A new reporter is coming to the Coachella Valley Independent newsroom, thanks to the California Local News Fellowship.
Haleemon Anderson, a master’s candidate in specialized journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, will come to the Coachella Valley and begin her two-year fellowship on Sept. 11. Her primary beat will be covering local government and institutions, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The California Local News Fellowship’s inaugural cohort, with 39 fellows going into 37 newsrooms, was announced earlier today. A result of legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, the program “will support community news and information needs throughout California by providing two-year fellowships for up to 120 early-career journalists over the next five years,” according to a news release from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, which is administering the program. “Fellows will fan out to local newsrooms from Humboldt to San Diego and Fresno to Half Moon Bay, with a focus on underserved communities.”
This year’s inaugural cohort is the first of three made possible by a $25 million appropriation from the state.
“News and information that’s useful to our communities and neighbors is the building block for a vibrant democracy,” said Geeta Anand, the dean of Berkeley Journalism, according to the news release. “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.”
Anand said the state of Washington has already funded a program modeled on the California program, and other states are considering doing the same.
The program is guided by a 17-person advisory board that represents the state’s newsrooms and journalism education institutions. The advisory board, together with the fellowship staff, reviewed more than 90 newsroom applications and 170 fellow applications, with the goal of selecting a cohort that is reflective of the state’s diversity.
While the bulk of the fellows’ salaries is covered by the program, each newsroom is being asked to fund a portion. In our case, the Independent will be contributing $5,000 per year toward Haleemon’s salary. We’re currently raising money to do so—and the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation has generously agreed to chip in the first $2,500.
Haleemon is a native New Orleanian who’s lived in Los Angeles her entire adult life. After teaching high school English and journalism, she decided to make the leap into journalism full-time. She’s written for various Los Angeles-based publications including the Los Angeles Times, NBC Los Angeles, the L.A. Watts Times, Black Radio Exclusive and the Inglewood News, covering arts, entertainment, sports, politics and community news. She says she’s likely to found vibing to loud live music, preferably outside, in her spare time.
She says she can’t wait to dive into covering the Coachella Valley full-time.
“I am really excited about the idea of having mentoring, which I didn’t really get to have as a part-time journalist,” she says.
Welcome to the Independent, Haleemon.
Yes, welcome Haleemon! I look forward to meeting you soon.