The next generation of journalists takes up the call.
Journalists are on the frontlines of democracy, holding power to account and reporting stories that bring truth to light.
Our mission to prepare the next generation of storytellers and fact-finders — and to bring diverse voices to the field — is now more essential than ever.
With Dean Geeta Anand’s vision and the support of Acting Dean Elena Conis, we’ve had a year of success and enterprise.
We’re collaborating across campus with UC Berkeley’s experts, in the pursuit of excellent journalism.
Our students and faculty are producing award-winning work.
We’ve more than doubled the amount of financial aid awarded to students.
And we’re hosting the largest publicly-funded local news initiative in the country.
Please find here some of UC Berkeley Journalism’s 2024 highlights — work made possible by you, our community of alumni, donors, colleagues and friends.
Class of 2024
Why wait? Student work makes waves now.
Excellent teaching and mentorship by UC Berkeley Journalism faculty has enabled our students and recent graduates to publish stories in leading publications and win awards this year. A few highlights:
Audio stories hit national airwaves
A story about a novel way to harness the Latino vote by student Aisha Wallace-Palomares (‘25) and one about eating disorders and rock climbing by Laura Isaza (‘24) aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” A piece about the nation's oldest drag king by Celeste Hamilton Dennis (‘24) aired on Code Switch. Professors Shereen Marisol Meraji and Queena Kim supported the pieces from conception.
Investigative story wins Polk
A story by recent graduate Brian Howey (‘22) about deceptive police practices, which was developed in Professor David Barstow’s investigative seminar, won a Polk Award and is a finalist for a duPont-Columbia Award.
Professor David Barstow and Brian Howey (’22).
Professor David Barstow and Brian Howey (’22).
Overstreet screens at Sundance
The short doc “To Be Invisible,” Myah Overstreet’s (‘23) thesis film, produced with support from Professor Jennifer Redfearn and Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff, screened at the Sundance Film Festival. The New Yorker Documentary showcased Overstreet's film in Black Mothers Fighting to Get Their Kids Back, in ‘To Be Invisible.’
Students report on the vote
Students published dozens of election stories in local, statewide and national publications, with support from Professor Lisa Armstrong, Local News Editor Christine Schiavo and Lecturers Nick Romeo, Sarah Ravani, David Thigpen, Scott Kraft and Jessica Garrison.
A faculty of extraordinary working journalists.
Even as they teach, our faculty are publishing and receiving recognition in the field.
Jennifer LaFleur was the Center for Public Integrity editor on 40 Acres and a Lie, a collaboration with Reveal and Mother Jones, which used genealogy research and machine learning to identify more than 1200 formerly enslaved people who received land only to have it taken back a year and a half later. The story was named a finalist for a duPont-Columbia Award.
Shereen Marisol Meraji launched a podcast and audio book called “How I Get it Done” that features women like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Angie’s List cofounder Angie Hicks and chef and author of “Salt Fat Acid Heat” Samin Nosrat.
Bill Drummond won the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California chapter's Career Achievement Award in print journalism, in part for his pioneering prison reporting work at San Quentin and for bringing Berkeley students into an experience some have called “life changing.”
Ken Light photographed both the Republican and Democratic conventions this year — more than 50 years after he shot the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami Beach. A retrospective of Light’s photos taken between 1969–1995 exhibited at the Bronx Documentary Center.
Ken Light with his students.
Ken Light with his students.
Mark Danner wrote for the New York Review of Books about Getting Out the Fear Vote and Edward Wasserman wrote an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle about the media’s failure to report on President Joe Biden’s decline.
Elena Conis wrote in TIME magazine: The Public Health Community Needs to Tell the Whole Truth About the History of Measles.
Bernice Yeung's “A Baby Adopted, A Family Divided,” an audio documentary for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, with former IRP Fellow Andrew Becker (’05), looks at what happened when a wealthy Utah politician goes to the Northern Cheyenne reservation to adopt a child.
Andrés Cediel (’04) co-produced “Voces: Latino Vote 2024,” which aired on PBS nationwide.
