care, mental health and delayed care. The group also will brainstorm on new approaches to community engagement, finding sources, reporting with context and balance, and maximizing the impact of their work. Interactive story brainstorming sessions provide opportunities for shared learning and camaraderie among diverse reporters and set the stage for an ambitious year of reporting.

The newsrooms participating in the 2026 Ethnic Media Collaborative include the Bakersfield Observer, India Currents, La Opinión, News from Native California, Radio Bilingüe, and SBS International, serving Korean audiences in California, which is home to the largest Korean community outside of the country.

Participating outlets will spend a year collaborating with one another and the Center for Health Journalism, producing stories to drive meaningful change and broader policy and community awareness. 

The core reporting themes of the 2026 collaborative — selected by the six outlets — are immigrant health, justice systems and health, and mental health and mental health care. The Collaborative will explore challenges and promising interventions, and the ways that these storylines play out for each community. 

The Ethnic Media Collaborative is entering its third year. The 2025 and 2024 Ethnic Media Collaborative — consisting of outlets serving Black, Latino, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese audiences — produced a rich repository of stories that highlighted the health and health equity experiences of communities of color in California. 

To learn more, sign up for our quarterly Ethnic Media Collaborative newsletter and our Center weekly round-up newsletter that summarizes all our initiatives. Follow the conversation at #CAEthnicMedia.