Last Updated on July 3, 2024 by BVN
S. E. Williams
Black Voice News is thrilled to announce it was recently selected as a host newsroom for the 2024 California Local News Fellowship program and is preparing to welcome a new reporter to our newsroom team.
The Local News Fellowship is a multi-year, state-funded initiative facilitated by the UC Berkeley Graduate School for Journalism. Its goal is to support and strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. Each year, the program places up to 40 early-career journalism fellows in newsrooms around the state for two-year, full-time reporting positions.
After interviewing a number of competitive candidates, Black Voice News is preparing to welcome its top pick, Alyssah Hall.
Alyssah, a longtime resident of the Inland Empire, holds a degree in journalism from Cal State Los Angeles, is passionate about pursuing a career in multimedia journalism and equally committed to solutions oriented reporting of underserved communities. Her passion and commitment align perfectly with the goals, mission and objectives of Black Voice News.
Although it’s early in her career, Alyssah joins the Black Voice News team with experience as a community news reporter. She has also produced content for KPFK’s Cal State LA Community News Hour, and currently reports for the L.A. Sentinel.
Just as with our Report for America and CatchLight Local Fellows, the California Local News Fellowship program provides an amazing opportunity for small news organizations like Black Voice News to enhance its ability to report on items of interest and importance to the inland region.
“With a national crisis in local journalism upon us, every single one of these fellows and newsrooms is a sign of hope,” California Local News Fellowship Director Christa Scharfenberg said in a press release announcing the 2024 cohort. “We’re honored to support the next generation of journalists and help invigorate a national movement for robust local news.”
The California Local News Fellowship comes at a time when so many media outlets, both large and small, have succumbed to the economic pressures of the nation’s economy in recent years. The initiative is helping contribute to the long-term viability of local news in California.
We at Black Voice News believe local news serves a vital role relative to informing our communities and we are proud to be a part of that legacy.
Watch for Alyssah’s reporting and community presence in the fall of this year.