IRP’s investigations make (front page) headlines.
Our Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) has continued to make the school stand out globally since its founding in 2006 — offering cutting-edge courses in open source and visual investigations, enabling students to publish award-winning investigations in leading publications and ensuring intensive mentorship from extraordinary faculty and staff.
Four-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Barstow — the Reva and David Logan Chair in Investigative Reporting — and his IRP team, supported Kate Raphael’s (‘24) story on DNRs that appeared on the front page of The New York Times. The IRP also worked with Katey Rusch (’20) and Casey Smith (‘20) for four years on their front-page San Francisco Chronicle series “Right to Remain Secret” about a secret system to conceal police misconduct and follow-up stories that are reverberating nationwide.
More than half of our students take an IRP course each year.
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IRP By the Numbers
46 The number of students who attended the 16th Annual Reva & David Logan Symposium on Investigative Reporting in April.
11 The number of IRP internships created this summer and fall; interns are helping to develop a first-of-its- kind database on police misconduct through a collaboration known as the California Reporting Project, using a grant secured from the state. Lisa Pickoff-White (’09) directs research and Katey Rusch (’20) is the records request manager and data journalist on the project.
23 The number of student pieces the IRP has supported to publication or broadcast since the start of the last school year for outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle.
24 The number of stories over the last few years in print, audio and video formats via the ”Aging in America” story series, produced with a grant from the SCAN Foundation.
Kate Raphael (’24) holds a copy of the New York Times front page, where her investigative piece — developed at the IRP — was published in August.
Kate Raphael (’24) holds a copy of the New York Times front page, where her investigative piece — developed at the IRP — was published in August.
IRP Chair David Barstow (front in chair) with students in his Blockbuster investigative seminar. Photo by Marlena Telvick.
IRP Chair David Barstow (front in chair) with students in his Blockbuster investigative seminar. Photo by Marlena Telvick.
Max Harrison-Caldwell (’24) and Laura Fitzgerald (’24) show their Los Angeles Times story about charitable gifts and Big Oil in California.
Max Harrison-Caldwell (’24) and Laura Fitzgerald (’24) show their Los Angeles Times story about charitable gifts and Big Oil in California.
Clockwise from top left: 2024 Dean’s Fellows Andres Jimenez Larios, Daniela X. Sandoval, Amy Osborne, Paul Ghusar, Sara Martin and Marquis Ryan-Mahone Chambers. Photo by Marlena Telvick.
Clockwise from top left: 2024 Dean’s Fellows Andres Jimenez Larios, Daniela X. Sandoval, Amy Osborne, Paul Ghusar, Sara Martin and Marquis Ryan-Mahone Chambers. Photo by Marlena Telvick.
”I never dreamed that Berkeley was in reach, but it turns out Berkeley Journalism was dreaming of someone like me.”
Doubling down on access and equity.
In 2024, we raised the most philanthropic support in the school’s history. We used these gifts to double the amount of financial aid we offer and fund summer internships so that no student has to work for free.
“Our world needs as many storytellers as possible bringing their experience and their wisdom, and also engaging deeply with the principles of great journalism,” said alum Angela Filo (’99) when she and her husband, David Filo, gave the largest single gift in the history of Berkeley Journalism — $10 million.
The 2024 Dean’s Fellows Program, awarded to a record six members of the Class of 2026, provides tuition, living stipends and other support to enable success and belonging.
Fellow Sara Martin, commented on what the program means to her: “As a first-generation student, my family didn't always have the means to push me toward a higher education. My mom has always been my biggest supporter, yet, worked multiple jobs as a single mother to provide for me, but many opportunities remained out of reach — especially college degrees. I am eternally grateful to the journalism school for removing barriers to the student debt that comes with being the first in your family. I never dreamed that Berkeley was in reach, but it turns out Berkeley Journalism was dreaming of someone like me.”
The newly re-envisioned program includes focused community building efforts and a weekly seminar that teaches personal development skills like financial literacy and public speaking. We now have nine total Dean’s Fellows, which we hope to increase to twelve in 2025.
