We’re delighted to announce that we are adding a full-time reporter to our staff through the California Local News Fellowship program, a multi-year, state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.
Zhe Wu, a 2023 graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, will join the San Francisco Public Press in early September. We look forward to introducing her to you!
The Public Press is one of 37 California newsrooms chosen to host the inaugural fellowship cohort.
“At a time when the journalism industry is facing a variety of existential threats, from polarization and lack of trust in news to profound business model failures, our aim is to be a bright spot, filling critical gaps in reporting and creating a viable career path for the next generation of journalists,” said Christa Scharfenberg, project director of the California Local News Fellowship.
Berkeley’s journalism school will provide ongoing training, mentoring and other support throughout the two-year fellowship. The program is funded with $25 million through California Assembly Bill 179 and could inspire additional support for local journalism across the country.
“News and information that’s useful to our communities and neighbors is the building block for a vibrant democracy,” said Berkeley Journalism Dean Geeta Anand. “This program will help strengthen local newsrooms of all kinds to better serve their audiences, telling the stories that matter. It’s also a model for how other states can support community news.”
We look forward to welcoming Zhe to our investigative reporting team!