Class of 2026.
Class of 2026.
In 2024, 35 percent of our first-year students — more than one third of our first-year class — received full tuition support. This level of support enabled us to recruit a diverse class of students:
45 percent of our students are the first in their families to go to college
63 percent are students who identify as people of color
28 percent are international
49 percent are from California
Defining the future of news.
In 2024, we addressed challenges and opportunities in the field of journalism and how to adapt to a changing landscape.
With the leadership of Professor Jennifer Redfearn and in collaboration with Hacks/Hackers, we held a successful AI/Journalism Hackathon that brought some 75 journalists and technologists together to explore audience trust and deepen engagement in local communities.
Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff, Dr. Christopher Schell, and Lecturer Mark Schapiro. Schell shared his research on urban ecology as part of the fall lunch talks at our Berkeley Climate Journalism Lab.
Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff, Dr. Christopher Schell, and Lecturer Mark Schapiro. Schell shared his research on urban ecology as part of the fall lunch talks at our Berkeley Climate Journalism Lab.
Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff launched the Berkeley Climate Journalism Lab to remake and reinforce excellent climate reporting while leveraging the expertise of the Berkeley campus. Students are now able to develop skills in this emerging area of reporting.
The Wojcicki Online Journalism Program launched this year with the generous support of Anne and Susan Wojcicki in honor of alumna Esther Wojcicki, a board member and longtime supporter of Berkeley Journalism, enabling us to turn our summer journalism minor classes into engaging online courses.
Our 16th Annual Reva and David Logan Symposium on Investigative Reporting brought together a who’s who of top investigative journalists to address the critical issues confronting the field, explore cutting-edge technologies and reporting techniques and network across newsrooms.
Associate Dean Jeremy Sanchez Rue led efforts for Berkeley Journalism to join forces with Berkeley Haas School of Business to offer a new Business Journalism certificate.
Professor Lisa Armstrong secured a grant to offer a spring 2025 class focused on the financial sustainability of media organizations and the future of journalism.
Local news sites provide a training ground, community service.
Our two hyperlocal news sites — Richmond Confidential and Oakland North — run by veteran journalist Christine Schiavo, function as news labs for student reporters and as a news source for the Richmond and Oakland communities. In addition to covering governments, businesses and neighborhoods, the sites also monitor institutions and industries. In Richmond, students frequently report on the Chevron Refinery, the city’s largest employer, taxpayer and polluter.
This year, students published 229 stories in Richmond Confidential and Oakland North.
Students report on local elections in Richmond, Calif.
Students report on local elections in Richmond, Calif.
Student Victor Ochieng (’26) reports on local elections in Richmond, Calif. Photo by Bryan Wen ('26).
Student Victor Ochieng (’26) reports on local elections in Richmond, Calif. Photo by Bryan Wen ('26).
The largest publicly-funded journalism initiative in the country.
Our California Local News Fellowship Program — launched with state funding in 2022 — is the largest publicly-funded news initiative in the country, infusing local journalism with much-needed support across the state.
Spearheaded by State Senator Steve Glazer, the state of California invested $25 million over six years at UC Berkeley Journalism to develop and carry out the program — a transformational vision that is now being replicated by other states.
The fellowship program directly addresses the crisis in local news unfolding nationwide. In California alone, a quarter of news publications ceased operations between 2004 and 2019; one of the state’s 58 counties lacks a local news source and 18 counties have only one, according to a 2024 report by the Medill School of Journalism. This weakened information ecosystem exposes Californians to disinformation, means less accountability for local spending and decision-making, and contributes to greater political polarization.
California Local News Fellow Emma Garcia (’24) at the orientation of the second cohort.
California Local News Fellow Emma Garcia (’24) at the orientation of the second cohort.
Our fellows reflect the racial, ethnic, gender, and educational diversity of the state, which enables them to infuse newsrooms and their reporting with new, inclusive perspectives that often are missing from mainstream media.
California Local News Fellowship by the numbers:
The first two cohorts of 76 fellows reflect the diversity of the state and are charged with covering underrepresented communities.
Fellows are placed in 72 newsrooms across the state — including traditional newspapers, for-profit and nonprofit digital news sites, ethnic media outlets and public radio stations.
The first cohort of fellows, which began in September 2023, wrote or produced nearly 4,000 stories in their first year.
Fellows are working in newsrooms across 36 of the state’s 58 counties; 92 percent of the state’s population lives in areas covered by the fellows.
Bringing the brightest minds to Berkeley.
Rebecca Solnit (‘84). Michael Pollan. Ron Nixon. Edward Wong (‘98). Marty Baron. Dean Baquet. These are a just few of the headliners at more than 30 public events sponsored by UC Berkeley Journalism this year.
From the films and books of our esteemed alumni to showcases of student work to workshops about journalism, we’ve brought journalism to the fore for the public in the Bay Area and beyond.
Media Postmortem: A conversation with veteran editors Marty Baron and Dean Baquet
Edward Wong in Conversation with Mark Danner: At the Edge of Empire
Herb Caen Lecture Series: Rebecca Solnit in conversation with John King
Journalism alums are Berkeley's best.
The achievements of our alumni are constantly impressive and challenging to capture in one place — as hard as we try. We celebrate these successes in our Quarterly News and new North Gate Update (run by our volunteer alumni committee, in collaboration with staff). And of course, across social media.
In 2024, two of our alums received UC Berkeley’s highest honors. Their association with Berkeley Journalism — and all they give back to us — is valued beyond measure.
UC Berkeley selected “60 Minutes” Correspondent Bill Whitaker (’78/’16) as its 2024 Alum of the Year and awarded ITVS President and CEO Carrie Lozano (’05) the Campanile Excellence in Achievement Award.
“It’s an incredible honor. UC Berkeley is one of the great universities in the world and I was fortunate enough to go there and be taught by excellent professors there,” said Whitaker, whose career in journalism has spanned local reporting at KQED in San Francisco, global reporting for CBS News and a decade at “60 Minutes.”
Whitaker was once a paperboy who dropped the now-defunct Philadelphia Bulletin on the city’s doorsteps early mornings, seven days a week.
“It was something I had been interested in my whole life,” said Whitaker about journalism. “My father was a news junkie and we would sit and watch the evening news every night during the most momentous times: the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and the beginning of Watergate….I was always intrigued, but at the time there was nobody who looked like me on broadcast television, and I didn’t think of it as a career path.”
Lozano’s career has been marked by successful filmmaking as well as seeding the careers of others, including many J-School alums.
“I almost can’t process this, but I feel it is my opportunity to say thank you to the university,” said Lozano, who was the first in her family to go to a university. “Were it not for Berkeley, we would not be having this conversation. It really did change the course of my life.”
“The J-School has been instrumental in all that I have done.”
60 Minutes Correspondent Bill Whitaker (’78/’16).
ITVS President and CEO Carrie Lozano (’05).
ITVS President and CEO Carrie Lozano (’05).
Author and activist Rebecca Solnit (’84).
Author and activist Rebecca Solnit (’84).
New York Times Diplomatic Correspondent Edward Wong (’98).
New York Times Diplomatic Correspondent Edward Wong (’98).
“The J-School has been instrumental in all that I have done.”
2024's award-winning faculty, students and alums.
Academy Awards
Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff (’01) and Teacher, Special Programs Nani Sahra Walker (’18) were executive producers of L.A. Times Studios’ “The Last Repair Shop,” which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024. Spingarn-Koff was executive producer of “A Swim Lesson” and “Planetwalker” which are shortlisted films for the 97th Academy Awards in 2025. Rafael Roy (’18) was the director of photography and Katie Bernstein ('21) was the post-producer and additional editor on “I Am Ready, Warden,” who is also shortlisted in the Documentary Short Film category.
Pulitzer Prizes
Multiple Berkeley Journalism graduates and faculty were among those honored for distinguished journalism in the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes: Brett Murphy (’16) and his team at ProPublica won for Public Service; Murphy reached out to his alma mater to hire students Kathleen Quinn (’24) and Marissa Muller (’24) to do Bay Area-based research for the project; and ProPublica’s Managing Editor Tracy Weber (’89) was an editor on the series. As part of a Washington Post team, Sarah Cahlan (’19) and lecturer John Harden won for National Reporting; Mark Chediak (’05) and Jeremy C.F. Lin (’16) won for Explanatory Reporting; Maggie Beidelman (’13) and Jackeline Luna (’18) were finalists for Breaking News. Brian Howey (’22) of Mississippi Today and The New York Times was on a reporting team that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Local Reporting for their detailed examination of corruption and abuse, including the torturing of suspects, by Mississippi sheriffs over two decades. Howey was a student in Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program and studied under four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Professor David Barstow.
Peabody Awards
Lacy Roberts (’17) was the editor of “The Big Dig” from PRX and WGBH, which won for best radio/podcast. Read here about other alums nominated.
CCNow Journalism Awards Videographers Maggie Beidelman (’13) and Jackeline Luna (’18) of the Los Angeles Times won the award for the best multimedia journalism covering the climate crisis.
duPont-Columbia Finalists
Professor Jennifer LaFleur and the Center for Public Integrity’s 40 Acres and a Lie and alum Brian Howey’s (’22) podcast “We Regret to Inform You,” for Reveal are finalists.
Emmy Awards, News and Documentary
Professor Jason Spingarn-Koff, Violet Du Feng (’04) and multiple alums are honored.
Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism
Sarah Cahlan (’19) and multimedia Lecturer John Harden.
Guggenheim Fellowship
Professor Jennifer Redfearn.
National Association of Black Journalists, Salute to Excellence Awards
Professor Lisa Armstrong won for best single topic series for The Great Fertility Divide; alum Corey Antonio Rose (’23) was awarded the Michael J. Feeney Emerging Journalist of the Year Award; Jason Samuels (’95) won for best network public affairs segment on television — “Unnecessary Amputations.” Alums Durrell Dawson (’06) and Justin Pye (’14) were part of the production team.
Investigative Reporters & Editors Awards
Four alumni of our Investigative Reporting Program and its managing editor Bernice Yeung were among those honored in the 2023 Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards (announced in spring 2024) in recognition of the year’s most outstanding watchdog journalism.
Philomathia Prize
Professor Jennifer Redfearn
Sigma Delta Chi Awards
April Dembosky (’08) for best Science, Environmental and Climate Reporting in Television or Audio; Erica Hellerstein (’14) won for best Tech Reporting; Stephen Hobbs (’14) for best Non-Deadline Reporting; and “60 Minutes” Correspondent Bill Whitaker (’78/’16) for best Arts and Entertainment Journalism.
Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California
William Drummond, Career Achievement Award in print journalism and Jennifer LaFleur for "40 Acres and a Lie"; Current students Kelsey Oliver (’25): the John Gothberg Award for Meritorious Service for establishing a chapter at the school and involving students in the SPJ Satellite Chapter at San Quentin and Holly McDede (’25): best Features Journalism (radio/audio/podcast small division) for a “Philosophy Talk” segment on righteous rage for KALW. Multiple alums won awards.
William H. Welch Medal
Professor and Acting Dean Elena Conis, for How to Sell a Poison (Hachette 2022)
Our thanks to the Berkeley Journalism community for your support, inspiration and leadership. You helped make this happen!
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Cover photo: Students Thomas Sawano (’25) and Amin Muhammad (’25) filming in the Pakistani Karakoram-Himalaya mountains this month to create a 25-minute documentary that explores how mountain communities in Pakistan combine ancient and new techniques to create artificial glaciers. Documentary Program Director Jennifer Redfearn is using funds from the Philomathia Prize she won for this documentary and five other stories about climate change and the environment. Photo by Muhammad Ali.
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